Keeping you connected to key credit union news, events, and trends: October 9, 2019
In This Issue
Headline News

Don't Miss the Chance to CRASH the Most Premiere CU Event of the Year
Young credit union professionals have the opportunity to apply to "crash" the 2020 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference, February 23-27, in Washington, D.C.

The "Crash the GAC" event is facilitated by the Cooperative Trust, and  is an incredible opportunity for credit union professionals to attend the GAC, advocate for credit unions to their congressional representatives, and receive additional professional development and networking along the way.  
 
The 2020 CUNA GAC is considered the premier event for political impact in the credit union industry, drawing thousands of credit union advocates from across the country each year. In addition to the keynote and educational session, the event also includes face-to-face meetings with some of the most influential policymakers in the country.

Deadline to apply is Saturday, November 30 by 11:59pm.
 
To learn more information, visit the Cooperative Trust on Filene's website.
Enroll Now to Offer Lucky Lagniappe Savings Accounts to Your Members in 2020! 
LCUL's Prize-linked Savings program, Lucky Lagniappe, is now open for credit unions to enroll. We have seen great success with the program enticing members to become more engaged with the credit union and begin saving regularly. To date members have saved over $440,000! 

A survey of new account holders found that:
  • 93% said Lucky Lagniappe™ makes them more excited about their credit union.
  • 79% of participants said that building their savings would make them more likely to use other financial products at their credit union.
  • 19% joined their CU for the Lucky Lagniappe™ account.
  • 61% of all respondents don't have emergency savings to cover 3 months of expenses.
The deadline to enroll to begin opening account to members in 2020 is November 29. 

For more information, visit the League's website or contact Angela Melle.
It's Not Too Late to Collaborate: Team Up with Louisiana CUs for Next Week's ICU Week!
Let's Work Together to Increase CU Awareness and Give Back to Local Businesses!

Participate in our 8th Annual CU Lunch Local event and support local businesses in your community during the week of October 14-18. LCUL provides everything you need to get in on the action. All we need is your participation (which is super easy). Click here for more information on CU Lunch Local.

Since LCUL launched CU Lunch Local in 2013, Louisiana credit unions have given back more than $125,000 to local businesses. This is certainly something to brag about, but lets make it even more!

In addition to CU Lunch Local, LCUL has partnered with Gas Station TV (GSTV) and CU Solutions Group (CUSG) to help you support the great credit union story, increase awareness and engage new members. We will run 20-second commercials  that showcase the value of local credit unions at GSTV stations in Louisiana. Click here to view the video ad.

Does your credit union have something special planned for next week's celebrations? Let us know by sharing your stories with our Communications Team.
LCUL Distributes Latest Issue of 'Membership in Action' Highlighting League Successes, CUs in the Community
LCUL recently distributed our latest 'Membership in Action', a quarterly publication that provides a snapshot of the activities, initiatives and services provided by your League along with stories on Louisiana credit unions in the community. In this issue, we cover the following second quarter activity:
  • Advocacy: successful dinner with commerce committee and credit unions in Baton Rouge
  • Leadership: eight newly elected board members join the twelve incumbents
  • Public Relation: credit unions received $1.7 million in earned media throughout the quarter
  • Communications: 75,954 messages sent to Louisiana credit union
  • Professional Development: 67 new certified Financial Counselors, 23 staff/volunteer trainings
We are excited to promote the latest success of our partnership through two channels. Take a look at the video and then download the print version, which showcases the good work of Louisiana credit unions.

We want to hear from you! Send us your credit union stories so we can share your successes.
Professional Development

Buy Two, Get One FREE Webinar Sale from CU Webinar Network
Webinar Online Internet Website Web Page Concept
The CU Webinar Network is celebrating International Credit Union Da y all month long with a buy two, get one free sale. 

From now until October 31, purchase two webinars from the CU Webinar Network and enter "Send my free webinar code!" in the comments box at checkout. A coupon code for free webinar will be emailed to you within one business day. 

Please note that sale webinars, board essentials, subscription token orders, or full series orders are not eligible for the two webinars. 

Business Solutions

Is Your Overdraft Partner Proactive or Reactive?
jmfaAn overdraft partner that provides ongoing monitoring and support can deliver better results across the board. Read on to find out how your provider measures up in areas like compliance assurance, training opportunities, account holder satisfaction, revenue enhancement and more. Click here to read more. 
Have you Heard?

Louisiana FCU Donates Thousands of School Supplies to Local Classrooms
Students in southeast Louisiana have a fresh batch of school supplies to kick off the new school year, thanks to Louisiana Federal Credit Union (FCU) and its Pack the Pirogue initiative.

This month, Louisiana FCU staff delivered pirogues filled with 2,735 pieces of school supplies to classrooms in the Tangipahoa, Ascension and River Parishes. The donation included notebooks, pens, markers, paper, folders, and calculators, just to name a few. Pack the Pirogue, now in its third year, attracts hundreds of donations from credit union staff, members and business partners across the region.

