The president of Three Rivers Bank was among the 100 community bankers from across the country to meet with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Earlier this month, AJ King, president of Three Rivers Bank in Kalispell, traveled to Washington, D.C. to take part in a meeting with the president and his staff to discuss issues related to community banks and federal regulations that could be altered to help the institutions. Since 2014, King has served as the state delegate for Montana on the Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group representing small U.S. banks.
“It was a real honor to represent Montana. As a community banker when I go to D.C. to lobby, I’m so proud to be an American but I’m also so proud to be a community banker because they recognize what we do for our communities and for small business,” he said. “A lot of communities have one bank and it’s a community bank.”
King said he and other representatives from across the country emphasized the need to help community banks work with businesses without outsized regulations that hamper day-to-day operations.
“Everything needs some regulation; however they’ve gone too far and it’s hurt consumers and it’s hurt small businesses,” King said of federal banking regulations.
King said many American banks have consolidated in recent years due to regulatory changes while others have had to hire multiple people to simply devote their time and energy to ensuring the institution is following proper regulations.
“We have to jump through so many hoops,” he said.
King said he believes the Trump administration understands the challenges facing community banks, and King is optimistic that positive changes are coming.
“The administration recognizes that and wanted to tell us they’re in favor of rolling back regulations and making our lives easier to do business with small business,” King said.