The President's Perspective

The first Dakotan to ever receive the Herb Wegner award – and that’s a really big deal!  Plus, bylaw revision approved by DakCU Board, and a Holiday Raffle challenge is issued! 

Greetings,
I hope you saw the National Credit Union Foundation’s announcement last week!  Roger Heacock, retired president/CEO of Black Hills Federal Credit Union will be honored with the Outstanding Individual Achievement Award at the 33rd annual Herb Wegner Memorial Awards in Washington held during the CUNA GAC (February 27 – March 3).  Those of you that have been around the movement for a while know what a “big deal” it is to receive this recognition.
 
The award is named in honor of the late Credit Union National Association CEO Herb Wegner, (photo right) whose tireless dedication, innovative ideas, and deeds truly revolutionized the ways that credit unions serve their communities.  The awards that bear Wegner’s name recognize his spirit of innovative, creative, risk-taking, servant leadership.  This is our industry’s highest honor recognizing one’s contributions and career achievements in the credit union movement.

​Roger Heacock is the first credit union professional from the Dakotas to ever receive this prestigious award.  Being around a servant leader such as Roger will inspire and change you – it certainly influenced me.  We could not be more pleased and excited for him; his 46-year legacy in the movement truly speaks for itself.  Also being honored in February are Lucy Ito, President & CEO of NASCUS; and Faith Based Credit Union Alliance and African American Credit Union Council will each receive the Outstanding Organization Award.

DakCU Bylaw Language Revision Approved – Ballots Coming Via USPS
The Board of Directors of the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas, doing business as Dakota Credit Union Association (DakCU), met in Deadwood, SD on October 4th.  At this regular business meeting, they unanimously approved an amendment to the Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 2, referring to the date used for purposes of determining the annual dues.
 
The specific language approved is Section 2: The Association shall be financed by dues recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by delegates. The annual dues of the member credit unions of the Association shall be based upon the credit union’s assets as of June 30 each year.
 
The purpose of this Bylaw amendment is to provide consistency with the dues structure of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), as CUNA bases their dues on the credit union’s June 30 assets.  The amendment will also serve as a convenience to Dakota credit unions as the DakCU invoice for annual dues will be able to reflect the actual amount of dues allowing credit unions to avoid the hassle of completing the worksheet/calculation.
 
If you agree with the proposed Bylaw amendment, no response is required. If you DO NOT AGREE with the proposed amendment, please return your ballot by December 6, 2021.  Be sure to contact me if you have any questions.
 
Holiday Raffle Challenge Issued!
As you know, one of the charges of the GAC committee is to raise funds and awareness for our CUPAC/CULAC funds.  The GAC is once again coordinating the CUAPC/CULAC Holiday Raffle that will run throughout November – and we need your help.
 
To get things started, North Dakota CULAC Trustee, Paul Brucker, president of Railway Credit Union, Mandan, ND, has thrown down the gauntlet!  Railway has already donated $250 to the prize pool - and is challenging all Dakota credit unions to contribute.  Total prize money for this year’s raffle will be $5,000 – please consider donating $500, $300, $200, or $100 towards our prize offerings.  You can easily make a contribution right here with your corporate credit card.   

CUNA Board of Directors Election
You may have received a notice regarding an opening for a Credit Union National Association’s Board seat that represents Dakota credit unions.  Nominations are being accepted for nine open director positions (eight regular elections and one special election). The seat that impacts our region is District 5, Class B: credit unions with at least 38,000 and not more than 141,000 members in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

The deadline for nominations and seconds is November 11.  Each credit union nominee must be an employee or a voting board member of the nominating credit union, with the nomination seconded in writing by at least two other credit unions.  Nomination information can be found on CUNA's website.
 
October is Cybersecurity Month
Besides being National Cooperative Month, did you know that October is also Cybersecurity Awareness Month?  Think of this as an opportunity to remind your staff and your members about the importance of being safe and secure online.  Amy Kleinschmit shared some terrific resources in her Compliance Update last Friday.  Be sure to keep an eye on DakCU’s social media accounts for more easy ways to share the message!
 
Reminder - DakCU Town Hall Scheduled for October 26
Our next DakCU Virtual CEO Town Hall will take place on October 26th at 3:00 p.m. (CT).  Invites have already been sent; if you did NOT receive the invite, please contact me.  Our staff will be providing briefs on the current regulatory and compliance issues, our Holiday Raffle, the new iLead@11 leadership development program, the CU Awareness Campaign, as well as upcoming events.  A second Q4 Town Hall is planned for December 14th so be sure to save the date.  
 
Be Recognized for Your Achievements
Don’t forget to nominate those individuals at your credit union (volunteers and staff) who deserve recognition.  There are also awards for credit unions that are making a difference in their communities through philanthropic and financial well-being programs.  Be sure to visit our newly revamped DakCU Awards page for more information and nomination forms. 
 
Congratulations to Winner, SD!
In the October issue of AMAC Magazine, an article “Three Great Places to Retire” appeared.  Based on such factors as lower taxes, affordability, health care access, and low crime rates, Winner, South Dakota was listed as #3!  We all know that the Dakotas are a great place to live, raise families, and even to retire – but now the secret is out!  Still, it’s great to receive this “nod” in a published magazine.
 
Brand Storytelling – a Central Theme
Finally, on the heels of our New Ideas Conference, Lorraine Ranalli, who facilitated our conference, brings our attention to an article that she wrote one year ago.  “3 Tips to Improve Brand Storytelling” is a reminder to constantly evaluate your marketing efforts to get our message out! 
 
Thank you for all you do,

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President/CEO
​Dakota Credit Union Association