Ahead of the graduation of the first cohort of MnCUN’s Trailblazers Executive Readiness Training program in September, we will be highlighting the credit union professionals participating in the inaugural year of the program. ![]() Mandy Anderson, Branch Manager, Accentra Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? I originally looked into working at Accentra because they were opening a new branch and I loved the thought of being a part of that. The more I researched credit unions, particularly Accentra, the more I was impressed with their mission of focusing on their members financial success instead of on making a profit. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? The Trailblazer program has helped me to learn about so many different areas of credit unions and the people who make those areas a success. Being new to the credit union world it has really helped understand how it all comes together. What have you enjoyed most about the program? What I have enjoyed most about the credit union are the speakers at each meeting, whether in person or virtual. Each one has brought so much knowledge and value to the topics. ![]() Mayka Thao, SVP Global Planning & Delivery, TruStone Financial Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? One of my primary objectives in the Credit Union workforce is to meet the needs of our members and our communities in a way that is not about maximizing profits but instead, maximizing values to our members to build, improve and achieve lifelong financial well-being. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? With minimal background on financial reports and ALM, I really enjoyed the financials sessions of the Trailblazer program. I gained great insights into the balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash, etc.; perhaps, a little too much materials for a novice like me, but I like that it keeps my curiosity going. Finance has been an area of interest for me and with the exposure through the Trailblazer program, I will continue to expand knowledge in the finance space. What have you enjoyed most about the program? Apart from the Trailblazer topics, I enjoyed the networking opportunities with my cohort, learning different experiences, and exploring new great ideas. Learning is a lifelong process to me and the Trailblazer program has helped me acquire new knowledge for new opportunities and seek innovative solutions. ![]() Jacob Weinand, Corporate Counsel, Wings Financial Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? I chose a career in credit unions because credit unions offer an essential service in a truly personalized and customer-oriented way. I also believe credit union employees, leadership, and those involved in the credit union world are the best people. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? The Trailblazer program has already had a big impact on my career, primarily by giving me the opportunity to network with, and get to know an awesome group of colleagues. The information we've learned throughout the program has given me a more well-rounded understanding of how credit unions operate, including best practices for ensuring optimal member service and credit union performance. The relationships created and information learned in the Trailblazer program will be great resources throughout my career. What have you enjoyed most about the program? What I've enjoyed most about the Trailblazer program is getting to know, and having the opportunity to work with an amazing group of individuals in the credit union space. ![]() Abbie White, Corporate Partnerships, Wings Financial Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? I was actually recruited to come work with Wings. I was in health care previously where we focused on putting the patient first. Being in the credit union space, we always put the members first. It was a natural fit and I love being able to see the impact of my role! It's amazing to have members come up to you and say they were able to finance their first home or car. Or they've saved enough money during the year that the don't have to put holiday gifts on a credit card. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? The Trailblazer Program has been incredibly beneficial. It's so easy to get stuck 'staying in your lane' and only focusing on things that directly impact your role. But in order to grow, you need to learn from other departments and areas. Throughout this program, I've learned how to read reports, build strategic plans, and build a network! Without these program, I wouldn't have had a reason to push myself to learn something new that I don't see every day. What have you enjoyed most about the program? I've enjoyed learning from other areas like finance, strategic planning, DEI efforts, and operations. I firmly believe that you need to keep learning in order to grow your career. By being part of this program, I've got built in times to absorb everything that is being taught. Plus, I love meeting other individuals who are equally excited about growing their careers! And now I have people to chat with at Network events. Join the upcoming Call Center Peer-to-Peer (P2P) on Thursday, September 27 starting at 1:00 p.m. via webinar and video conference.
