The President’s Perspective

​A tragedy befalls a credit union champion in the ND State Legislature. Plus, Senator Cramer helps advance the SAFER Banking Act, MonDak registration opens today, and more.  

Senator Larsen

We begin the week and a new month with very sad news. North Dakota Senator Doug Larsen, as well as his wife and two children, died in a plane crash this past Sunday evening.

Railway Credit Union President/CEO, Paul Brucker, shared, “Senator Larsen and his wife Amy were longtime members of Railway Credit Union and were personal friends of many of our staff. Doug was a champion for credit unions as a Senator in the ND Legislature.”

Senator Larsen served District 34 in Mandan, and as the Chair of the Senate Industry and Business committee, he went above and beyond in supporting SB 2266, including co-sponsoring. He listened and worked with our North Dakota credit union leaders in getting the bill out of his committee with unanimous support, and eventually helped it get through and passed in the Senate chamber. Senator Larsen truly was our credit union champion in the North Dakota legislature.   

It’s hard to understand where the bereavement starts when a tragedy like this occurs, but it should start with our thoughts and prayers for the family, the community, and our North Dakota legislative leaders. It was a tough day.

Fourth Quarter CEO Town Hall Tuesday set for October 24.
Our Q4 virtual CEO Town Hall is scheduled for Tuesday, October 24, at 3:00 p.m. (CT) and 2:00 p.m. (MT). We have some exciting announcements to share, important updates on the legislative and regulatory front, as well as updates on Association activities and upcoming events. Dakota credit unions leaders should have already received an email invite; if you didn’t receive the calendar invite, please reach out to me.

Holiday Sweepstakes is off and running.   
Our annual CUPAC/CULAC Holiday Sweepstakes launched this week. Once again, the Sweepstakes is online, and folks can participate through November 28. Eligible credit unions should be up and running with the contest. Please contact me if you want to learn more or need to determine your signed permission agreement status.

Senator Cramer helps advance the SAFER Banking Act.
For nearly five years, the credit union industry has been asking lawmakers to provide legal clarity for serving cannabis-related businesses in states, like ours, that have legalized medical marijuana. Last week, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee passed the CUNA and League-supported Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act with a 14-9 vote. The SAFER Banking Act will protect institutions that choose to offer services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses, providing a much needed, secure business banking option, as opposed to operating on a cash basis, which creates a significant public safety issue. The SAFER Banking Act was a long work in progress, and we sincerely appreciate Senator Cramer’s leadership in getting this necessary legislation through the Senate Banking Committee. You can read Senator Cramer's press release (with quotes from me and the bankers' associations) on this important legislation here. 

MonDAK registration opens today.  
Registration for the 2024 MonDak Roundtable is now open! Each winter, Dakota credit union leaders, along with credit union leaders from Montana, gather in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada, for a high-level educational and networking opportunity. Beginning in 2024, we are pleased to welcome Minnesota credit union leaders to the table. This particular event is exclusively for senior management, CEOs, and volunteer board members. MonDak is an amazing educational opportunity for regional credit union leaders to collaborate and share ideas as they are guided by a professional lineup of top industry thought leaders. Register by November 22 to take advantage of best pricing and visit the event page for more details.

Congratulations to our Dakota CU Rock Star!
I am very pleased to share that Steve Pierce, vice president of innovation at Black Hills FCU has been named a 2023 Credit Union Rock Star by the editorial team of Credit Union Magazine. Steve was one of only 25 credit union professionals selected from more than 200 nominations this year. The CU Rock Stars program recognizes outstanding credit union professionals and directors who innovate and inspire to advance the missions of their credit unions. This year’s winners were selected for their exceptional creativity, innovation, and passion. CU Rock Stars are profiled in a special digital edition of Credit Union Magazine. In addition, DakCU recognizes our Dakota CU Rock Stars with a commemorative plaque during the awards banquet at the Annual Summit. Congratulations, Steve, on this well-deserved honor! You can check out all the winners and read their stories at news.cuna.org/rockstar.

Sincerely,

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DakCU President/CEO