Dakota CU News & Notes

​Dakotas Sister Society virtual meeting on February 16; upcoming chapter meetings scheduled; and multiple educational opportunities available now. 

Foundation CUDE Scholarships available now.  
The Dakota Credit Union Foundation has approved two $2,000 scholarships, one for North Dakota and one for South Dakota, to attend the National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education (DE) program. Those who complete the program receive the highly coveted CUDE designation. Cost to attend is $3,699 which includes lodging and most meals; travel expenses are not included. The Foundation scholarship will cover approximately 50 percent of the cost to attend. Apply for a Foundation Scholarship here using the fillable PDF application. You can find the upcoming DE class schedule here. Contact Shawn Brummer with any questions regarding the Dakota Credit Union Foundation.
 
New SalesCU Training
DakCU has partnered with SalesCU for practical and proven sales techniques and strategies that actually work in a credit union setting to bring affordable and convenient sales training to our Dakota credit unions. If you want to develop employees who know how to sell in a way that adds value to the member and leaders who are empowered to drive results through developmental coaching and meaningful accountability, we have a solution for you! Additional information and registration is available here or contact George McDonald, Chief Officer of Strategic Services at 701.250.3942.
 
Dakotas Sister Society Meeting February 16
Join The Dakotas Sister Society on Thursday, February 16th at 2:00 p.m. (CT) for a virtual meeting via zoom with special guest speaker Jennifer Pestikas. Jennifer is a financial services executive, as well as a career and leadership coach for women. The theme of this virtual event is BRAVE Women At Work. Everyone is welcome to join, however please register in advance for this meeting. Sign up here and contact Nanci Wilson with any questions.
 
Ongoing Educational Opportunities
Be sure to check back often for professional development training to see all current virtual training sessions that DakCU offers in partnership with OnCourse Learning, CU Webinar Network, and CUNA. On our website, click the “Member Resources” link, and then select “Professional Development” link, and click “Training,” to see what is available. Don’t hesitate to contact Paige Langhoff if you need assistance registering for any of these courses or are looking for a particular topic or type of training. 
 
Leadership Development – Work at Your Own Pace
Our iLead@11 DakCU Emerging Leader Program is designed specifically for emerging leaders in the credit union industry, based on the popular Leadership@11 program designed by Eleven Performance Group. It is an ongoing program that allows participants to start whenever they want and determine their own pace to the program! Scholarships are available now through our relationship with Alloya Corporate. Contact George McDonald, Chief Officer of Strategic Services for more information.
 
National CU Youth Month
April is National Credit Union Youth Month, the time each year when credit unions teach and encourage kids to develop strong financial habits. This year’s theme is Unleash the Power of Saving at Your Credit Union™. During Youth Month, participating credit unions encourage kids to share, spend and save wisely through their credit union with giveaways, contests, virtual financial education and more. There are many easy ways for credit unions to celebrate. Learn more, get free resources, and purchase themed assets and products here. Don’t forget about your Pee Wee Young Savers members– this is a great time to have some extra giveaways on hand! Visit the Igloo Mall today and stock up on promotional items.
 
Attention CU Marketers
Did you know your association has created a collaborative marketing group inside of our DakCU Mobile App? If you want to know more about what other credit unions are doing in the Dakotas, need some marketing guidance or assistance, or just want to bounce ideas and thoughts off other marketers, you are invited to join! The group is a closed private feed within DakCU Mobile. Anyone can request to join the group; only accepted members can see the contents of this group which is exclusive to DakCU affiliated credit unions. Download DakCU Mobile (if you haven’t already) which is available for both Apple and android devices. When you first log in, using the same credentials as our dakcu.org website, you will receive a six-digit verification code in your DakCU registered email address that you will need to enter into the app. As long as you don’t log out, you will not have to enter another verification code. From there, choose “Groups” at the bottom. Select “Join Groups” and find “Marketing Community.” Wait for a DakCU moderator to let you in, and let the collaboration begin! If you have any questions please contact Lindsey Hefta, DakCU Director of Marketing.
 
Credit Unions United Chapter Meeting
The Credit Unions United Chapter has scheduled their next meeting for Wednesday, February 15 at Sleep Inn – 2400 10th St SW. Meet at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and hear from inspirational speaker Ryan Botner of Cornerstone Speaking and Coaching. RSVP by February 9 to Jennifer Jerauld. All attendees will be entered into a drawing for $200 and an additional $200 for the charity of their choice.
 
Red River Chapter Meeting
The Red River Chapter has scheduled their next meeting for Tuesday, February 28 at Garden Pavilion, 1421 7th Ave N in Fargo. Meet at 5:30 p.m. for social followed by dinner and program on Elder Abuse by Lyndsey Olson from Cass County Adult Protective Services. RSVP by February 17th to korianne@unitedsavingscu.org.
 
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, plus there are scholarships available now! Click here for full agenda, scholarship application, or to register.
 
Help Us Stay Up to Date with Your Staff
Please help us to make sure that your employees are receiving the Memo and are in our database for other important information.  We strive to bring you the latest important information related to advocacy, compliance, networking and educational opportunities, and more.  Is everyone at your credit union receiving this information?  Be sure we have the names, title, and email address of any new employees.  The more information your staff has, the better for all of us!  Email Shawn Brummer to be added to our distribution list or sign up directly here on our website.
 
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.
 
Share News
Submit your news to Shawn Brummer. Employee promotions, awards, new products or services, community involvement/recognition, job openings, all are welcome!