Pub. 11 2014 Issue 3

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G N E W M E X I C O R E A L I Z E D R E A M S 10 S WACHA is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, marking a milestone in its long-standing position as one of the largest not-for- profit electronic payments associations in the country. SWACHA’s membership of approximately 1,000 members includes many financial institutions located throughout the state of New Mexico including Western Bank in Artesia, Bank’34 in Alamogordo and Southwest Capital Bank. “We are excited to honor our history and our future as we cel- ebrate this 40th anniversary,” said Laura Steele, AAP, president and COO of SWACHA. “SWACHA has stayed true to its roots for 40 years providing our members with a sense of stability about who we are and confidence in what we provide. While our 40th anniversary is very important to us, we are just as ex- cited about our plans to continue to support our members with education, products and expertise across the full spectrum of electronic payments.” A Look Back Dallas-based SWACHA began in 1974 with eight board mem- bers from respected, local banks including Republic National Bank of Dallas, First National Bank of Dallas, Fort Worth Na- tional Bank and Mercantile National Bank at Dallas. They set out with the mission to form an organization that would antic- ipate and meet the electronic payment needs of financial insti- tutions. SWACHA has since grown to include 15 elected board members and nearly 20 employees, but the original mission continues to ring true today. In 1999, SWACHA was the first Regional Payments Associa- tion to host teleseminar training. Then, in a continued effort to better educate members on electronic payments services, SWA- CHA launched the ACH Certification Program. The program aims to prepare members for the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) test, one of the highest honors payments professionals can earn. Throughout the years, SWACHA has continued to launch ex- ceptional programs that provide members with industry knowl- edge, including online training through video classes, webinars, and its Executive Leadership Payments Summit, a conference addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the elec- tronic payments industry leaders. In addition to quality training programs, SWACHA has of- fered many other products and services to its members and the industry during its 40-year history. It teamed up with the FBI in 1995 to launch the first Financial Institution Crime Day, which has become an annual event offering those in the financial in- dustry the tools needed to strengthen their defenses against the most current trends in fraud relevant to each individual area. It began in Houston in 1995, but has since spread to San Antonio, Albuquerque, and New Orleans. SWACHA also offers a scholarship program for The NACHA Payments Institute. To date, SWACHA has awarded more than $130,000 to employees of SWACHA members. Members also have access to the Payments Answerline™, a toll-free number which allows members immediate access to a SWACHA profes- sional who can answer questions about electronic payments. “We are proud of our past and the many successes achieved to this point,” said Steele. “However, we are eager to continue to discover innovative ways to educate and protect our members as we embark on our bright future. As the industry changes and evolves, so will SWACHA.” n About SWACHA: SWACHA is a leading not-for-profit Regional Payments Association celebrating 40 years of serving approximately 1,000 members across the Southwest. SWACHA is the resource of choice for financial institutions and corporations in the areas of education, training, payments system risks and knowledge about electronic payments. For more information, visit: Web: www.swacha.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/bringingpaymentstogether Twitter:@SWACHA SWACHA Celebrates 40 Years as a Leading Electronic Payments Resource