Strengthening Member Engagement Across the Dakotas

​DakCU is expanding its focus on member engagement, creating more opportunities to connect, listen, and support credit unions across the Dakotas.

At your Dakota Credit Union Association (DakCU), we're always looking for ways to better serve you, our members.
Over the past year, we've spent time listening, gathering feedback, and evaluating how we can create more meaningful connections with the people and organizations we represent. One theme has become clear: member engagement matters more than ever.

That's why we're taking intentional steps to strengthen those connections.

Many of you saw that commitment firsthand this summer through Joe's credit union visits across the Dakotas. Those conversations provided valuable insight into the challenges, opportunities, and priorities facing credit unions today. They also reinforced the importance of being present, accessible, and responsive to member needs.

As part of this effort, DakCU has expanded its focus on member engagement with the addition of Kaelixte Wagner, Member Engagement & Communications Coordinator.

"I am excited for the opportunity to create a greater impact and build meaningful relationships across our credit union community. Member engagement is about more than communication," says Wagner. "It's about showing up, listening, understanding the unique needs of each credit union, and helping connect people with the resources, education, and opportunities that support their success. I look forward to meeting you all across the Dakotas, learning from their experiences, and working together to strengthen the credit union movement while creating an even greater impact for the people and communities we serve."

While communications will continue to be an important part of this role, we've intentionally added a new layer of member engagement. So, what does that mean? Simply put, it's about creating more opportunities for DakCU to connect directly with credit unions, listen to what you need, and make sure we're connecting you with the people, resources, education, and support that can help.

This role was created to help increase opportunities for connection, education, and support across our membership. Whether it's coordinating credit union visits, facilitating training sessions, supporting chapter events, helping identify resources, or simply serving as a point of contact for questions and ideas, the goal is simple: strengthen the value that we deliver to you and your members.

We know that every credit union is different. Some may be looking for staff development opportunities, while others may need support with networking events, leadership development, advocacy engagement, or connecting employees to industry resources. Whatever the need, we are committed to finding ways to help.

And this is where we want to hear from you. Member engagement is a two-way conversation. We don't want to assume we know what you need or what would be most valuable to your credit union. We want you to tell us. Have an idea for a training? Need help connecting with a resource? Want us to visit your credit union or chapter? Let us know.

Member engagement isn't about adding another program. It's about building stronger relationships, creating more opportunities to connect, and ensuring our members receive the support they need to succeed.

In the months ahead, you'll see more credit union visits, educational opportunities, chapter engagement, and outreach from the DakCU team. We look forward to continuing the conversation and finding new ways to serve you across North and South Dakota.

Have an idea, need support, or want to schedule a visit, training session, or chapter presentation? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out to Kaelixte and let's start the conversation.