P2P sessions will continue to be held as virtual roundtables, providing open forums for credit union staff throughout Minnesota, for knowledge sharing, resources and connections. This session will be an open format conversation with credit union peers around call center hot topics including member relations, staffing and the future of communications. This event is meant to be an opportunity to meet and share with one another. Stay tuned for further announcements and updates! For a list of all P2P sessions, visit our Peer-to-Peer (P2P) webpage. With questions, please contact MnCUN Director of Engagement Ben Hering by email or by phone at 651-288-5519. With COVID-19, technological advancements and employee desires, the workplace is changing with more and more employees working remotely. Join the Minnesota Credit Union Network as we hear from Carlos Molina, Senior Risk Management Consultant with CUNA Mutual Group, on Thursday, August 25 at 10 a.m. regarding various areas of risk for employers and ways to mitigate those risks and enhance the work environment for your employees
About the speaker: Carlos Molina is a Senior Risk Management Consultant in Risk and Compliance Solutions for CUNA Mutual Group. He is responsible for assisting credit unions nationwide in identifying, and mitigating risks in areas related to their operations & security. Prior to joining CUNA Mutual Group, Molina was a criminal investigator with the Public Defender’s Office in Essex County, N.J. Carlos graduated from Pace University in 2000 with a Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice and holds a Masters in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). He also holds the following designations: Certified Risk Manager (CRM), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), CUNA certified Credit Union Compliance Expert (CCUE) and Credit Union Enterprise Risk Management Expert (CU-ERME). National Credit Union Foundation Announces Financial Well-being Competition for Young People8/24/2022
The National Credit Union Foundation recently announced the Biz Kid$ Showcase a nationwide competition for young people aged 12 to 18. The initiative aims to raise awareness of credit unions, enhance financial literacy, and encourage entrepreneurship by guiding participants through a series of educational modules and a business planning exercise.
Ultimately, participants must develop a business case and marketing plan for a new financial product or solution that would improve financial well-being in their communities. Participants can enter as individuals or as part of a team. A panel of credit union leaders will judge all project entries, with the highest performing three projects winning cash prizes of up to $1,500. "Credit unions are increasingly seeing that financial literacy is just one part of a broader journey towards financial well-being," said Chad Helminak, chief impact officer. "The Biz Kid$ Showcase is an opportunity to help members - or the next generation of members - come to the same realization." The competition is an extension of the Foundation's long-running Biz Kid$ program that provides educators with financial literacy materials that complement the long-running PBS television show of the same name. The Foundation is calling on leagues, associations, credit unions and system partners to help promote the competition. Interested organizations can simply register an account on the Biz Kid$ platform, enroll in the program and download promotional materials. Registration runs Monday, August 29 through Friday, September 16. Learning modules become available to registered participants on Monday, September 19, 2022. Is your credit union preparing an education project for the new school year? MnCUF Financial Education Grants support credit unions’ implementation of financial education projects in their credit union and communities. The application period is open so that credit unions may apply for funding at any time throughout the year.
Congratulations to Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union for recently receiving a grant to help fund a community Non-Profit Board Poverty Simulation! Financial Education Grant Applications are evaluated by the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation Board of Directors and funding is based on factors such as credit union value, community impact, collaboration, and creativity. Financial education initiatives may include projects in the following areas:
For more information and to apply, visit mncun.org/apply-for-a-grant. The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) is pleased to announce the state-level winners of the 2022 Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring and Desjardins award competitions. These awards are sponsored each year by MnCUN and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).
“The Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring, and Desjardins statewide award winners illustrate how credit unions live the “people helping philosophy” through their everyday operations, community service and education,” MnCUN President & CEO Mark Cummins. “We are proud of the work that they do to improve their members’ financial well-being and communities as a whole.” The winning entries will compete against statewide winners from across the country. Entries will be judged by the CUNA Awards Committee this fall. Entries that place in the national competition will be recognized during the 2023 Governmental Affairs Conference. The 2022 Minnesota award-winners in the asset categories noted are: Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award $50 - 250 million in assets: Associated Healthcare Credit Union, PCs for People Technology Drive $250 million - $1 billion in assets: Ideal Credit Union, Feeding Our Communities Initiative More than $1 billion in assets: Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, Kick Start Campaign for the Polar Plunge (Special Olympics Minnesota) Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award $50 - 250 million in assets: NorthRidge Community Credit Union, Manufactured Homes: Affordable Housing for All $250 million - $1 billion assets: TopLine Financial Credit Union, DEIA Advisory Group More than $1 billion in assets: Hiway Credit Union, Builder Accounts Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award $50 - 250 million in assets, HomeTown Credit Union, Northfield College and Career Readiness Partnership/Let's Master Money Gameshow $250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Financial Credit Union, LSS Financial Counseling Partnership More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union, Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps Partnership Desjardins Youth Financial Education Awards $250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Financial Credit Union, Wayzata Financial Literacy Internship More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union, Building Financial Freedom The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award was created in 1987 and recognizes credit unions for the activities they coordinate that benefit the community or a specific charity. This award promotes social responsibility among credit unions by formally recognizing their achievements outside the credit union. The Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Member Service Award is given to a credit union for its practical application of the "people helping people” philosophy in internal operations. Created in 1990, this award promotes the credit union philosophy by formally recognizing credit unions that demonstrate in an extraordinary way the application of the movement's principles in serving their members. The Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Education Awards formally recognize the leadership of individual credit unions and chapters in their efforts to better educate youth and adults in financial literacy. More information can be found on the National Awards Page. As part of our dues supported services, CEOs of MnCUN affiliated credit unions have access to CUNA’s 2022-23 Credit Union Staff Salary Report.
