SD Credit Union Legislative Day Wraps Up

​Credit union advocates gathered in Pierre this week to network, Hike the Hill, and meet with their state representatives at our popular Legislative Social. 

​A dedicated group of credit union professionals gathered in South Dakota’s Capitol City on Wednesday, January 26 for the Dakota Credit Union Association’s (DakCU) annual SD Credit Union Legislative Day. This year, more than 30 credit union advocates representing 14 unique credit unions, along with DakCU staff united in their message that the state’s credit unions offer a crucial financial services alternative for South Dakotans.
​
The day began with a meeting for members of the South Dakota Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC), and then continued with the larger group making their trek to the Capitol, where they were recognized in both chambers. South Dakota Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden (shown in photo above, front and center) joined the group for the traditional photo on the Capitol steps.

Later in the afternoon, a leadership dialogue was held, which was open to all attendees. DakCU staff also provided a briefing of current legislative issues, as well as a credit union awareness update, compliance briefing, and strategic service options for DakCU members.

“The topics were very relevant for today’s times,” stated Robert Goscicki, President/CEO of Area FCU. “The association did a great job of bringing in speakers and presenting information around these important topics.”

Jerry Schmidt, President/CEO of Black Hills FCU agreed. “I appreciated the knowledge the analysts presented, as well as the thorough legislative update from DakCU,” he remarked. 

The evening concluded with the very popular Legislative Social, which brought the credit union advocates together for more networking and discussion, and also saw more than 50 state legislators and guests in attendance.

The entire day was summed up by Jeff Olson, DakCU President/CEO. “The South Dakota Credit Union Legislative Day is our best vehicle to meet face-to-face with our state lawmakers and educate them on the credit union difference,” he stated. “While the event is designed as a social activity, credit union leaders from across the state did a great job connecting with legislators from their respective districts. The success of this event certainly helps us build better relationships with our legislators and our overall relevance at the state capitol,” he added.

DakCU would like to thank the many credit union professionals for their presence. We could not do this without the dedicated support of our members. We would also like to express our appreciation to the following credit unions that were represented at our event. 

• Area Federal CU
• Black Hills FCU
• Consumer’s FCU
• Dakotaland FCU
• Highmark FCU
• Lakota FCU
• Levo FCU
• Norstar FCU
• Northern Hills FCU
• Oahe FCU
• Sentinel FCU
• Sioux Valley Co-op FCU
• Voyage FCU