Last week, CBA held its annual joint convention and bank counsel seminar at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach. More than 300 attendees from across the state congregated to participate in sessions and discussions, and hear from several noted keynote speakers, including an opening address from Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.Director Cordray spoke about the CFPB’s current priorities, including the new qualified mortgage/ability to repay rule, engaged in a spirited question and answer session and encouraged bankers to continue to express any concerns directly to the bureau. The director also introduced Dan Smith, the recently named assistant director for the CFPB’s Office of Financial Institutions and Business Liaison. The CBA was also pleased to have a second keynote address delivered by Gillian Tett, an award-winning journalist at the Financial Times, where she is a markets and finance columnist and an assistant editor. She is considered one of the world’s preeminent authorities on capital markets and the role they played in the global financial crisis, and she is widely credited with being the first to cover the credit crunch in the mainstream press. Dr. Esmael Adibi, chief economist and director of the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research at Chapman University, closed the convention on Saturday with his economic outlook for California and the nation.

The convention is also the time when the association marks the changing of the board leadership. CBA president and CEO, Rod Brown, thanked outgoing chair Mary Curran, chief risk officer for corporate banking at Union Bank, for her chairmanship this past year; and welcomed the CBA’s new chair, Jeff Ball, who is president and CEO of Friendly Hills Bank. We deeply appreciate the service that Mary Curran provided on behalf of the association and welcome Jeff Ball to this volunteer leadership position.

During the convention, the CBA also awarded its annual Committee Member of the Year Award to a member of its many committees who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to the banking industry. Corny Gallagher, SVP of global commercial banking and food, ag and wine executive with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, who has been a member of CBA’s Ag Lending committee since 1990, was this year’s honoree. CBA also presented its two prestigious legal awards. The Almon MaCallum Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the banking industry by inside bank counsel, was presented to Leland Chan, who has served as CBA’s SVP and general counsel since 2000. The Robert Frandzel Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the banking industry by outside counsel, was presented to Neil Rubenstein, shareholder with Buchalter Nemer.

Finally, the association would like to thank all attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and staff who made this year’s event a success! Please save the date for our 2014 annual convention and bank counsel seminar, which will be held May 8-10 at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.