What is your New Year's resolution?

* Kenneth E. Perry Executive vice president and chief operating officer Farmers Savings Bank, Northwood, Ohio

My resolution for the bank is to do whatever is necessary to understand and comply with the regulatory burden. That's just a major consideration for us.

My personal resolution is to become computer literate. The business as we used to do it - with a hand-held calculator and a yellow legal pad - is gone forever.

You've got to be able to utilize PC-based technology, even to take a loan application. In order to be able to more effectively handle the workload in the bank, I've got to lead the way in that area.

* David A. Laferia Vice president First National Bank and Trust Co., Aurora, Neb.

I'm going to lose some weight in 1993. I had my doctor's appointment recently, and he told me to do it. I resolve to finally utilize the exercise bike I bought a year and a half ago.

It's time - because I've had stress-related problems on and off for the last three years. In most jobs you can't avoid the stress, but one thing you can do is cope with it. I resolve to handle that stress a little better by exercising more. I've got little kids, and I'd kind of like to be around for them.

One other thing - I resolve to use ethanol all the time. It's clean-burning fuel, and it's good for the local economy. This is country.

* Annette Bertolini Senior vice president Feather River State Bank, Yuba City, Calif

Personally, I want to quit smoking. It's just not good for me.

I'm in a nonsmoking environment at work, and that has helped me cut down somewhat. I'm going to get some help from my doctor, too. He's going to give me the nicotine patch.

As for the bank, I'd like to achieve a return on assets of 1.4% and a return on equity of 17.46%. Our ROE this year was a little better than 16%.

To achieve that goal, we are going to seek the agricultural market more aggressively than we already are doing now. It seems that the larger banks are closing down their agricultural lending offices in the area. We're in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, and it's a wide-open ball game if you want to get into it.

* William L. Gibbs President Citizens Trust Bank, Atlanta

On the professional side, my resolution is to give an attractive and much-better-than-adequate return to our shareholders.

On the personal side, I'm going to find some time to relax and pay more attention to my health. I enjoy my work, but sometimes my mind is still running at night.

My wife is going to help me. She is a banker, too, but she refuses to talk about work.

I found out I was diabetic this fall, but now I'm off medication and controlling it with diet.

* John Dean President and chief executive officer Glenwood (Iowa) State Bank

I don't have any bad habits, so I don't have anything to give up.

What I would really like to do is to get a young horse and break it to ride. I haven't done that in a long time.

The big New Year's resolution for most bankers should be to somehow change the mental outlook of the Congress and regulators.

We need to explain to our legislators and regulators that if they keep micromanaging, we're going to sink this country.

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