Liberty Bank Offers Services “of the future”, says Kitsap Sun
March 5, 2015 – the Kitsap Sun includes Liberty Bank among the banks offering solutions of the future, as customers seek time-saving conveniences and technology becomes an even more powerful tool. Mobile apps, online banking, and less “bricks-and-mortar” are among trends in national banking, Liberty Bank seems to be keeping pace with market needs. According to the Kitsap Sun, “Liberty Bank, among a few others, has already applied some of those concepts. It doesn’t have tellers but rather professional bankers who handle any transaction or question, and they can even visit a customer’s business site to sign them up for new products.”
“We’re a relationship bank and most customers like that hands-on style,” says Liberty Bank’s Senior VP of Operations Manager Rhonda Morris. Online banking, integration with QuickBooks, mobile apps, merchant transaction processing, and a courier service are among the many savvy service-orientated solutions offered by Liberty Bank.
For the complete story, see http://www.kitsapsun.com/kpbj/branch-of-the-future-smaller-more-high-tech-but-here-to-stay
Liberty Bank is Ranked in Washington State’s Top 25 Banks
March 11, 2015 – Puget Sound Business Journal. With $76 million in assets and a positive track record in several key measurements, Liberty Bank was ranked #17 among the top 25 banks in Washington State. That’s according to Kirk Briden and his company, St. Louis-based Banker Caddy, which watches the industry closely and ranks banks based on 19 different factors, including liquidity, growth, loan portfolio and other relevant factors. “A bank can look great in earnings by taking any loan that comes in the door, ” Briden explained, “but when you evaluate a bank, it’s important to look at how strong their loans are, how much capital they have, and if they can sustain losses,” reported the Journal.
For the complete story, see http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/morning_call/2015/03/washingtons-top-banks-things-have-improved.html
FBI Warning of Email Scam
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a recent surge in “Business Email Compromise” scams. Law enforcement agencies describe several scenarios involving fraudulent wire transfers totaling losses to date over $214 million. Often, these scams involve the compromise of high level corporate executive email accounts, resulting in transfer of funds to fraudulent overseas accounts, many of which are located in China and Hong Kong. See the FBIs Public Service Announcement for more information.
Liberty Bank Supports Annual March of Dimes Walk for Babies
On May 2, 2015 the Liberty Bank corporate team walked 5K at the Silverdale Haselwood YMCA to share their passion for improving the health of mothers and infants, demonstrating their support in the annual March of Dimes Walk for Babies. This fitness-minded group of 15 had fun and raised $2,730.00!
YWCA Women of Achievement Receive Support from Liberty Bank as Luncheon Sponsor
Liberty Bank was proud to be among the sponsors and guests in attendance at the Kitsap YWCA Women of Achievement Luncheon April 21, 2015 at the Kitsap Conference Center. This event honors the people, services, and programs of the YWCA in Kitsap County, which is dedicated to ensuring the personal safety, rights, welfare, and dignity of those who experience domestic abuse while building partnerships and increasing community awareness to create positive social change. “Domestic violence prevention and awareness and the empowerment of women is everyone’s business,” stated Liberty Bank President & CEO, Rick Darrow. “We’re pleased to show our support for healthier families and communities in the region, and to be present to honor those who work in partnership with the YWCA.” For more info on the YWCA’s programs, see www.ywcakitsap.org.
Liberty Bank’s Rhonda Morris is named April 2015 Indie Banker of the Month by Independent Banker Magazine
“Regulators have made it clear that ‘risk management’ is the new buzz word.” — Rhonda Morris, Liberty Bank
Under the headline “Risk Management Maven,” Liberty Bank’s own Rhonda Morris takes her stance as Independent Banker Magazine’s Indie Banker of the Month in the April, 2015 of this leading industry publication. To quote the feature article written by Kelly Pike:
With curiosity and good cheer, Rhonda Morris promotes safety and efficiency through risk management. If Rhonda Morris had a catchphrase, it might be: “Have we risk assessed that?”
As senior vice president and risk management officer for Liberty Bank in Poulsbo, Washington, Morris lives and breathes risk. She oversees risk assessment for IT, network systems, vendor management, privacy, interest rates, credit, compliance, physical security and disaster recovery—in addition to responsibilities in human resources, operations and IT.
Overall, it’s her job to help the $71 million-asset community bank assess its various risks and work within its risk appetite.
“Risk slips out into the conversation no matter what we are talking about,” Morris says of the role enterprise risk management plays in Liberty Bank’s daily operations and culture. “Risk is a key component in everything we do. Knowing what our risk appetite is from the board level and working with that framework” is a vital component of Morris’s leadership role.
“The two years Morris has been with Liberty Bank have been a crash course in IT and vendor management, plus the compliance requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. A member of the Washington Bankers Association education committee for the past 10 years, she says education and training is a high priority for her and the bank’s board and employees. But she tries to keep it fun when she can, even hiring someone to teach employees how to use a fire extinguisher by putting out an actual fire. “There’s nothing like hands-on experience,” she quips.
Since Morris often can’t ask a colleague when she has a high-level question, she relies on tight networks of peers at other community banks for help. She founded and still leads an operations group with 23 Washington community banks. She’s also a member of an IT peer group and an audit and compliance peer group.
“They are invaluable,” she says of the confidential feedback she gets on vendors, compliance and other issues.
“I don’t manage the bank’s risk alone,” she says. “Our board and senior management team help set the culture, and we work together to successfully execute and manage risk throughout the bank.”
Photo and select article text reprinted with permission of Independent Banker
Jennifer Carrier is 2015 Graduate of WBA Retail Banking Management Program
Liberty Bank AVP and Branch Manager Jennifer Carrier is a proud 2015 graduate of the Washington Bankers Association Retail Banking Management Development Program.
Completion of the six-month rigorous program required students to complete monthly assignments, review their results with a mentor, and work collaboratively in study groups with their classmates from difference banks to prepare themselves for each class session. The objective of the program was not only peer participation, but developing a deeper and clearer understanding of what it takes to be successful in the highly competitive world of retail banking. “The program was challenging and engaging, and time spent with bankers working in other communities was also enriching,” says Carrier, who brings more than 14 years of bank operations experience to Liberty Bank. She joined the bank in January of 2010, and in 2013, Jennifer was honored in the Forty under 40 Program by the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal. “Continuing education is a vital part of the business culture at Liberty Bank, as we all work together to bring the best knowledge to our banking team, our clients, and to the communities we serve.”
Be Wary of Fraudulent IRS Phone Calls and Emails
Who’s Calling?
Few phone calls warrant as much seriousness among taxpayers as a call from the IRS – which makes the recent rise in fraudulent calls and emails from contacts claiming to be the IRS especially worrisome. Victims have already lost more than $1 million to this scam. Read more…
Report Phishing
The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels… Read more.
July Results, August Supply Drive
