The Tennessee Bankers Association will have a new president:

 It is my pleasure to announce that the Tennessee Bankers Association board of directors has approved the recommendation of the board’s transition committee that TBA Senior Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer Colin Barrett succeed Brad Barrett as president upon his retirement in October 2013.
 
This is a very positive development for our association in that it will allow a seamless transition of leadership, drawing on Colin’s experience here at the TBA and at the American Bankers Association, and on the relationships he has already built through his involvement in membership services. Colin has also worked with many of you as a key player on our government relations team, and he has been an effective advocate for our industry at both the state and federal levels.
 
As a reminder for all, let me recap Colin’s background: After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. degree in marketing, Colin served for three years as endowment director and development associate for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee in Nashville. He then joined the ABA as a regional membership manager, serving two stints in that important role from 2001 to 2005 (in 2003, he gained valuable government relations experience when he worked six months as regional manager for the National Republican Senatorial Committee). While in Washington, Colin also earned his Master of Arts degree in political management from George Washington University. Colin returned home when he joined the TBA in August 2005 as membership services director. In 2008, he was promoted to vice president of administration and member services, and was named senior vice president and chief administrative officer in 2011.
 
On a personal note, I want to say how fortunate we are to have this opportunity to make an in-house appointment of someone as qualified and familiar with our organization as Colin to take over the helm next year. Of course, we will miss Brad terribly come next fall; but something tells me he will be available for consulting on issues and strategies and that his influence will be felt during the next generation of leadership.
 
I hope each of you will join me in congratulating Colin and wishing him well as he takes over leadership of the association next year.