Dakota CU News & Notes

​Promotions at Aspire CU and Capital CU; some free office supplies for the taking from Railway CU; and several career opportunities at Dakota Credit Unions! 

Aspire CU Promotes Brianna Weeks
Aspire Credit Union is pleased to announce the promotion of Brianna Weeks to Assistant Operations Manager. Weeks has been an employee of the credit union for over seven years and handles a range of member services, including working with debit and credit cards, managing account fraud, assisting with collections, ACH transactions, share drafts, and balancing general ledgers. Aside from her many duties, Weeks is most known and recognized for her exceptional member support and can often be found assisting members with all aspects of their financial needs. Aside from operational tasks, her efforts have been recognized by management at the credit union for her outstanding performance. As Assistant Operations Manager, she will continue to expand her knowledge on the many procedures that happen throughout the credit union.

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Capital Credit Union Promotes Jillian Lagasse
Jillian Lagasse was recently promoted to chief marketing and member experience officer at Capital Credit Union. In this position and as a member of the credit union’s Executive Team, Lagasse will manage all aspects of the credit union’s Marketing Department and Contact Center, as well as employee training and other areas supporting the overall member experience. Lagasse graduated from the University of Mary in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in social science/business. She is a current chair of the Local Issues Committee for Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC and Optimist Impact Grant for Bismarck Optimist Club and is a member of the University of Mary Alumni Association and Missouri Valley Family YMCA Board of Directors. Lagasse has been with Capital Credit Union since July 2018, most recently as vice president of marketing and member experience. She and her husband Ryan live in Mandan with their three daughters.
 
Railway CU has free office supplies for loan/paper file needs!
Railway Credit Union has some free Classification Folders and Tab Inserts for the taking! After moving from paper loan files to all electronic versions, they have a supply of legal classification folders and the tab inserts/dividers that are no longer needed. If any credit unions in North and/or South Dakota is interested in them, please contact Kay Miller at [email protected] or 701.557.7157. Items must be picked up at Railway CU, 1006 East Main St. Mandan ND 58554.   
 
Area FCU Seeking Business Lending Manager
Area Federal Credit Union is seeking a Business Lending Manager to grow and develop their business lending programs. This position oversees all aspects of business lending, from meeting with potential members regarding their business lending needs to developing policies and procedures. Duties with this position include but are not limited to: taking initial applications; underwriting; preparing loan documents; and performing reviews on existing loans. A minimum of two years lending experience is required, with commercial lending experience preferred.
Benefits include paid sick and vacation time, a pension package, 401K, holiday pay, incentive pay, health, dental and vision insurance, along with life insurance and short and long-term disability. To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to: Area FCU; Human Resources – attention Carmen; PO Box 1495; Aberdeen, SD 57402-1495 or email: [email protected].
 
CEO Opportunity – Britton, SD
Due to an upcoming retirement, Norstar Federal Credit Union in Britton, South Dakota is searching for their next President/Chief Executive Officer. The Board is looking for a seasoned executive who can build on the vision of the credit union and assist in growing the organization. In collaboration with the Board of Directors, this executive will be responsible for achieving the long and short-term goals and objectives as established in the strategic plan and maintaining the stability and health of the credit union. The ideal candidate will be a team leader, humble, well rounded, strategic, and an excellent communicator and able to lead a team of high-performing professionals to be efficient, productive, and effective. A minimum of five years executive experience with a financial institution is preferred. To submit your confidential application, please email a letter of application, resume and references to Kurtis Larson, Chairman at [email protected]
 
GAC Small Credit Union Scholarship Opportunity!
Small credit unions can now enter a drawing for full scholarships to the 2023 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC)! To enter, upload a short, self-recorded video onto the CUNA Small Credit Union Community describing how your credit union has helped a member. Thanks to CUNA Mutual Group, winners will receive funding to attend the biggest credit union advocacy event of the year, Feb. 26 to March 2 in Washington, D.C. Entries must be submitted by Jan. 20, 2023. Full contest rules here.
 
One Stop GAC Shop
To make planning as simple as possible for Dakotans who wish to attend the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference, DakCU has created a “One Stop GAC Shop” where you will find all the information you need to make the most of your experience. Conference registration, hotel reservations, and other important information can all be found here. 
 
2023 CU Fin Health Conference
The National Credit Union Foundation is hosting their 2023 CU FinHealth Conference on April 18 – 20, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV. Explore credit unions’ role in improving people’s financial well-being. CU FinHealth brings industry leaders together to examine how credit unions are measuring financial health, working to strengthen it, and documenting and sharing the results. Attendees will discuss multi-sector solutions to address the drivers of financial well-being, explore strategies for engaging new partners, understand how to leverage technology to track and improve financial health, and share best practices. Early bird registration is $849 and available now! Click here for full agenda or to register now.
 
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In the Spotlight
Do you know someone at your credit union or another credit union, either employee or volunteer, who has an interesting story?  Nominate them for the CU Professionals Spotlight by emailing their name and a brief explanation of why they are “Spotlight” material to Shawn Brummer.
 
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Submit your news to Shawn Brummer. Employee promotions, awards, new products or services, community involvement/recognition, job openings, all are welcome! 

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