The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida
Click Here to view the property.

Act Now! SCBA's room block will be released May 1, 2008.
To register, call 803-779-0850 to request a packet.

Chairman F. Justin Strickland and his wife Rhonda invite you to mark your calendars for the 2008 SCBA Annual Convention on Thursday through Sunday, June 12-15, 2008.  The 108th Annual Convention takes us back in time to Victorian elegance enveloped in the very definition of the word luxury available only at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel on the beautiful Amelia Island off Florida’s Atlantic coast.  The Ritz-Carlton offers 1.5 miles of dune-lined beachfront, 18 holes of PGA championship golf, The Ritz-Carlton Spa and salon, fitness center, indoor/outdoor heated pools with whirlpool, nine ocean side tennis courts, the Ritz Kids program, children's pool, playground, teen lounge and nanny service, and retail gift shops.
Mixed in with all the pampering The Ritz-Carlton offers, we’ll need to take care of some business while we’re away at the convention.  We hope you will join us. 
The Ritz-Carlton’s room rate is $369 per evening, single or double. Should you plan to arrive at the hotel early, there are a very limited number of rooms available at the convention rate on first-come, first-served basis before and after the convention dates.

Registration Fees:

$490
per bank member or associate member

$295
per guest or spouse

Hotel Fees:
$369 plus tax
The Ritz-Carlton’s SCBA Room Rate

Reservations are always Recommended for on-property events - Concierge Staff - 1-904-321-5019
Don’t forget about reservations for dining and The Spa!

Agenda
Thursday, JUNE 12, 2008
2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.  Registration Open in Exhibit Hall - Trade Show Open
5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.  The Graduate Schools of Banking Reunion/Reception*
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  Opening Night Reception and Trade Show in Exhibit Hall
   Evening free for dining and entertainment on your own
Friday, JUNE 13, 2008
7:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.  Prayer Breakfast* featuring Art Baker
7:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.  Coffee and Pastries and Trade Show Open
8:30 a.m. - Noon  Registration
9:00 a.m. - Noon Business Session
12:15 p.m.  Special Event: Courtyard Luncheon at Florida House Inn*
12:30 p.m.  Golf Tournament at The Golf Club of Amelia Island*
2:00 p.m.  Tennis Tournament at The Ritz-Carlton’s Tennis Center*
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.  Chairman’s Reception
Saturday, JUNE 14, 2008
7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Coffee and Pastries
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Early Bird Session "Legislative Issues Affecting Banking"
9:00 a.m. - Noon       Business Session
Noon - 7:00 p.m.      Afternoon Free                 
7:00 p.m.        Cocktails and BankPAC Silent Auction Open
7:30 p.m.             Dinner
8:45 p.m.             Dancing to the Music of The Headliners
* Requires prior registration. Call 803-779-0850.

Speakers
Jeffrey M. Lacker
President, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Jeff Lacker is a native of Lexington, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1977 from Franklin and Marshall College. Following graduation he joined Wharton Econometrics in Philadelphia, Pa., and went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics in 1984 from the University of Wisconsin. Lacker was an assistant professor of economics at the Krannert School of Management, Purdue University, from 1984 to 1989, prior to joining the Bank in 1989 as an economist in the banking area of the Research department. He was named Research officer in 1994, vice president in 1996, and senior vice president and director of research in May 1999.

Lacker is the author of numerous articles in professional journals on monetary, financial, and payment economics, and has presented his work at several universities and central banks. In 1992-3 he taught at The College of William and Mary, and in 1997 he was a visiting scholar at the Swiss National Bank.

Lacker is a member of the Executive Advisory Council for The E. Claiborne Robins School of Business, University of Richmond, the Executive Committee of Venture Richmond, and serves as director for the board of the Richmond Jewish Foundation. He is also a member of the Junior Achievement of Central Virginia Advisory Board and director of the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond. He and his wife, Lisa Halberstadt, have two sons, Benjamin and Daniel.

