Independent Banker - March 2021 - 7

FROM THE TOP
" Despite everything, we remain
a thriving network of community
banks, united in our common
passion for and commitment to
our communities. "
Noah W. Wilcox
Chairman, ICBA
Noah Wilcox is president, CEO
and chairman of Grand Rapids
State Bank and its holding
company, Wilcox Bancshares Inc.,
Grand Rapids, Minn.
his past year certainly has
delivered a different experience
than I had imagined when I accepted
the honor of becoming ICBA
chairman. In fact, I've been teasing
Pres Kennedy, ICBA's immediate past
chairman, that when he passed the
gavel to me, the floor fell out.
But when you step into a leadership
role, you take the helm prepared to
address the issues at hand. When
I look back on ICBA's history, I
see evidence of the strength and
tenacity of our leadership. Our past
chairmen have guided us through
some challenging circumstances. Just
think of Cynthia Blankenship and the
late Mike Menzies and Jim MacPhee,
who were chairmen during the 2008
financial crisis and its aftermath.
So, when we got wind of the extent
of COVID-19, I realized that my
chairmanship would not fall into a
traditional format. The pandemic
T
seemed to slow things down and
accelerate them at the same time, with
a lot of short-term decisions having
long-term effects. But I'm an eternal
optimist, so my tendency is to figure
out how to make the best of a messy
situation. In this case, we got to work.
We navigated an unprecedented
mass loan experience with the
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP),
and we saved millions of small
businesses. We reconfigured our
business operations and created an
environment where our teams can be
efficient and effective remotely. We
offered community aid and supported
our customers who needed an extra
buffer in difficult economic times.
Through ICBA, we have advocated
with key agencies, members of
Congress and now two presidential
My Top Three
Things I'm
grateful for:
1. Eternal optimism
2. Making an impact
3. Time to spend with family-
and to write a cookbook
administrations. We met with former
President Trump to advise on how
the pandemic was affecting our
communities. We have had numerous
advocacy successes, including
dedicated PPP funding for community
bank lending, regulatory and tax
relief, and relief from beneficial
ownership disclosure mandates. And,
perhaps most importantly, we found
new ways to connect with and support
one another.
Now, as we assemble virtually this
month for ICBA Connect, we bear
witness to the fruits of our labors.
Despite everything, we remain a
thriving network of community banks,
united in our common passion for and
commitment to our communities.
This may be the most consequential
year of my existence, and I will look
back on this time as ICBA chairman
with humility and pride. Despite
enormous hurdles, we were able to
deliver true and meaningful support
to community banks, small businesses
and local communities. We rose to
the challenge. I have no doubt we will
continue that course into the future
and look forward to what we will
accomplish together. 
Connect with Noah @NWWilcox
independentbanker.org Q 7
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - March 2021

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