The President's Perspective

Summit kicks off today; DakCU Board meets in Fargo for pre-conference business; and a special shout-out to Sioux Falls FCU on their successful use of the Open Your Eyes campaign. 

Summit Kicks Off Today in Fargo!
Greetings, and welcome Summit 2021!  We are happy to kick off our 15th conference at the Delta Marriott in Fargo, and we are very excited to see everyone in person!  The annual Summit meeting is our largest and best attended educational and networking conference each year.  I’m extremely pleased to report that this years’ registrations match pre-COVID conference numbers, with approximately 225 credit union professionals, volunteers, guests, Crashers, exhibitors, and business partners attending.  

As always, it’s business before fun, so the Dakota Credit Union Association’s board of directors along with several association staff members met on Sunday evening for pre-Summit business (photo below.)  Later today, we’ll head out to the Prairie Rose Golf Course in south Fargo for our charity Golf Scramble.  We have a full roster of golfers with 72 signed up, and we’re hoping the weather cooperates!  Then it’s back to the Delta Conference Center for the opening ceremonies and some fun with our Vendor Social.  

The 2021 annual meeting is the culmination of planning that began back in late 2019.  Yes, more than 18 months of planning is put into this event!  Once again, the DakCU Team has put together a terrific leadership and educational event featuring national keynote speakers and presenters.  We also have several industry-specific breakout sessions, covering topics that our members have requested.  Our Annual Business Meeting and elegant Awards Banquet will highlight the day tomorrow.  Be sure to catch Wednesday’s Memo for a Summit recap and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest developments.
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One final reminder – we have added a Health Benefits Town Hall session to the Summit agenda for credit unions in either state that want to learn more about the DakCU Health Benefits Trust.  This will take place today at 4:00 p.m. in a separate room near the exhibit hall.  Join us if you would like to learn more about how our Health Benefits Trust works and how you can enhance your employee benefit options at your credit union!

Play Along with ClickBid!
Our Summit Silent Auction fundraiser that supports GAC scholarships has gone virtual with ClickBid!  You can join the fun on any internet connected device to bid on donated items in the silent auction or buy raffle tickets for the opportunity to win a gift card.  Check out the prizes at the above link, then if you would like to participate, your first step is to register: Text DakCU to 56651 or Visit https://dakcu.cbo.io.  On this platform, you will be able to view the entire list of prizes.  Starting at noon on Tuesday, May 4, you may start bidding!  Auction action ends Tuesday evening at 8:00 p.m. and winners will automatically be notified through the ClickBid site.  If you need assistance, please reach out to Jay Kruse at 701-250-3928.

Reminder - Thank Your Bank or CU Month!
Don’t forget to promote “Thank Your Bank or Credit Union Month” – a special PR initiative from the Bank of North Dakota.  BND wants to recognize North Dakota credit unions and banks for their outstanding efforts during the pandemic that helped to keep our economy running, so May has been officially proclaimed “Thank Your Bank or Credit Union Month” by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.  We have a copy of the signed proclamation; if you would like to receive a digital copy please contact Shawn Brummer.
 
As part of the celebration, your credit union has an opportunity to win $5,000 to be used to support an education-related activity in your community.  To qualify, at least one of your members must submit a comment about your credit union at bnd.nd.gov/my community.  If their comment is selected in the random drawing, your credit union wins!  It’s that simple.  It’s time to toot our own horns a little and be recognized for all our accomplishments over the past year.  For more details, click here.
 
Sioux Falls FCU Making Most of Awareness Initiative!
I want to send a shout-out to Joey Rotert, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at Sioux Falls FCU for his recent appearance on CUNA’s “Contributor Chat” for the Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union campaign.  This credit union has done an outstanding job of utilizing the resources available for contributors.  According to Joey, the awareness campaign has provided an opportunity to get past many misconceptions about what a credit union is and what it takes to join.  Without spoiling the interview, his marketing team created a blog post about common misconceptions which has already reached over 6,000 consumers and generated 50 new leads from one post!  You can see the interview here, and once again – I encourage you to visit the Contributors HQ for your own customizable campaign tools.
 
Have a great week everyone! 

​President/CEO
Dakota Credit Union Association