Summit Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 DakCU Summit a success.

By George McDonald, DakCU Chief Operating Officer
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I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend and were able to enjoy some fun in the sun, relax, and recharge your batteries. I know I did!

Another Summit has come and gone, and yes, we are already in the early planning stages for next year’s event in Fargo, May 11–13. In fact, planning began in the car on the drive home from Box Elder.

I want to personally thank all of you for your engagement throughout the event. We are truly grateful for the interaction and collaboration among attendees, our main stage speakers, and breakout session presenters. The conversations, networking, and sharing of ideas are what continue to make Summit such a valuable experience for our Dakota credit union community.

We also extend a sincere thank you to the many exhibitors and business partners who helped support the event and spent time engaging with our membership. This year, we were proud to host more than 55 companies in the exhibit hall, all bringing valuable products, services, expertise, and insights to help strengthen and support our credit unions.

We encourage you to stay engaged with these valued service providers and follow up with them if your credit union has needs or interests in the products and services they offer. Like many things, momentum around new ideas and important conversations can fade once we return to our busy credit union and personal lives. We encourage you to keep those conversations going, and if there is any way your Association team can assist, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are continually searching for new offerings, partnerships, and solutions that can help meet the evolving needs of our member credit unions.

The energy, participation, and commitment shown throughout the week reinforced what makes our movement special. People helping people, learning from one another, and working together to better serve our members and communities.

Thank you as well to everyone who participated in the many activities surrounding Summit week outside of the educational sessions, whether it was the bus tour to Mount Rushmore, the golf outing at the Elks, or enjoying a little bingo and prizes with Granny. Those moments of fellowship and fun are an important part of building the relationships that strengthen our movement.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Summit Golf Outing:
First Place

• Jake Klobuchar, Town and Country CU
• Brad Shetler, Capital CU
• George McDonald, DakCU
• Doug Lee, Capital CU

Second Place

• Fran Sommerfeld, Levo CU
• Mark Baumann, Baker Group
• Guy Trenhaille, Healthcare Plus FCU
• Misty Winter, Northern Hills FCU
• Teresa Thill, Advantage Network

Third Place

• Joey Rotert, Black Hills FCU
• Shannon Webster, Town and Country CU
• Levi Brunmaier, Sentinel FCU
• Scott Eaton, SRM

​Individual contest winners included Joey Rotert, Black Hills FCU, and Julie Nielsen, CRIF, for Longest Drive, along with Joann Bergrud, North Star Community CU, and Corey Hunhoff, Voyage FCU, for Closest to the Pin.

A special thank you to all of the golf outing winners, who generously donated their winnings back to the Dakota Credit Union Foundation in support of its ongoing programs and initiatives. Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated.

At your Dakota Credit Union Association, we are also putting the final touches on our expanded New Ideas Conference coming this September 23-24 in Bismarck. Watch for additional details coming soon on that event, along with the many other networking, advocacy, and educational opportunities we are planning for the year ahead.

Enjoy the beginning of summer, and we look forward to seeing you out and about as we travel the Dakotas in the months ahead.

Stay Connected
For more information feel free to contact me. ​​