The President's Perspective

​A well-known Dakota credit union professional to be recognized with “Hall of Leaders” honor at Credit Union House. Plus, a new branch location for Hometown CU, and more.  

Greetings and Happy Valentine’s Day!
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It was sure great to see many of you at the MonDak Roundtable last week in Las Vegas. The weather wasn’t superb, but it was warm and pleasant enough and significantly better than it was back here in the Dakotas. The dialogue was terrific, and everyone was engaged in our discussions. We had our largest turnout in our six years of hosting the event, with 102 credit union leaders from the Dakotas and Montana attending.

Our discussions ranged from workforce challenges, the CEO life cycle, to post-pandemic strategies. We even worked in “rapid fire” hot topic table discussions. We concluded the event with a terrific presentation on being better prepared to meet changing member behaviors and expectations. I invite you to mark your calendars for February 7 – 8, 2023 for the next MonDak CEO/Volunteer Roundtable; we will once again be at the Flamingo in Las Vegas.
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I can’t conclude my summary without mentioning the final step in our “Border Battle” wager. A bet is a bet, and Tracie Kenyon was a good sport, donning the NDSU Bison green and gold jersey per our friendly little wager over the NCAA FCS football championship in January. I would love to see a rematch next year! Thank you once again to everyone who donated to our CMN Hospitals – truly the kids are the big winners!

Summit Early Bird Registration starts today!
So now that MonDak is behind us, it’s time to turn out attention to the next major DakCU event! Starting today through March 25th, you can register for our 2022 DakCU Summit for just $349! That’s a savings of $30 per attendee. As of March 26th, the price will be $379 – so if you know you will be attending our signature event, we strongly encourage you to register now for the best deal. I look forward to seeing many of you in Rapid City, SD on May 10 – 11 as we unite to gain insights on all things credit union!
 
Floyd Rummel to be recognized with Credit Union House “Hall of Leaders” Honor
Each year, the Credit Union House honors impactful credit union leaders with the “Hall of Leaders” recognition. This is a special recognition that honors those who have made a significant impact on the credit union movement at the local, state, or national level. The Dakota Credit Union Association nominated Floyd Rummel this year in appreciation for his many years of dedicated service here in the Dakota region and beyond. He has been engaged at nearly every level of the credit union movement, serving in leadership roles in the South Dakota League, SD Governmental Affairs Committee, and CULAC. He was instrumental in combining the South Dakota and North Dakota Leagues back in 2007 and served as the National Board Chair for Alloya Corporate. Currently, he is serving as a SD Health Benefits Trustee.
 
The Hall of Leaders recognition will take place during the CUNA GAC at the Credit Union House 20th Anniversary celebration on Sunday, February 27. Floyd is the second Dakotan to earn this honor; Roger Heacock was recognized in 2019. Names of inductees are prominently displayed on the second floor of Credit Union House and viewed by all who visit the facility, including Members of Congress, credit union leaders, and thousands of annual visitors.
 
Q1 CEO Town Hall February 22
Our first CEO Town Hall of 2022 is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22nd at 3:00 p.m. (CT). You have probably heard the term “Financial Well-Being For All” (FWB) being discussed more and more as of late, so I am very pleased to share that Gigi Hyland, Executive Director for the National Credit Union Foundation will be joining to share how the new focus on FWB will help support not only our movement’s mission but will become a powerful advocacy tool. We will also introduce you to our association’s new FWB website page with resources and tools being added now! A Zoom invite to the Town Hall will be coming to CEOs via email soon.
 
GAC is just around the corner!
We are now just two short weeks away from the 2022 CUNA GAC, and I look forward to sharing the experience with many of our Dakota credit union professionals who are making the trip to Washington DC. For those who can’t make the trip in person this year, there is a virtual alternative option to attend called “CUNA GAC On-Air.” The available sessions will include Jim Nussle’s speech, the ED talk with Mick Ebeling, an economic update with CUNA Chief Economist Mike Schenk, and more. Interested participants can register for the virtual option on the CUNA GAC website or find the link here on DakCU’s GAC page. Those who have already registered for the in-person CUNA GAC and wish to transfer to the virtual option should contact [email protected] for assistance.

DakCU Dues reminder
A friendly reminder that your 2022 association annual dues should be submitted no later than March 5th. If you have any questions about your dues, don't hesitate to contact me.  Thank you for your continued engagement! 

Hometown CU New Branch Location
Hometown CU has opened a new branch office located at 301 5th Ave. SE in Medina, ND. The new branch manager is Rhonda Schlect. Congratulations to CEO Harold Hagen and crew on their continued growth!
 
Kudos to Jeff Jorgensen and Bluestone FCU
Sending a shout out to Jeff Jorgensen, President/CEO of Bluestone FCU for his recent appearance on “Across the Table” on Keloland TV in Sioux Falls! Jorgensen has spent more than three decades serving the credit union industry in South Dakota. Any time we can “put a face” to the institution and speak about the benefits of being a credit union member, we win just a little bit. Congratulations, and great job at representing your credit union and the industry! You can see the interview here.
 
Condolences to James Larson family
Finally, I would like to extend my condolences to the family of James Larson, longtime board member for Service First FCU in Sioux Falls. I learned over the weekend that James passed away after a courageous battle with health issues. I had several opportunities to meet Jim during my tenure at the association. His volunteer work spanned more than 25 years, and he will surely be missed by the staff at Service First.
 
Have a great week,

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DakCU President/CEO