Edmond J. Seifried, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics and Business, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania
Dr. Edmond J. Seifried, a nationally recognized speaker on economic issues and forecasting techniques, will provide a unique and simplified approach that will enable you to navigate through the confusing maze of published economic indicators and financial new releases.  His presentation provides direction on just how to recognize key economic signals and prepare strategies to cope with the changing economic environment.  His remarks will focus on the U.S. economic prospects for 2008 and beyond.
Dr. Seifried is a professor of economics and business at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.  He is the chief economist for BNK Advisory Group, a community bank investment firm.  He received his doctorate in economics and business from West Virginia University.
In addition to his course schedule at Lafayette College, he is also a faculty member of numerous banking schools including: Stonier Graduate School of Banking, and the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management.  He serves as the dean of the Virginia and West Virginia Banking Schools. Dr. Seifried has traveled extensively in the former Soviet Bloc countries where he served as an advisor and consultant to the newly privatized commercial banks.
He frequently appears as a guest speaker at regional and national conferences.  He has delivered over 2000 presentations to various groups both in the United States and abroad.  He acts as a consultant to the banking industry, and is well known as a speaker at bank customer events and as a strategic planner.   Dr Seifried authored the book The Art of Strategic Planning for Community Banks.  He also has served as a director of a community bank.

Michael E. Thornton
US Navy Seals Retired
Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
Chairman Strickland is pleased to present a speaker of exceptional distinction during the annual convention. Michael E. Thornton, a native of upstate South Carolina, enlisted in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War in 1967. Following basic training, he was selected for Basic Underwater Demolition training in Coronado, California and the Navy's elite SEAL community. Upon successful completion of training, he was assigned to SEAL team ONE from 1968-1974, completing several tours of duty in Vietnam and Thailand and later, in 1990, in support of Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
During this time, he was the recipient of numerous awards (Silver Star, Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, etc.). His most prestigious decoration was bestowed for heroic actions on his last tour of duty in Vietnam which resulted in saving the life of a fellow SEAL. For this action during a reconnaissance and intelligence gathering mission, he received the nation's highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1972, during a fierce gunfight, Thornton learned that the patrol’s senior advisor was hit and believed to be dead. Returning to his last known location through a hail of fire, Petty Officer Thornton found the mortally wounded and unconscious lieutenant, killed two enemy soldiers who were inspecting the body, and extracted his superior officer to the river’s edge where he inflated the man’s life preserver and towed him seaward for approximately two hours before he was picked up by Navy support craft. President Nixon bestowed the Medal of Honor on Thornton in 1973.
During the mid 1970’s, Thornton worked for and trained SEALS both for the United States and for the United Kingdom. Upon completion of his successful tour with the British, he returned to help establish and operate with SEAL Team SIX. Here he was instrumental in developing new and innovative operational techniques and hardware that formed the foundation for future unique special operations missions. Throughout the 1980’s, his specialty shifted to diving and salvage training and support of combat missions. In May 1992, Lieutenant Thornton retired as the last Congressional Medal of Honor recipient serving on active duty in the Navy.

Information on our Destination
Situated along 13 miles of pristine, picturesque Atlantic coastline, Amelia Island is the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands along the eastern U.S. seaboard.
Amelia Island’s Fernandina Beach was once a vibrant Victorian village by the sea. Amelia Island also owns the unique distinction of being the only U.S. city to have once been under the domain of eight different nations, and is still known as the Isle of 8 Flags.
Today, Amelia Island is a seaside retreat for nature lovers and those who thrive on an abundance of sun, sand and outdoor sports. Visitors will also encounter a wealth of fine dining, and a variety of interesting shops and museums to browse as they stroll the cobblestone streets of Fernandina Beach’s charming historic district.

Air Travel Tips
 The Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) services 11 major airlines and is located 30 minutes from Amelia Island. The airport recommends you arrive one and a half hours prior to departure.
 

Convention Registration
 SCBA’s 108th Annual Convention boasts two full days of educational opportunities for bankers, directors and associate members. In addition to the convention registration/hotel reservation form, please find the enclosed registration forms for the reunion reception of The Graduate Schools of Banking; the golf and tennis tournaments; the special event and the prayer breakfast. The registration fee of $490 per banker/associate member and $295 per spouse/guest includes admission to all events except for the aforementioned golf and tennis tournaments.

Refunds
 There will be no refund of SCBA Convention registration fees after 12:00pm on June 6. If you have extenuating circumstances, please call Anne Gillespie at 803-779-0850 or e-mail agillespie@scbankers.org.

Questions? Please contact Anne Gillespie at 803-779-0850.