The President’s Perspective

​Welcome to April and Youth Month! Plus, countdown to Summit begins; and the ND campaign season is underway as several events were held in Bismarck this weekend. 

Greetings and Happy Monday!

Welcome to April and Youth Month!
As we all know, April is Youth Month and Financial Literacy Month, a time to celebrate the impact that credit unions make on young consumers that can last a lifetime. ​“Save Small, Dream Big at your credit union” is the theme this year, and the message credit unions should convey to younger and future members! Click here for ideas and graphics you can incorporate into your credit union’s messaging!
 
I hope your credit union is joining thousands of credit unions across the country that are promoting Financial Literacy Month and Credit Union Youth Month and providing our children with a strong financial foundation. Please share your events and efforts for the Memo by emailing to Shawn Brummer.  

Reminder: DakCU CEO Town Hall tomorrow.
Don’t forget – tomorrow (Tuesday, April 5th) is our CEO Town Hall. Tony Budet, newly elected chair of the CUNA Board of Directors, will be our special guest, providing an exclusive CUNA update for our Dakota credit union leaders. If you need the link/invite for this meeting, please contact me today.

Countdown: 37 days to Summit!
As we welcome in the new month, it also means we are just 37 days away from our Annual Summit meetings in Rapid City, SD, May 10-11. Each year, we look forward to hosting and connecting with you; not only will you receive an update on all things credit union from your Dakota Credit Union Association, you’ll be treated to a terrific lineup of presenters and keynote speakers that will focus on industry trends ranging from branding, business communications, credit union economics, financers' rights and regulatory compliance, as well as leadership development to help your credit union succeed and compete in the ever-changing and expanding financial services market.

​Summit registration has been brisk! In fact, our room block at the Holiday Inn is full. We do have overflow lodging within a couple of blocks (walking distance) with Rushmore Hotel and Suites 605-348-8300. Be sure to ask for the Dakota Credit Union Association Summit group. Learn more about our speakers and review the full agenda for this year’s event at our DakCU events page.
 
Summit donations needed. 
Speaking of Summit, our Dakota GAC Committees are seeking donations for our Silent Auction which raises money for the Roger Heacock Scholarship Fund. These scholarships provide financial assistance to our Dakota credit union professionals who attend the CUNA GAC and our fall Hike the Hill advocacy events. We are asking each credit union to donate an item valued between $75 and $100 (or more). If you have any questions or need some ideas for your donations, please contact our Chief Advocacy Officer Jay Kruse.
 
I am also thrilled to report that we have already raised $1,350 for our Foundation Wine Pull fundraiser. I am asking all CEOs to consider a donation; we hope to raise $1,500 to cover the expenses so the ticket sale proceeds from the Summit Wine Pull can go directly to the Foundation! Contact me or click here to make a donation. Any contribution you can provide is appreciated and helpful, and we thank you for your support!  
 
North Dakota campaign season is officially underway. 
As I shared last week, the ND Democratic NPL and NDGOP parties held their respective endorsing conventions. North Dakota is one of only two states that still hosts and sponsors candidate endorsement events. This is where local district-level delegates come together to select and endorse their parties’ candidates for federal and state office positions and approve their respective platforms and resolutions. This past weekend, the NDGOP hosted their largest endorsing convention ever as over 2,300 delegates from across the state convened in Bismarck on Saturday. The only contested race was for the U.S. Senate seat, and incumbent Senator John Hoeven defeated State Representative Rick Becker of Bismarck. If elected in November, this will be Senator Hoeven’s third term in the U.S. Senate. Congressman Kelly Armstrong also earned the endorsement to run for his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.  
 
Governor Burgum Highlights his efforts to protect ag lending credit unions. 
As you can imagine, with the NDGOP event held in North Dakota’s capital city this weekend, there were several political events and opportunities to meet and visit with elected officials. I attended the sold-out Governor’s Dinner on Friday, where Governor Burgum shared comments and specifically expressed his concern on the NCUA’s recent strategic plan that scrutinized credit unions with concentrations in ag lending. Governor Burgum also shared his concerns again in his speech during the convention.
 
If you recall, the governor was one of many of our lawmakers that weighed in during the NCUA strategic plan comment period and his comments were specifically highlighted by Director Hood during the board meeting last month. The draft plan assumed that changing weather patterns “will disproportionately affect farming communities” and suggested that “to remain resilient credit unions may need to consider adjustments” to their membership.
 
Because of the Governor’s input as well as input from all our Dakota federal delegation in both states, the NCUA Board adopted a revised plan that retains the climate risk section but includes additional language clarifying that the agency “does not intend to micromanage credit union lending decisions for climate financial risk, including lending to family farms and others in the agricultural sector as well as businesses tied to the fossil fuel industry. The NCUA Board underscores that nothing in this strategic plan should be construed as discouraging activities related to agriculture or fossil fuels.”
 
As always, we continually monitor the political landscape that has implications for our member credit unions! Don’t hesitate to contact me or our Chief Advocacy Officer Jay Kruse with any questions or concerns.
 
Have a great week!

DakCU President/CEO