JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MAINE'S BANKING INDUSTRY AND THE MAINE BANKERS ASSOCIATION

WHEREAS,  Maine's banking industry, its employees and the members of the Maine Bankers Association have been serving the banking and financial services needs of Maine's communities and citizens for over 150 years; and

WHEREAS,  Maine's financial institutions and the more than 10,000 employees of those institutions have contributed millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours to enhance the quality of life in Maine's communities; and

WHEREAS,  the banking industry's commitment to its communities has been recognized by consistently high evaluations under the federal Community Reinvestment Act; and

WHEREAS,  the members of the Maine Bankers Association are giving back to their communities by providing financial literacy programs to Maine's youth and young adults, including the Junior Achievement program and the American Bankers Association's and Maine Bankers Association's annual Teach Children to Save Day program, which will teach students in elementary schools throughout the State on April 29, 2008 about the importance of saving and how to save; and

WHEREAS,  the American Bankers Association and the Maine Bankers Association have also established the Get Smart About Credit program; and

WHEREAS,  the banking industry's members and employees annually demonstrate their commitment to children and the communities that they serve by donating thousands of volunteer hours and millions of dollars in community contributions; and

WHEREAS,  the banking industry's commitment to volunteerism and to assisting Maine's youth in particular is exemplified by the 2008 Maine Bankers Association America's Promise Volunteers:

	Stacey Sinford	Bar Harbor Bank & Trust
	Peggy Morin	Maine Bank & Trust
	Beth Ryan	Katahdin Trust Company
	Angel Quick	Skowhegan Savings Bank
	Trish Hansen	Merrill Bank
	Cheri Doak	Key Bank
	Roberta Nelson	Bank of America
	Denise Griffin	The First, N.A.
	Gloria Harris	The First, N.A.
	John Rothwell	Northeast Bank; and

WHEREAS,  the members of the Maine Bankers Association continue to demonstrate their financial support for Maine's high school graduates attending universities and community colleges in Maine individually through their own institutional scholarship programs and together through the Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation's scholarship program; and

WHEREAS,  the State's banking industry is an important supporter of the Maine Bar Association's IOLTA program, which provides legal services for Maine's disadvantaged citizens; now, therefore, be it

That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Legislature now assembled in the Second Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent take this occasion to recognize Maine's banking industry and the Maine Bankers Association for their continued commitment and contributions to their communities and for supporting Maine's long tradition of service to others and to recognize the industry's commitment to providing needed financial literacy programs, educational scholarships for Maine's high school graduates and support for the IOLTA legal services program; and be it further

That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the Maine Bankers Association and the 2008 America's Promise Volunteers.