OBA Presents Presidential Award and Frank E. Brawner Advocacy Award at Annual Convention

SALEM, Ore., July 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the Oregon Bankers Association's (OBA) 111^th Anniversary Convention in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho last week, Becky Kindle, chair of the OBA Bank Operations Committee and senior vice president of operations at Bank of Eastern Oregon, was named the 2016 OBA Presidential Award recipient. The OBA Presidential Award recognizes an OBA committee chair who has gone above and beyond during his or her two-year term of service.

OBA committees play a key role in the Oregon banking industry and are a valuable forum for peer networking, education and policy review. OBA committees are chaired by volunteer bankers who provide leadership, serve as a resource to the OBA, and are at times called upon to meet with policymakers or testify before the legislature.

As chair of the committee, Kindle has been involved in proposing and reviewing legislation, working with state agencies, and assisting OBA in the development of resources for the industry. Most recently, Kindle engaged in advocacy on behalf of the industry by joining OBA and a delegation of Oregon bankers at a Government Relations Summit held in Washington, D.C. Kindle was one of Oregon's two Emerging Leaders Scholarship recipients who were selected to attend this event. 

As committee chair, Kindle has served as a resource for other committee members. Said Linda Navarro, president and CEO of OBA, "Becky truly understands the value of the OBA committee experience," adding that "she is always willing to share her knowledge and makes committee meetings a comfortable place for members to pose questions and discuss current banking issues. The OBA greatly values her efforts."

Also during the convention, the Frank E. Brawner Advocacy Award was presented to Elizabeth "Betsy" Steinberg, vice president at Pioneer Trust Bank. The number one priority of the Oregon Bankers Association is advocacy on behalf of its members. This includes lobbying at the state level, regulatory relations, federal legislative advocacy, media relations, grassroots programs, political engagement, and public relations efforts. The Frank E. Brawner Advocacy Award was established to recognize what it means to be an outstanding advocate for the Oregon banking industry. The Award was named after one of the most passionate advocates in the history of Oregon banking, the late Frank Brawner, CEO of OBA for 24 years. 

Steinberg's contributions to the industry are numerous. She has dedicated countless hours reviewing bills on behalf of the OBA, helping the organization understand the impact proposals have on banks, particularly community banks. She serves on both the OBA Compliance Committee and OBA Government Relations Committees and represents the banking industry on state agency and legislative workgroups tackling issues ranging from elder abuse to state agency data matching.

Steinberg is also a voice for banking on a national scale. Last fall, she joined Navarro on a trip to Washington, D.C. to represent America's community banks at a national AARP roundtable on elder financial abuse prevention. Steinberg, who has conducted elder financial abuse prevention training sessions for the OBA's Bank Operations School as well as the OBA Bank Operations and Trust Committees, is a strong voice in the fight against elder financial exploitation. 

In commenting about Steinberg's award, Navarro stated, "Betsy is very deserving of the Frank E. Brawner Advocacy Award because she has done about everything we could ask a banker to do in support of our industry. The OBA and the entire Oregon banking industry are fortunate to have such a dedicated individual advocating on our behalf." Navarro added that presenting the award to Steinberg was even more special given that Steinberg considered Brawner to be a friend and mentor during her own career.

About the Oregon Bankers Association

Established in 1905, the Oregon Bankers Association is Oregon's only full-service trade association representing state and national commercial and savings banks chartered to do business in Oregon. More information is available at www.oregonbankers.com.

SOURCE Oregon Bankers Association

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http://www.oregonbankers.com