PORTFOLIO President and CEO of Mountain Pacific Bank Mark Duffy advocates for early communication with customers during a recession. ā—ˇFOCUS LENDING How should lending practices change during a recession? Many lenders are looking for ways to mitigate risk and ease economic burden for their customers amid a predicted recession. Three community bank lenders share their advice for lending during an economic downturn. By Beth Mattson-Teig pinions are mixed on whether a recession might be on the horizon for 2023. In any case, it remains to be seen if federal policy can deliver a soft landing for the O economy as it works to ease inflation. Estimates are further clouded by the fact that recent economic downturn caused by the pandemic was a unique situation. Q&A participants Nicole Austin, executive vice president and chief lending officer at $1 billion-asset Pioneer Bank in Roswell, N.M. Justin R. Proctor, executive vice president and chief operating officer at $265 million-asset Bath State Bank in Bath, Ind. Mark Duffy, president and CEO of $570 million-asset Mountain Pacific Bank in Everett, Wash. 30 // ICBA Independent Banker // January 2023 Photo: Mike Kane