What's Happening in the Region

Revitalizing RMA’s New Orleans Chapter

The New Orleans Chapter’s reconstituted board was charged with revitalizing the chapter for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.   Since the year began in September 2019, the board’s enthusiasm has spurred an exciting year! We have staged the following activities through March 2020:

                Economic Update from GNO, Inc. President & CEO Michael Hecht

                Young Professionals Social Event

                Women’s ABC Golf Clinic held at English Turn

                Three RMA webinars:

The CRE Scene

Strategies for a Downturn

OCC’s Fall 2019 Semiannual Risk Perspective

                Three RMA Classes:

                                Analyzing Business Tax Returns

                                Analyzing Personal Financial Statements and Tax Returns

                                Structuring Commercial Loans I

                RMA Night Out with the New Orleans Pelicans

                University Outreach - Presentations and student events at the Univ. of New Orleans and Tulane

Annual Conference Support - RMA’s Annual Risk Management Conference – October 2019

Upcoming Events…

Please take advantage of these upcoming activities before this fiscal year ends in August 2020:

                Leveraged Lending Update: A Risk Readiness Webinar – April 21, 2020

Detecting Problems Loans/Problem Loan Workouts classes - April 22-23, 2020

Economic Update for these Uncertain Times (in planning stages potentially May 2020)

Thanks so much to our board members for their efforts and energy in revitalizing the N.O. Chapter

Chris Miller

President, RMA New Orleans Chapter.

RMA New Orleans Chapter Night Out with the Pelicans

RMA’s New Orleans Chapter is pleased that the Annual Risk Management Conference is returning to New Orleans in October 2019. The local chapter will be providing volunteers to welcome and assist 800 attendees during their time in New Orleans.

Everyone at RMA’s headquarters have been supporters of New Orleans. This was particularly evident when the Annual Risk Management Conference was held in 2007, a mere two years after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. RMA leaders and conference attendees volunteered their time to assist with the rebuilding of the city.




Pictures taken at New Orleans’ City Park in 2007, where visitors from out of town, as well as local chapter members, assisted with the clean-up of one area of the park. Picture with small group includes Mid-South members Don Hensel, Jennifer Barnett, and Greg Sibley with an associate from City Park.

On May 14, the New Orleans Chapter welcomed a full room of bankers from throughout the region in South Louisiana region for a Regulatory Panel.  Hosted by the RMA’s Regulatory Affairs Liaison Bernie Mason, the panel featured:

• Scott Bergeron, Analyst at Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
• Cynthia Scott, Assistant Regional Director, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• Mark Wall, Compliance Examiner Manager, Office of Financial Institutions (OFI)

The audience heard about emerging credit risks, as the consensus was that we are at the tail end of a favorable credit cycle with loosened credit underwriting standards and more leveraged loans in the financial system.   In addition to credit concerns on the national front, the regulators covered items of a regional nature, such as Agriculture Lending in an era of tariffs and Marine Lending for Oilfield Service Vessels in the aftermath of a serious energy downturn.

The regulators encouraged vigilance, as increased competition is leading to higher LTVs, fewer controls and looser covenants.  For renewing loans, they asked the banks to focus on receiving enough information to make an informed credit decision, including adequate documentation of cash flow and not just collateral.  They advocated that lenders maintain the discipline of full personal guarantees, and continue receiving supporting personal financial statements and liquidity verification.  They emphasized the remaining vigilant on cyber-security and having a robust third party / vendor management.




Pictures from May 2019 Regulatory Panel, taken at Pan American Life Center.