With questions, please contact Director of Engagement, Xiong Lee, via email or by phone at (612) 802-7695.
We’re thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the second annual Tristate Collaborative Leadership Conference, bringing together credit union professionals from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana for two days of inspiration, learning, and connection.
Last year’s inaugural event was a hit—this year promises even more! Join us for a robust agenda focused on leadership, innovation, and collaboration in the credit union movement. 2025 Agenda Highlights Include:
Date: Aug 05 1:00 PM - Aug 06, 2025 3:45 PM Location: JW Mariott Mall of America 2141 Lindau Lane Bloomington, MN 55425 Cost: $449 | Early Bird - July 7 $499 | Regular - Registration deadline: July 29 Whether you’re leading a team, mentoring the next generation, or just beginning your journey, this conference will spark new ideas and empower your growth. We can’t wait to see you in August as we continue to build a collaborative credit union leadership community across our three great states. A century ago, Minnesotans came together with a bold idea: what if financial institutions were built not for profit, but for people and started our first credit union. That idea has stood the test of time—and here we are, stronger than ever, still rooted in cooperation, still growing, still serving. As we mark this occasion, we invite credit unions to gather, share and celebrate Minnesota’s credit union history. The 100th anniversary of the first state-chartered credit union in Minnesota is an opportunity to demonstrate our bold, community-focused spirit to members and non-member alike. Join us! The Minnesota Credit Union Network is pleased to offer resources and opportunities to engage in the celebration all year long:
![]() This week we thank Randi Sundsmo, the dedicated Executive Assistant at the Minnesota Credit Union Network, for her service as she starts a new role. Since joining us in 2022, Randi has been an invaluable member of our team, bringing her exceptional organizational skills and positive energy to every task. Her contributions have significantly enhanced our operations and fostered a collaborative and supportive work environment. Randi's departure marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her career as she transitions to a role at a credit union. While we will miss her presence and the unique spark she brought to our team, we are thrilled for her as she embarks on this new journey. As we say goodbye for now, we extend our deepest gratitude to Randi for her hard work and dedication over the past few years. Good luck, Randi, and thank you for everything! ![]() The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) celebrated a landmark event signifying a century of service and community impact for Minnesota Credit Unions, the ACCELERATE 25 Conference. Packed with engaging guest speakers, educational sessions, and networking, it was the state’s largest trade show with professional development opportunities for credit union board members and employees. The last three days included speeches from elected officials, credit union leadership, and statewide financial experts. Congressman Brad Finstad joined the conference as a strong supporter and member of a credit union. Congressman Finstad reflected on the community-based model under which credit unions operate, emphasizing “you’re in our communities, you’re a part of our communities, you understand the communities that you serve, and the value that you provide is great.” Congressman Finstad mentioned that for this reason and others, his family is proud to be a member of their local credit union. MnCUN is excited to share the launch of two services it is providing: CU Law Partners, affordable and expert legal representation to meet the demands of credit unions, and TruLync Medicare Advisors, a service to help members navigate Medicare and save on their annual premiums. Also, during the business meeting, the results of the 2025 MnCUN Board of Directors were announced. Aaron DeJong, Red Wing Credit Union, and Dana Garrett, North Memorial Federal Credit Union, were re-elected and Trina Hoff, Northern Communities Credit Union, was elected to a full term after being appointed to fill the remainder of Deb Almirall's term after she retired. Finally, the conference celebrated 100 years of credit unions in Minnesota with a 1925-themed anniversary party. Attendees sported their finest roaring 20’s themed outfits and celebrated a century of the credit union advantage in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) proudly presented the Outstanding Credit Union Professional of the Year and Director of the Year at a ceremony held during the MnCUN ACCELERATE 25 Conference on April 22 at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, Minn. These two awards highlight leaders who pioneer and embody what it means to put first the community and financial well-being of Minnesotans.
His expertise and dedication to credit unions has been on full display since he took the helm at THFCU. In 2012, THFCU was struggling with little community visibility. Randy oversaw a complete transformation, with Two Harbors Federal Credit Union becoming a flourishing member of our network, serving its members, supporting its community, and contributing to credit unions statewide. After receiving his award, Randy reflected on the work credit unions do, saying: "People helping people is not just a slogan -- its really what we do."
Under Daryl’s direction, the credit union has grown from 4,500 members and $18 million in assets to 9,500 members and $190 million in assets today. For 32 years, Daryl has provided steady, consistent governance, with a practical, member-centered vision for how our credit union functions.
In accepting his award, Daryl kept the focus on credit union members, emphasizing: "Credit unions big, small and in between, let's remember the main thing, taking care of our members, one at a time." "We are proud to honor these great leaders, who have spent their careers contributing to Minnesota's credit unions and their members," Mara Humphrey, MnCUN President and CEO.
InfoSight360 Features
Last week, the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) convened the second annual Fraud Prevention Summit. Nearly 90 attendees from over 35 credit unions from across the state participated. The event served to connect credit unions with law enforcement, regulatory, and service vendor representatives engaged to combat financial fraud from their respective areas of expertise. This included expert presentations on emerging fraud trends, preventive and remediation resources, and small group discussions for attendees to share information and resources. Speakers included:
"Fraud is a persistent and evolving threat for consumers, businesses and financial institutions. Credit unions are embracing a collaborative approach to prevent and address fraud with regulatory and law enforcement partners," said Mara Humphrey, President & CEO of MnCUN. Join the MnCUN Fraud Task ForceMnCUN is announcing the formation of credit union peer fraud taskforce to combat fraud proactively across Minnesota. The goal is to leverage resources and share information to cooperatively combat fraud more effectively.
What to expect:
Participation details: Who Should Attend: Open to all credit union staff. Cost: Free to attend Dates and registration: The task force will meet on the following dates from 2-3 p.m. via webinar. Follow the links for more information and to register: With questions, please contact MnCUN Director of Engagement, Xiong Lee, by email. ![]() Early bird registration closes this Friday for ACCELERATE 25, being held April 21–23 at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake. You won’t want to miss this landmark event celebrating a century of service and community impact for Minnesota Credit Unions, along with engaging guest speakers, educational sessions, networking, the state’s largest credit union tradeshow and opportunities to support great causes. We're pleased to welcome acclaimed futurist and trend caster, Dr. Shawn DuBravac, who will share the Tuesday keynote Economic Insights: Navigating the Future. In today’s turbulent economic environment, leaders face unprecedented challenges, from persistent inflation to shifting conditions to an uncertain political landscape. These issues are compounded by geopolitical risks and evolving market dynamics. Dr. DuBravac will provide a critical exploration of the U.S. economic landscape tailored for credit unions. DuBravac is an internationally-recognized thought leader, delivering pragmatic and provocative insights on the trends, technologies, and paradigms transforming the globe. He is president of the Avrio Institute, who helps leaders prepare for uncertain and divergent futures. Clients include Fortune 100 and Global 1000 companies, scrappy start-ups, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Grounded in economics, DuBravac served over 12 years as chief economist for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer tech companies, and owner and producer of CES. DuBravac writes extensively on disruptive technological shifts and has been widely published on the topics of technology, finance, and economics. His analysis has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, Washington Post, Wired, Los Angeles Times, Barron’s and on-air with CNBC, Bloomberg, NPR, CBS, and other media outlets. Early bird pricing for the conference ends March 14. |
The PulseThe Pulse is MnCUN's newsletter that keeps credit union professionals and board members updated on current news and information. Archives
May 2025
Categories
All
|