The President’s Perspective

​As summer moves swiftly by, prepare for fall with our annual Hike the Hill and New Ideas Conference. Plus, positive feedback from DakCU members on CUNA-NAFCU merger. 

Greetings! I know I am not alone in experiencing a swiftly moving summer season. This summer has just flown by, and I have heard the same sentiment from many of you over the last couple of weeks. Let’s face it – Dakota summers are wonderful, and we all try to take advantage of the season by cramming in as many activities as we can over the course of a few short months. So, let’s enjoy what little summertime we have left as the “fall” season begins with classes starting at many schools in our region over the next couple of weeks.

As we lead the credit union movement here in the Dakotas, we do so continually by 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’ll want to consider.  

The CU Professionals Forum kicks off at the Delta in Fargo just after noon today, so most of our DakCU staff is gathered there as we host this informal, open-discussion roundtable event. This is always a great opportunity to weigh in and solicit feedback on topics that are of interest to our Dakota credit unions. Tomorrow, the Foundation will be hosting our annual Golf Scramble with all proceeds going to Sanford Children’s Hospital and the new micropreemie care unit. This will be a fun day of networking and golf and it’s our foundation’s biggest fundraiser. There is still time to sponsor a hole or make a donation. We sincerely thank you for your consideration and support of our charitable foundation. Stay tuned to the Memo for more detailed coverage on Thursday!

Our 8th annual DakCU Fall Legislative-Regulatory Hike the Hill is set for September 12-13, in Washington, D.C. This is our chance to have a face-to-face engagement with our regulators and have dialogue with our congressional delegation on important issues that are impacting Dakota credit unions and their members.

And, the popular New Ideas Conference makes a return to the Black Hills and historic Deadwood, SD on October 10-11 at Cadillac Jacks.  Once again, we have a fantastic lineup ready this year. Registration is open, and we recommend that you make your plans now to attend and register early. You don’t want to miss out on this “fan favorite.”

Positive feedback received on proposed CUNA-NAFCU merger.
I was pleased to see excellent attendance at our Q3 CEO Town Hall last week, when we hosted Lisa Ginter, current chair of the CUNA Board of Directors and CEO of CommunityAmerica Credit Union (Lenexa, KS), for an update on the proposed CUNA-NAFCU merger. Several pertinent comments and questions were fielded from our attending CEOs, with the overall consensus being that this merger will be a great moment for our industry. Having one inclusive organization representing all credit unions will undoubtedly create a more unified voice that will be a powerful force when advocating with regulators and lawmakers from all levels of government. If you missed the Town Hall, you may review the recording here.

Also, as Chair Ginter shared during our CEO call last week, I have the privilege to be named to the new 15-person transition board as a full voting member. This will be a three-year term ending 2027. I am truly excited and honored to be appointed to this position and I appreciate the DakCU Boards’ support to remain engaged throughout the transition. To represent the Dakotas and to be the voice for you and our league partners in the movement during this historic transition is a tremendous value proposition to both our members and to the America’s Credit Union systems. By having the opportunity to be at the table throughout the discussions and receiving first-hand knowledge of the transition, I can help assure that CUNA and NAFCU are working well together to ensure the merger and launch of the new “America’s Credit Unions” is successful and beneficial to credit unions and leagues of all sizes. We will be in constant communication with our members and partners during this process. 

We look forward to sharing more about the merger and its potential impact on credit union advocacy in the weeks and months ahead. If you have any questions or wish to leave feedback about the merger, be sure to visit CUNA’s merger webpage – where you can also view the video announcement with Jim Nussle and Dan Berger.

NCUA hosting webinar on CU-League partnerships.
Partnerships among credit unions, leagues, and the National Credit Union Administration can provide several benefits. Learn more about these partnerships during a free NCUA webinar, “Strategic Partnering: A Conversation with Credit Union Leagues,” on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 1:00 p.m. (CT). Representatives from multiple associations/leagues will engage in conversation with NCUA representatives to discuss several issues, including how the NCUA and leagues can collaborate, top concerns of credit unions, and resources available to support them. Register here.

#ILoveMyCreditUnion is a Wrap for 2023
This year, the #ILoveMyCreditUnion Day campaign saw 30,000 active engagements reaching 9 million people worldwide! The Social Media Blitz also celebrated the great work credit unions do for their communities with over $34,000 in charitable giving donations. The Illinois Credit Union System (ICUS) and over 1,000 participating organizations, including many from the Dakotas, collaborated on social media to spread credit union awareness. Thank you to everyone who participated – In case you missed our Dakota recap, you can find it here. FYI: next year's campaign is planned for July 26, 2024, so mark those calendars!

CUAid Activated
Finally, I’m sure you’ve seen or at least heard of the devastating wildfires that are happening on western Maui of the Hawaiian Islands. CUAid has been activated and is now accepting donations. If you are so inclined, you can make a contribution here. The National CU Foundation is working with the Hawaii League and Maui credit unions to get those relief funds in the hands of credit union members and staff who have been affected.

Have a great week,

DakCU President/CEO