I want to start, first, by conveying my own perspective on the importance of community banks. Community banks have a long history of providing essential financial services to households, small businesses, and small farms in communities across the United States.
Their ability to effectively provide these services speaks to the strength of the community banking business model--that is, establishing and maintaining local relationships, and offering customers a face-to-face interaction with a local banker. And it is something I have observed firsthand, especially for community banks in rural communities.