The President's Perspective

​As 2022 comes to a close, some final thoughts on why your “Membership Matters.” Plus, the Dakota “Border Battle” is on for the FCS final game!   

Greetings and Happy Holidays!  
As a reminder, this Friday will be our final publication of the DakCU Memo newsletter for the year. Since Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both fall on a Sunday, our offices will be closed on Monday, December 26, and Monday, January 2. The Memo will be back up and in your email inbox on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

The Dakota “Border Battle” is on!
Some are calling it the championship matchup that the NCAA and all the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) division has been waiting for. Some say it’s been a decade or so in the making.  After all, both schools have the longest active playoff streak in the entire FCS. Perhaps it was inevitable and just a matter of when, as it has almost happened twice before.

In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m referring to college football. More specifically, over the weekend, both South Dakota State University and North Dakota State University earned a spot in the FCS game and will meet early next year for not only border bragging rights, but also for the right to be crowned national champions.

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Why does it matter – and why does it impact the Dakota Credit Union Association?

Our two states have a lot in common. We share a collective heritage and culture, a similar geography, weather, and even our economies are alike. We were, after all, linked together as the ​Dakota Territory way back in 1861. So, our two states combined history is forever linked as one, even after becoming the 39th and 40th states – on the very same day on November 2, 1889.  

So, it certainly made sense that credit union leaders from both states got together in 2007 and agreed to unite the two league organizations. The merger, which was the first in the credit union league system, allowed the new association to provide more value and better serve Dakota credit unions. Merging the two state associations was the right thing to do; however, we still had our challenges and obstacles to overcome along the way.

Our expansive geography here covers 150,000 square miles which resulted in territorial issues and engagement deserts. It was, and still is today, particularly challenging for our affiliated credit unions to cross state lines to participate in educational conferences, dialogues, and even to participate in our annual meetings. Geographical barriers, such as the Missouri River which carves through our two states, was at times seen as separating us into “east river” or “west river” segments, in addition to having two time zones to consider when planning even a simple virtual meeting.  
 
It has taken most of the last decade and a half for us to erase boundaries. So, how did we get here? Perhaps it all comes down to “P6,” which is short for Cooperative Principle #6: Cooperation among Cooperatives.
 
Now, here we are 15 years later, and the two top college football programs from our states will face off in what could be described as one of the premier rivalries in the football championship subdivision – and this time it will be for the national title and bragging rights for another year in the ongoing 119-year NDSU-SDSU border battle history. 
 
As an association that represents these two terrific states, we can embrace and celebrate this extraordinary opportunity and make the most of it. Let’s all have some fun supporting our favorite team, and we can back that up with a challenge that will benefit a Dakota charity or cause for many months after the big game.
 
Like last year’s “border battle” challenge with our Montana State friends, we were able to show our state pride by throwing support behind our team that ultimately benefitted our Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.
 
The DakCU team is working out a potential cross-state challenge and we are encouraging our credit unions to back their team and perhaps support a local children’s charity that will be the ultimate winner! More to come and we will reach out to you through our normal communications platforms. However this game turns out, rest assured, the Dakotas will shine in the spotlight!
 
We appreciate your continued support and engagement over the past year.
Working hard at something you love is called passion. I truly love being engaged in the credit union movement, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be your partner and lead the Dakota Credit Union Association.

We all know that credit unions are the best financial choice for consumers, families, and communities. Great organizations can do remarkable things and solve complex problems together. The relevance of our movement is constantly being challenged, that’s why you need us, and the association needs you. We can’t do it alone, so let’s not pretend that we can.

The Dakota Credit Union Association is the only professional financial trade association that represents all credit unions in the Dakotas. As an affiliated member, you are an integral part of a multi-tiered support system that is backed by our two-state financial trade association and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). We stand firmly in your corner and work tirelessly on your behalf so you can better serve your members. As your strongest advocate, we promote, support, protect, unify, and advance the credit union movement right here in our region.

Advocacy is at the heart of providing membership value and continues to be our top priority. It is our firm belief that credit union advocacy will be our greatest contribution to our credit unions’ sustainable success. This includes an agenda that removes regulatory barriers, creates awareness, grows membership, and fosters member service excellence every day. 

Meeting the evolving needs of our credit unions and our credit union members is also a primary focus moving forward. Your Dakota Credit Union Association has continued to review and expand our member value-added offerings while further streamlining our operations, building on dues-supported benefits for our members, thus providing you the tools, resources, and access to business solutions that can help your credit union grow and better serve your members.

For the coming year, we are once again planning to offer several high level educational and networking opportunities, and we’re looking forward to connecting both in person and on virtual platforms. As we adapt to the current financial service disruptors and industry trends, we continue to need each other. There is power in association. Your active and engaged “membership matters.” I hope you remain engaged and involved with us in 2023. 
 
CEO Town Hall rescheduled.
Due to the blizzard and ongoing wintry weather we experienced across the Dakotas last week, we rescheduled our CEO Town Hall for tomorrow, Tuesday, December 20 at 3:00 p.m. (CT). I hope that you can join us for a quick update on year-end items impacting Dakota credit unions. An updated calendar invite was emailed last Tuesday; don’t hesitate to contact me if you need the link resent. As a reminder, the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance (CUWLA) Executive Director, Linda White, will be our special guest - find out how CUWLA “Empowers the women who power the movement.” We will also have updates on our recent advocacy efforts, the State-Wide Awareness Program, compliance must-knows, as well as our current strategic partnerships. The meeting will last approximately 30 minutes; I hope to see many of you there.

Annual DakCU Impact Report on the way!
The DakCU team is very excited to announce that our annual Impact Report and membership brochure will be mailed to all Dakota Credit Union CEOs via USPS this week – weather permitting! In addition, for the first time ever, we have gone digital and have a “flipbook” version available. To access the digital version, simply click here or visit our website, where it will be available throughout the entire 2023 year. I hope everyone – from CEOs to front line staff – takes the time to review our publication. There is power in association, and your active and engaged Membership Matters!

I wish you all an enjoyable and safe holiday. Merry Christmas!

DakCU President/CEO