Dakota CU News & Notes

​Black Hills FCU announces new location; Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Huron Pints & Politics on deck; and several free webinars to consider. 

Condolences to Gordon Wayne Ernst Family
Gordon Wayne Ernst, 76, of Colorado Springs, CO, passed away on August 31, 2022, in Colorado Springs. Gordon was president of Aberdeen Federal Credit Union for 22 years before retiring in 1999. Our condolences to his family and friends. You can read his obituary here.
 
Black Hills Breaks Ground on Box Elder Location 
Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU) recently broke ground on their newest location in Box Elder, South Dakota. Located at 376 Liberty Blvd., the new Member Service Center will provide the city of Box Elder and outlying communities east of Rapid City with convenient access closer to home. The full-service branch will be BHFCU’s 18th location, with construction beginning immediately and completion expected in 2023.

Missouri River Chapter Pints & Politics in Bismarck
Join your peers for a Pints and Politics meeting on Thursday, September 15 at Lucky’s Bar, 2176 E Thayer Ave. Bismarck ND. Meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Artic Room for social, with presentation at 6:00 p.m. by DakCU President/CEO Jeff Olson. All staff and volunteers are welcome, kindly RSVP here: https://poply.com/r/IJg05VCeG and questions can be addressed to Heather Fleck 701.667.9500.
 
Central Chapter Pints & Politics in Huron
The Central Chapter will hold a Pints & Politics Forum on Tuesday, September 20 at Top Floor, 31 4th Street SE, Huron SD. Meet at 6:00 p.m. for social with heavy appetizers and hors d’oeuvres followed by a Forum to educate legislators and candidates on the credit union difference and to discuss legislative agenda items for the upcoming legislative session. Credit unions please contact Tiffanie Kouf, M-O Federal Credit Union at 605-353-9977 by Tuesday, September 13. Reminder: There will be a 50/50 Raffle Fundraiser!
 
Maurie C. Byrne Chapter Pints & Politics in East Grand Forks
The Maurie C. Byrne Chapter will hold a Pints & Politics Forum on Tuesday, September 27 at The Spud Jr. – Prohibition Room – 302 Demers Avenue – East Grand Forks, MN. Meet at 6:00 p.m. for social, followed by taco bar and the Forum to educate legislators and candidates on the credit union difference and to discuss legislative agenda items for the upcoming legislative session. Credit unions please contact Heather Haltli, Riverfork Federal Credit Union at 701-775-0593 by Monday, September 19.
 
Central Chapter Annual Ditch Walk Planned
Central Chapter has planned their annual Ditch Walk for Tuesday, September 27. Starting at 5:00 p.m. meet at 219th Street HWY 37 South of Huron. Meet at 7:00 p.m. at Godfather’s for social. Please RSVP to Tiffanie Kouf (605) 353-9977. (Alternate “rain date” will be October 4.)
 
New Ideas Conference
Register now for the 2022 New Ideas Conference October 3 – 4 at the Black Leg Ranch near Bismarck, ND. DakCU’s New Ideas Conference will leave you excited, invigorated, and inspired with new concepts, as well as actionable steps and key takeaways that you can implement at your organization immediately. Click here to learn more and register today!
 
Win a Pair of e-Bikes!
Speaking of the New Ideas Conference, don’t forget to purchase your raffle ticket now for the Dakota Credit Union Foundation’s eBike Raffle fundraiser! Only 250 tickets will be sold at $50 each – with a limit of five per person. Drawing will be held at the New Ideas Conference! Get your tickets and learn more here.
 