This report provides the most comprehensive industry specific salary analysis available to credit unions. The survey features compensation data for 90 positions from over 1,000 credit unions, including the CEO, plus 10 part-time positions. The report also includes a cost of labor multiplier to calculate adjustments for standard of living for states and over 400 cities. A link to the report was sent to CEO's for for download on Monday. Please note: the download is available for MnCUN member CEOs only, and you must be logged into the site to access the survey. Once downloaded, the survey is subject to copyright restrictions and can legally be shared only with management, staff and board members of your own credit union, per the CEO’s discretion. The Minnesota Credit Union Network joined other state and national trade associations for credit unions and banks in a joint letter opposing a bill (S. 4674) titled “Credit Card Competition Act of 2022” (the “Bill”).
Ahead of the graduation of the first cohort of MnCUN’s Trailblazers Executive Readiness Training program in September, we will be highlighting the credit union professionals participating in the inaugural year of the program. ![]() Neil Sample, Vice President of Business Services, Members Cooperative Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? In the beginning, I took the opportunity not knowing a lot about the credit union industry. Over time, I realized the values and motto, "Not for profit, not for charity, but for service," aligned with my personal values. I grew up in an environment where my parents demonstrated service to others, my father as a solider and mother as a nurse. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? I am already seeing the value of the Trailblazer program. Each segment has either educated me on areas that I was not familiar with, or helped enhance my knowledge in other areas. I plan on using much of what I learned in the leadership and strategic planning segments in my current role. What have you enjoyed most about the program? I have most enjoyed the ability to network with a group of aspiring leaders in our dynamic industry. I look forward to seeing the members of our cohort impact the credit union movement in a positive way for years to come. ![]() Jill Schaffler, Vice President, Enterprise Applications, TruStone Financial Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? I have spent my entire career in the credit union industry. I appreciate both the passion and awareness credit unions devote to member experience and helping members achieve their financial goals throughout different stages. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? The Trailblazer program has offered knowledge into areas of the credit union that I was not previously familiar with. My background in technology can sometimes limit exposure to areas such as financials or overall operations of the credit union. What have you enjoyed most about the program? I have enjoyed the program content and the speakers. Visibility into all areas of the credit union has provided a broader depth of knowledge that has been valuable. I appreciated getting to know my peers and sharing our experiences. ![]() Jenna Taubel, Director of Brand & Digital Member Experience, First Alliance Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? Like most credit union people, I never dreamed as a child that marketing or credit unions would be my career path. However, once I step foot into this world of passionate, empathetic, and supportive humans, I was hooked. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? Going through this program has been so helpful as I stepped into my role as a director. The program has given me a solid base of information on a wide variety of topics that any credit union leader should know and understand. What have you enjoyed most about the program? I have made new connections and deepened relationships with my fellow future credit union leaders. This cohort is full of energetic and forward-thinking individuals who are going to move our industry forward in so many ways. I have truly enjoyed learning from the class materials, but even more so from my fellow Trailblazers. ![]() Jacquie Twedt, Director of Operations, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union Why have you chosen a career in credit unions? I started working for credit unions when I was 20 years old and never looked back. My personal values align with the credit union movement, as a whole. It's very important for me to find purpose beyond my work, the sense of social responsibility found in the credit union allows me to do that. How do you think the Trailblazer program will impact your career? I believe that I am leaving this program with more well-rounded and deeper knowledge of the business areas that I do not get exposure to on a regular basis. This will allow me to make better decisions with a broader understanding of impact. I have found new areas of interest and believe that curiosity is always a good byproduct of any program. What have you enjoyed most about the program? The connections with other credit union professionals has been absolutely great. Already there have been so many opportunities to ask each other questions and collaborate to get better as an industry. It's been wonderful! |
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