The President's Perspective

​It’s last call for several DakCU events happening next week!  Plus, the next Small Credit Union Roundtable & Retreat is announced, and the dates are set for our New Ideas Conference! 

Greetings and Happy Monday!

I know I am not alone in feeling that that this summer has just flown by.  I have heard the same sentiment from many of you over the last couple of weeks.  Let’s face it, Dakotas summers are wonderful, and we all try to take advantage of the season by cramming in as many activities and as much family time as we can.  So, let’s enjoy what little summer we have left because the “fall” season kicks off soon with classes beginning at many schools in just a couple of weeks.

As we continue to lead the credit union movement here in the Dakotas, we do so by continually creating ways to provide value and relevancy to credit unions of all sizes.  Looking ahead, we have several exciting leadership and educational events coming up that I think you you’ll want to consider attending.
 
Last Call – Register Now for These DakCU Events
We are gearing up to host CUNA President/CEO, Jim Nussle and Senator Cramer in Bismarck next Wednesday, August 25th at the National Energy Center of Excellence on the Bismarck State campus.  The luncheon is open to all DakCU members and will be followed by a CEO only Roundtable with Jim.  There is no cost for this event and there is still time to register.

The Professionals Forum is also taking place at the same venue that day, and you can register here.  The events on the 25th are for DakCU Members only, and there is no cost to participate in any of the day’s activities, except for the Riverboat Cruise later in the evening.  We do need a final count so please register no later than Wednesday, August 18th and be sure to “opt-in” for the evening social events if you wish to attend. 
 
Finally, it’s not too late to sign up for the Dakota Credit Union Foundation’s “Play Yellow” golf event on Thursday, August 26th at Apple Creek Country Club.  This will be a fun-filled day of networking and golf and it’s our foundation’s biggest fundraiser, plus, this year, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Sanford Children’s Hospital in Fargo.  There is still time to sign up individually, or to sponsor a team, sponsor a hole, or donate a prize.  Thank you for your consideration and support of our charitable foundation.

Small Credit Union Roundtable Announced!
Leaders at small credit unions in North and South Dakota will want to save the date for our Small Credit Union Roundtable on Tuesday, September 21st at Buffalo Ridge Resort in Gary, SD.   This one-day meeting will open on the evening of Monday, September 20 with a light social and dinner.  On Tuesday, you will hear from Tom Sakash, CUNA’s Small Credit Union Initiatives Manager, as well as Jim Kasch, founder of Canidae Consulting.  I will also be providing updates from the association that are particularly relevant to small credit union, and we will wrap up at by 4:00 p.m. so you have time to travel home, or you may choose to stay and relax for an extra day!  We are offering this retreat at no charge, the only expense you will incur will be for travel and accommodations.  Click here to register and for lodging information.
 
Save the Date – New Ideas Conference
Looking ahead, the popular New Ideas Conference is headed to the Black Hills and scheduled for October 4 – 6 in Deadwood, South Dakota.  As always, we have a terrific fall event planned.  Fair warning: this event has limited capacity and does fill up fast, so we recommend that you make your plans now to attend and register early.  More details and registration information will be coming soon. 

Fall Regulatory Hike the Hill Moving to Virtual Format
COVID has reared up again another DakCU event fell victim, as we have had to alter our plans for our fall Regulatory and Legislative Hike the Hill.  While we still could have traveled to Washington, DC, the situation is so fluid that we are unable to lock down face-to-face meetings with either regulators or our legislative delegation.  Therefore, we have decided to switch to a virtual platform for our meetings with the NCUA and CFPB.  In addition, we are working on ways to meet with our Dakota representatives, either in-district or virtually.
 
We always want to make certain that we are being good stewards of our resources, and respective of our attendees’ time and resources.  While the trip to DC is always a highpoint of our advocacy efforts, there is a silver lining to holding these meetings virtually, because now practically anyone who wishes to attend can do so. 
 
This is a great opportunity to let the NCUA and CFPB know about any concerns or questions you may have, or to simply listen in and get a feel for how these meetings are conducted and become more familiar with the important credit union issues at hand.  There is no charge to attend, but you will need to register in advance to participate.  These meetings are open for CEOs, managers, compliance professionals, and volunteers. The deadline to sign up is noon on September 7th and here is our confirmed agenda:
 
September 14
9:15 a.m. (CT) NCUA Chairman Todd M. Harper
12:00 p.m. (CT) Representatives from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
2:00 p.m. (CT) NCUA Vice Chairman Kyle S. Hauptman
September 15
9:00 a.m. (CT) NCUA Board Member Rodney E. Hood
 
BND Hosting Online CECL Q & A
The Bank of North Dakota (BND) hopes to tackle some common questions regarding CECL implementation with a free, online Q & A webinar with CPA professionals from Eide Bailey next Tuesday, August 24th.  As we approach implementation of these new standards, questions regarding loan pooling, transitioning from probable to expected loss recognition and how to handle extensions, renewals and modifications are only the beginning of what they will be covered.  The webinar will run from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (CT), and you can register here.

DakCU Joins Midwest Leagues for “Attorney’s Conference for Non-Attorneys” 
I am also excited to announce that Dakota Credit Union Association is partnering with six other credit union leagues in the Midwest in a collaborative program to help credit unions handle pressing legal and compliance risks.  We are calling the legal series the “Attorney’s Conference for Non-Attorneys.”  Most credit unions do not have in-house counsel and therefore do not get access to the type of information provided at events like CUNA’s Attorney Conference.  We want to provide this information to our credit unions along with risk mitigation strategies to help protect credit unions from liability.  There will be attorney speakers from Husch Blackwell Law Firm and from CUNA Mutual Group.  The first session is scheduled for September 28th.  Be sure to watch for more information coming soon in the Memo and on our events page.  
 
Have a great week! 

President/CEO
​Dakota Credit Union Association