Understanding Hispanic Market Hurdles and Aspirations – a free webinar!
CUNA Mutual Group and MGIC is offering an exclusive credit union event, “Understanding Hispanic Market Hurdles and Aspirations” on Wednesday, September 14 at 1:00 p.m. CT. Consumers from different races and ethnicities face different family dynamics, systemic biases and financial hurdles. Understanding challenges will help your credit union connect with those consumers, ultimately earning their trust and referrals for your products and services. Key takeaways from this 60-minute webinar include: What is driving this demographic growth and which disparities are getting in the way; Which loan products will see the highest demand and opportunity; and What does the affluent Hispanic segment look like? Edgar Hernandez, Sr. Multicultural Strategy Manager at CUNA Mutual Group, will share key insights from a series of multicultural behavioral studies conducted in the past three years, and dispel some myths. Register here.
 
Applying for CDRLF Grants and Loans – a Free Webinar
Low-income credit unions can get valuable advice on applying for Community Development Revolving Loan Fund grants and loans on a September 14 National Credit Union Administration webinar. Register for “How to Get a Winning Grant/Loan,” here. Staff from the NCUA’s grants team will cover: CDRLF eligibility requirements; The components of a grant or loan application; Compliance requirements; and Examples of successful grant and loan applications. The webinar begins at 1 p.m. CT and runs approximately 60 minutes. There is no charge. The webinar will be closed captioned and archived on the NCUA’s Learning Management System approximately one week following the live event. Participants can submit questions during the presentation or in advance by emailing [email protected]. The email’s subject line should read, “Winning Grants and Loans.” Please email technical questions about accessing the webinar to either [email protected] or [email protected].
 
Decoding Recent Overdraft Criticism and Market Shifts – a Free Webinar
JMFA is offering a complimentary learning opportunity on September 28 at 9:30 a.m. (CT) titled: Decoding Recent Overdraft Criticism and Market Shifts. Legislators have recently turned up the heat on excessive fees and undisclosed overdraft program procedures. As inflation impacts the country, political agendas can create uncertainty regarding important financial service options. In this session, JMFA’s EVP of Compliance Review, Cheryl Lawson, will share her expertise and insight on the recent topics making news headlines. She will address some of the continuous elements proposed by lawmakers to impose changes to regulations on overdraft programs and why previous attempts have failed. She will also address specific areas that can raise red flags for overdraft regulators—and potential interest from lawyers pursuing class-action lawsuits. Register for this event here.
 
Med5 FCU Partners with JMFA to Improve Overdraft Service for Members
To create additional value and enhance their member service, Med5 Federal Credit Union has selected to implement JMFA’s fully disclosed overdraft solution. The new partnership will positively impact the credit union’s operational processes and service delivery.
 
According to Med5 FCU’s Operations Manager, Myles Burnham, “[The JMFA team was] amazing to work with from the moment we met. We are blown away by the ODP platform—how robust its features are but also how easy it is to navigate. On top of that, given the current environment surrounding courtesy pay and the fees associated with it, our minds are at ease with JMFA’s 100% compliance guarantee.”
 
If you would like to learn more about JMFA’s overdraft services, please contact Derrik Mather, JMFA Regional Director at 402.525.3615 or for general questions, contact George McDonald, DakCU’s Chief Officer of Strategic Resources.

Dakotas Sister Society Presents Bo McDonald!
Dakotas Sister Society is ready to take on the topic of ho-hum credit union marketing with Bo McDonald! Nanci Wilson and Dakotas Sister Society (DSS) is excited to introduce Bo as the next guest host of their educational and networking virtual meeting on September 15th at 1:00 p.m. (CT). The meeting will also be recorded so if you are unable to attend, you can watch at your convenience attendees. EVERYONE is welcome, and you can register here.
 
Free Webinar Series for Small Credit Unions
There is a free webinar program for smaller credit unions from CUNA. In this series, you will be connected to business partners that are vetted and known to work well with smaller credit unions. Partnering with CUNA Strategic Services, the goal is to deliver direct to your office presentations on services from small credit union-friendly vendors that can help you enhance your organizations and the services you offer members. Each month, two small credit union-friendly providers will present how their offerings can enhance your service to members. This free series takes place every second Thursday of the month now to December. Register for the series here.
 
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!