SEATTLE, March 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On March 9, Laurie Stewart, President & CEO of Sound Community Bank, met with President Trump and community bankers from across the country to discuss the regulatory challenges affecting community banks.
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During the meeting, bankers had the opportunity to discuss a range of topics, including the need to hold the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau more accountable, regulatory changes to increase small business and mortgage lending, the impact of compliance burden, and the need to ensure regulatory capital standards are aligned with actual risks and conducive to credit availability.
“Community banks represent such a critical segment of our economy and I was pleased to represent community banks throughout our nation in this important meeting,” said Stewart. “We were able to offer the White House a rare perspective on the challenges facing financial institutions, emphasize the importance of tailored regulation and highlight the critical role banks play in helping our economy thrive.”
Stewart previously served as Chairman on the American Bankers Association’s (ABA) Government Relations Council and remains a member. She was joined by other ABA bank members from ABA’s Board of Directors, Government Relations Council, Community Bankers Council and Endorsed Solutions Banker Advisory Council.
Stewart recently celebrated 26 years with Sound Community Bank. She was hired in 1989 as President and CEO of Associated Grocers Federal Employee Credit Union (AGFECU). In the ensuing years, the Credit Union converted to a thrift and is now a fully public company traded on the NASDAQ. Stewart oversaw the growth of the organization from $38 million to nearly $565 million in the span of 26 years. She has a long history in community banking and participation in industry affairs. Recognized by American Banker as one of the Most Powerful Women in Banking in 2011 and 2015, she served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Washington Bankers Association (WBA) and is currently Chair for the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Stewart also served on the ABA Board of Directors. Stewart is a frequent speaker at conferences and colleges locally and nationally, and has testified in both Washington DC and Olympia, Washington on a variety of legislative and regulatory financial issues. She helped create the WBA’s Executive Development Program which is now in its sixth year of existence. Stewart is one of 14 bankers selected to serve on the inaugural FDIC Advisory Board and subsequently the CFPB Advisory Board.
Sound Community Bank is a Seattle-based community bank, providing personal and business banking services in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Jefferson and Clallam Counties, and on the web at www.soundcb.com. Sound Community Bank is a subsidiary of Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFBC).