The President’s Perspective

​Tis’ the season to give thanks; Holiday Sweepstakes extended; ViClarity webinar planned; and CUNA National Award Winners announced! 

As we kick-off Thanksgiving week, there are many things that we here at the Association are thankful for.
First and foremost, I want to thank you for your partnership and affiliation with the Dakota Credit Union Association and for your continued support of our league and service corps.

I am thankful for a gifted and talented staff that works tirelessly every day on your behalf. As an organization, we strive to be the best advocate for credit unions and their members, passionately working on legislative, compliance and education initiatives so that you can focus on your members. 

I am thankful for an engaged and active board of directors; credit union leaders committed to promoting financial cooperative difference, increasing market share and industry sustainability, and providing solutions for our credit unions and their members. 

Finally, I am thankful for the opportunity to be your partner and lead the Dakota Credit Union Association at such a historical time for our industry and our individual members. Credit unions truly are the best financial choice for consumers, families, and our communities. We will continue and working hard on providing value and increasing our relevancy to credit unions of all sizes. Thank you for your confidence and continued support.

It has been my tradition to share this Thanksgiving Day Poem that was first published in our credit union league’s newsletter 72 Years ago, in November 1951.

Thanksgiving
And is this then the only way,
The feasting and the fun,
Just to give thanks for one short day,
Then feel all is done?
 
The Pilgrims feasted long ago,
The bitter with the sweet;
Theirs’ was a thanks we cannot know,
We walk the road their courage blazed,
We reap what they have sown;
Yet can we praise as they have praised
For Freedom, Faith and home?
 
Then thank the Giver all the way,
For sun and shadow too;
You’ll find that Thanksgiving Day
Will last the whole year through.
~Author Unknown

CUPAC/CULAC Holiday Sweepstakes extended.
Because of a payments system glitch that was out of our control, we are extending the deadline for our Holiday Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes will remain open until Friday, December 8 at 5:00 p.m. (CT) and the drawing will be held on Monday, December 11 at 3:00 p.m. (CT). We sincerely hope this allows ample time for everyone who wishes to contribute and enter the drawing. If you have any questions about the sweepstakes, please contact Chesney Garnos or John Alexander. 

ViClarity – your new compliance solution!
A live webinar/Zoom call to introduce ViClarity, DakCU’s new compliance solution, is scheduled for Tuesday, November 28 at 3:00 p.m. (CT). Please join us to learn more about the transition, the ViClarity team, how to access the members only website, and what types of questions they commonly answer.  

We are very excited to partner with ViClarity, a compliance and regulatory consulting firm that currently serves 9 other credit union leagues covering 16 states and more than 1,000 credit unions across the United States. You should have already received an invite via email; however if you need the Zoom link you can find it here. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, and feel free to invite any of your staff to participate in the call.
 
CUNA National Award Winners
On a final positive note, last week, CUNA announced the national-level award winners, and I was very pleased to see multiple Dakota credit unions on the list! As always, both the state and the national award winners will be recognized during our awards banquet at the 2024 DakCU Summit. Congratulations to:

Dora Maxwell Award Winners

• East River FCU (Madison, SD), second place, less than $50MM in assets
• Railway CU (Mandan, ND) third place $50MM – $250 MM in assets

Louise Herring Award

• East River FCU, second place, less than $50MM in assets

Desjardins Youth Award

• East River FCU, second place, less than $50MM in assets.

Well Done! Thank you for all that you do in serving your members and communities, and have a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends.

DakCU President/CEO