The President’s Perspective

Join us in showing your love for credit unions this Friday; Par for the PAC is a great success; congratulatory “shout outs,” and Foundation Golf Scramble is rapidly approaching.

Jeff with Rebecca Reimer, South Dakota State Representative from District 26B, Chamberlain, SD.

Show your credit union love on #ILOVEMYCREDITUNION Day this Friday!
This Friday, July 26th, the credit union movement will come together with the purpose of inspiring authentic and high energy conversation on various social media platforms about why we love our credit unions. I trust you’re locked, loaded and ready to show your love!

Last year, nearly 2,000 credit unions from every state participated in this one-day social media blitz. This is a great tool to create awareness about the credit union difference. This is a creative and fun engagement exercise for your credit union team members, volunteers and members. Let’s break the internet and show our credit union love! You can find many free creative assets, messaging, and resources here. 
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First-ever Par for the PAC is a success!
The first annual South Dakota Par for the PAC golf scramble is in the books. More importantly, the event successfully promoted and generated funds for our state political action fund while helping credit union leaders meet, engage, and build relationships with our state lawmakers.

Held at the Lead Country Club in Lead, SD, last Friday, the golf outing drew legislators from across the state as more than 40 credit union advocates and lawmakers participated. The event successfully generated needed funds for the South Dakota Political Action Committee fund and will help us support credit union friendly candidates in the upcoming general election in November. If you would like to contribute to either of our states’ PAC funds, click here.

America’s Credit Unions SIDEBAR keeps you up to date on issues impacting credit unions.
In effort to help busy credit union leaders and advocates stay on top of all of the legislative and regulatory issues impacting credit unions, America’s Credit Unions launched a newsletter, Capitol Connection, where Chief Advocacy Officer, Carrie Hunt, features advocacy-focused updates from Washington, D.C., and around the country. This includes an insider’s look at what America’s Credit Unions is doing to advance, empower, and protect credit unions. To subscribe, contact Carrie Hunt at [email protected].  

Your Capitol Connection includes a new video series as well, SIDEBAR. The SIDEBAR is designed to give you an insider’s look at what’s going on in advocacy, where we are headed and how we are making powerful advocacy connections. If you missed the first video, you can review it here.

Foundation Golf Scramble & Professionals Forum less than one month away.
Registration is still open for the Dakota Credit Union Foundation’s 8th annual Golf Scramble on Tuesday, August 13th in Fargo. We are still looking to fill in several sponsorships and have team and individual slots available; please consider supporting this great event for a great cause! 100% of the proceeds will benefit Sanford Children’s Hospital in support of the new CU4Kids Micropreemie Care Unit. Details and registration available here.

As a reminder, this event is held in conjunction with the CU Professionals Forum, which takes place on Monday, August 12th. As always, the Forum is a FREE event for DakCU members, but we do ask you to please register in advance. I hope to see you there!

Kudos to First Community CU!
Congratulations to First Community Credit Union (Jamestown, ND) on being recognized as a top rural housing lender in North Dakota! Lenders like First Community are helping to reduce barriers and making home ownership a reality for many families of modest means, providing a path for low and moderate-income households to own decent and safe dwellings as their primary residence. Once again, credit unions’ commitment to community is on display! 

Congratulations to Black Hills FCU!
Black Hills FCU (Rapid City, SD) recently celebrated the grand opening of their second Billings, MT location. The new Shiloh branch is their 20th location and features extended hours to better serve members through their drive-up lanes. As part of their celebration, the credit union made a $5,000 donation to the Billings Family Service to support their vital work of assisting those facing hunger, homelessness, and poverty in the surrounding community. Congratulations to Jerry Schmidt and staff, and nicely done!

Sioux Falls CMN Hospital makes the most of our Foundation’s gift.
Last week, Abby Murano (Dakotaland Federal Credit Union, Aberdeen, SD) and her family traveled to Sioux Falls for the official dedication of the pediatric oncology exam room that was unveiled. The room honors Abby and Joel’s young son, Charlie, who was treated there last year for cancer. As you know, the Dakota Credit Union Foundation has pledged a total of $200,000 to our three Dakota CMN Hospitals. The gift to Sanford Children’s in Sioux Falls was made in Charlie’s honor. I would like to congratulate the Foundation Board for their bold and generous commitment. The full pledge will be completed over the next several years, and we sincerely appreciate our member credit unions’ continued support. Be sure to check out the full story in today’s Memo.
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Have a great week, 

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DakCU President/CEO