The President's Perspective

by Jeff Olson, President/CEO 

Today is a day of gratitude! Plus, some important dates you should mark on your calendars, and CUNA launches Financial Well-Being for All initiative. 

Greetings and Happy Monday! 

Today is a day of gratitude.  It’s not an “official” day mind you, like “National Love Your Pet Day,” but rather a point of personal privilege that I want to share with you as engaged partners of the Dakota Credit Union Association. 

We are grateful for your affiliation because it allows us to do the work that we genuinely love – supporting credit unions in a challenging financial landscape.  Even more significant than just providing financial resources for the association, your membership and active engagement conveys a very valuable message that you trust us as your partner in protecting the credit union operating environment, advancing our communities, and growing the credit union movement here in our Dakota region.  Your support and continued engagement at our training workshops, educational and networking events, and with our day-to-day communications, whether virtual or in-person, is of great significance to all of us here at DakCU. So, we are grateful for your support and we sincerely appreciate your continued partnership.

Last week, a handful of Dakota credit union advocates took part in the first ever virtual Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).  Like many of you, I am suffering from virtual or “Zoom” fatigue, however, our partners at the Credit Union National Association hosted a successful event that offered many terrific takeaways.  One was the launching of the Financial Well-Being for All initiative.  I believe this mission is the future of the credit union movement, and the good news: That is exactly what Dakota credit unions have been doing since our inception!  It is what we were created to do.  By significantly highlighting the mission of Financial Well-Being for All, we are telling the world exactly what the credit union difference means for our members and how it advances the communities we serve.

Let’s all be grateful today and appreciate who we are and what we do each and every day.  Let’s continue ensuring that we improve the financial well-being for everyone we serve.

Join Us for Spring Hike the Hill
Because this is a special year with special circumstances, all DakCU member credit union employees and volunteers are invited to attend our virtual Hike the Hill meetings scheduled this month.  So far, we have meetings with Senator Hoeven (March 11, 11:30 a.m.) and Congressman Armstrong (March 11, 1:00 p.m.) from North Dakota, and with South Dakota Senators Thune (March 17, 1:30 p.m.) and Rounds (March 19, 9:00 a.m.).  You can register here.   We are hopeful to get more virtual meetings scheduled with all of Dakotas’ delegation, so stay tuned!

Who is Your Summit Crasher?
We have just opened applications for our Summit Crasher program, and I encourage our credit union affiliates to consider sending one (or more) of your emerging credit union leaders.  The Crasher program will have an enormous impact on their careers, goals, and professional development.  What better way to build and sustain our movement than to provide this mentoring platform?

The Crashers’ registration fees are FREE so the only expense you will incur is travel and lodging.  I would also like to thank Millennium Corporate for their generous support; their continued commitment to this leadership development program is vital to sustaining our credit union movement moving forward.  Contact George McDonald if you have any questions about the Crasher agenda.

Dakota Credit Union CEO Virtual Town Hall
We have scheduled a Dakota Credit Union Virtual Town Hall for CEOs on Thursday, April 1 (no fooling) at 11:00 a.m. CT.  We will use the time to provide updates on our legislative work in both South Dakota and North Dakota, share important updates on regulatory matters, and announce a brand-new strategic leadership partnership exclusive to DakCU affiliates. Invites will be sent soon but meanwhile, please reserve the time.

Great Opportunity for Dakota Credit Unions
Are you curious about the latest advances in FinTech and how they can help your credit union? The Dakota Credit Union Association along with eight of our Midwest credit union leagues and associations are collaborating on Ctrl+Alt+Innovate on April 7 - 8, a virtual innovation conference featuring demos and panel discussions from six technology companies, as well as three “tech talk” breakouts, and a keynote session.  Advance your fintech knowledge, power your financial growth, and position your credit union for the future.  Two half-days for just $99!

2021 DakCU Annual Summit
Don’t miss our biggest event of the year – the Annual Summit May 3 – 4 with outstanding educational sessions including branding, credit union law and compliance, succeeding in a competitive market, as well as industry economics and leadership development.  Along with our Annual Business Meeting and elegant Awards Banquet, this is the one event you do not want to miss.  I know that our entire staff is looking forward to reconnecting with you. 
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Have a great week!  Thank you for your active engagement and continued support.

​President/CEO
Dakota Credit Union Association