Summit Crashers Announced!

​Congratulations to these 13 individuals who will be joining us in Rapid City as we reconnect, build professional networks, and gain valuable knowledge and experience! 

DakCU is thrilled to announce that we have chosen 13 young professionals as Summit Crashers for our 2022 event in Rapid City! These emerging credit union talents will be attending all general sessions and will also be engaging in specific Crasher activities led by Christopher Morris, Midwest Engagement Consultant at CUNA. Crashers should prepare to be inspired and invigorated in their knowledge and enthusiasm for the industry!
 
Congratulations to: 
 
Marisa Andrysiak, Member Service Representative, Aspire CU (Minot, ND). Marisa started as a part-time MSR in 2019 and moved into full-time shortly thereafter. In her three years in the industry, she has already experienced many learning opportunities, and she looks forward to learning even more as a Crasher, as well as making some new professional contacts. This is a year of travel for Marisa; besides Rapid City her 2022 plans include Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Indiana, and Wyoming! She describes herself as “Calm, Adaptable, and Realistic.”
 
Alyssa Bainbridge, HR Specialist, Voyage FCU (Sioux Falls, SD). Alyssa moved to Sioux Falls from a small town in Iowa and was looking to work for a community-based, locally owned organization. She found Voyage was a great fit! She has been with the credit union for over two years and is hoping to gain some tactics and resources that will work well for their credit union employees, as she is looking to implement more learning and development opportunities for their staff. She describes herself as “Empathetic, Social, and a Lifelong Learner.”
 
Nancy Cavallero, Universal Teller, Highmark CU (Spearfish, SD). Nancy was working in Deadwood, SD and was looking for a change. She was already a credit union member and says working at the credit union has been the best change of her life! With less than a year under her belt, she has found a great fit with plenty of face-to-face conversations with members, and the opportunity to constantly learn new skills, with “never a dull moment.” She describes herself as “Fun, Responsible, and Outgoing.”
 
Ethan Gonda, Personal Financial Representative, Highmark CU (Rapid City, SD). Ethan began working in the credit union industry as a teller to help pay for college and has been employed at Highmark for about eight months. He enjoys meeting new members and helping to solve financial problems with them. Ethan is the oldest of seven children, which makes him a natural leader! He describes himself as “Joyful, Hardworking, and Adventurous.”
 
Alexis Haugen, Operations Specialist, Highmark CU (Rapid City, SD). Alexis started working at the credit union after graduating from high school, just over two years ago. She loves the “personal feel” that her credit union offers to members and is looking forward to gaining some ideas for facilitating those important member relationships. She is a dancer at heart, having competed on a team for five years! She describes herself as “Understanding, Caring, and Kind.”
 
Morgan Kroeger, Assistant Loan Processor/Receptionist, Aspire CU (Minot, ND). Morgan has been a life-long member of a credit union and started her career in the industry in 2017 as a part-time MSR when she was a college student, transitioning into full-time at Aspire in 2019. She especially enjoys developing relationships with members, and describes herself as “Passionate, Versatile, and Motivated.” Incidentally, Morgan can change a semi truck tire on short notice – something she started doing at 15 years old, working in her family’s tire shop.
 
Laura Lacher, Marketing Analyst, Capital CU (Bismarck, ND). Laura came across a credit union job while a college student about five years ago, but she is relative newcomer at Capital CU, having been there just over six months. She loves the friendly feel of the industry, and looks forward to networking with new people, and learning something from each of them. She describes herself as “Loyal, Creative, and Friendly.”
 
Skyler LaFave, Member Services Representative, North Star Community CU (Velva, ND). Skyler is a recent transplant to the town of Velva, and was referred to North Star Community CU by a friend. After researching credit unions and North Star in particular, she enjoyed the ideals and virtues she discovered. She began working at the credit union about eight months ago, but is already taking on more responsibility, including representing North Star as a board member for the Velva Association of Commerce. She describes herself as “Outgoing, Ambitious, and Creative.”
 
Tavi Lawrence, Personal Financial Associate, Highmark CU (Rapid City, SD). Tavi applied for a teller position at the credit union, not knowing what to expect. However, she soon found she was hooked! After just one year in the industry, she says it is an “awesome feeling” to help someone save money, or to coach them so they can find financial success. This will be her first credit union conference, and being scuba certified, she is looking forward to “diving in” and building those important relationships with other credit union professionals. She describes herself as “Genuine, Kind, and Crazy!”
 
Alexis Lovelace, Member Service Representative, North Star Community CU (Minot, ND). Alexis began working at North Star last July and is proud to be working for an organization that cares about the community, as well as their employees. She describes herself as “Kind, Patient, and Relaxed.”  A fast learner, she looks forward to bringing some new ideas back to her credit union!
 
Aaron Prochazka, Controller, Highmark CU (Rapid City, SD). Aaron began his credit union career as an accountant at a Colorado credit union; he then left the industry after moving to Minnesota, before relocating to Rapid City and joining Highmark CU almost four years ago. He enjoys working in the credit union industry because it allows the opportunity to support the community and help members thrive financially. He looks forward to gaining some new ideas and describes himself as “Tall, Funny, and Motivated.”
 
Heather Snyder, Executive Assistant, Sentinel FCU (Rapid City, SD). Heather was looking for a career where she could make a difference. She began working as a part-time teller, and worked her way up to her current position by learning as much as she could about their credit union. After five years in the industry, her current role is to provide support to senior managers with document preparation, as well as BSA tasks and membership report reviews. She especially enjoys seeing their members grow and prosper, and describes herself as “Reliable, Diligent, and Dependable.”
 
Sienna Whalen, Financial Service Representative, First Community CU (Fargo, ND). Sienna joined the credit union industry nearly three years ago, after working in the retail world and realizing she wanted to make more of an impact. She was born and raised in Arizona, moving to ND at age 22. In her role at FCCU, she is finding many opportunities to grow both in her work, and in the greater community. She is looking forward to learning more about the industry, and describes herself as “a Leader, Independent, and Personable.”

Crashers shown L to R alphabetically by last name.

Congratulations to all our 2022 Crashers! The Summit Crasher program is made possible in part by the financial support of Millennium Corporate Credit Union. 
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The Summit will take place on May 10 – 11 at the Holiday Inn – Rushmore Plaza in Rapid City, South Dakota. Be sure to visit our Summit Event Page for more details and the complete agenda.
 
REGISTER TODAY!