"We look forward to Pack the Pirogue every year. It continues to grow! We more than doubled what we received in 2018," said Rhonda Hotard, President/CEO of Louisiana FCU. "Our members, our business partners, our staff - They stepped up and made the school year special for so many kids."

Louisiana FCU started Pack the Pirogue in 2017 to help provide learning tools to local kids who couldn't otherwise afford them, and to help take the financial burden off teachers whose classrooms may lack supplies.

Since 2017, Louisiana FCU has donated more than 4.5 tons of school supplies to classrooms across the region.
Pelican State Hosts Free Business Owner Workshop
On Monday, September 16, 2019, at 9:00 am, Pelican State Credit Union hosted a free Business Owner Workshop at the East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library. The workshop consisted of six total sessions with one speaker per session. 25 guests attended and learned topics like Personal and Business Credit, the Foundations of Social Media, and much more!
 
A free jambalaya lunch was provided to all attendees along with drinks and refreshments. In addition to the great information and free food, Pelican also gave away a YETI cooler from Payscape, $100 in gift cards from BAFS and Pelican, a TUL notebook set, and a free Social Media Presence Assessment!
 
This workshop was completely free and open to the public. Everyone had the opportunity to become a member of Pelican at the event, but membership was not required to attend.
CSE Teaches Local High School Students Basic Budgeting
CSE Federal Credit Union (CSE) attended the "Master Your Future" student conference, where Colleen Desselle, Director of Marketing, and Amy Nyberg, Business Development Specialist, taught graduating high school students the knowledge and skills needed to budget for life after high school. CSE showed students the Five-Step Spending Plan, which included identifying spending leaks, tracking and saving money, setting financial goals, auditing progress and using financial methods to track spending.

The conference was presented by the West Calcasieu Chamber of Commerce and American Job Center to help West Calcasieu area graduating high schoolers prepare themselves for their immediate post-high school goals. The conference addressed common pitfalls and provided practical information to help students achieve success in their first year following graduation, whether that be in continued education or entry into the workforce.  
Neighbors FCU Named One of Best CUs to Work For
Neighbors was named one of the 2019 Best Credit Unions to Work For by the Credit Union Journal. CU  Journal partnered with Best Companies Group to identify companies that have excelled in creating
quality workplaces for employees.
 
Neighbors placed 34th nationally and 9th among its asset size category. Neighbors made the list in great  part due to the efforts of Team Impact. Team Impact is a volunteer group of employees that gather to  host events for employees and their families.
 
Team Impact orchestrated many enjoyable employee activities such as the annual Mardi Gras Ball,  Movie Night on the Lawn, Neighbors Friends and Family Day and a variety of fun work days featuring
free ice cream, snowballs, popcorn and more.
 
"It is truly remarkable to be considered one of the best credit unions to work for in the country for the second consecutive year," Neighbors President and CEO Steve Webb said. "I don't say this lightly when I call Neighbors a special place. Every employee is considered part of the Neighbors family."
 
This list was comprised of two key elements:
  • 25% of the credit union workplace policies, practices and demographics
  • 75% employee survey responses
This survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best credit unions. 
La Cap's Crystal Rankin Passes CPA Exam
La Capitol Federal Credit Union's Crystal Rankin recently passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination. Rankin serves as an internal auditor for La Capitol FCU.
 
"We are excited and proud that Crystal has passed this rigorous test," said Kari Rills, Internal Audit Manager at La Capitol Federal Credit Union. "Crystal has been a great addition to the internal audit team at La Cap, and I know she will do very well in the future."
 
The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination consists of four parts, all of which must be passed within an 18 month time limit.
 
Rankin has previous accounting experience with Suzonne V. Cowart, CPA; Associated Grocers in Baton Rouge, where she provided accounting services to independent grocery stores. She also completed an internship at KPMG and an internal audit internship at Wal Mart corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Rankin has been with La Cap since July 2019.
Ribbon Cutting Held For Campus Federal Main Campus Branch Renovation
Campus Federal Credit Union held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of their newly renovated Main Campus branch at 173 South Quad Drive (formerly Nicholson Extension) on the Louisiana State University campus. The renovation project included both the interior and exterior of the facility to give the branch a fresh, contemporary look with updated technological features.

The modernized lobby includes Campus Connect Interactive Video Teller Machines (ITVMs), offering members the latest in technological advances along with an optional teller via two-way video to assist, if desired. Members can perform transactions on the Campus Connect machines, however for more complex transactions and banking needs during regular business hours, Campus Federal employees are available to assist members.

Jane Verret, President and CEO, says, "our renovated branch with an interactive video teller option allows us to continue to provide innovative solutions and excellent member experiences that make it even easier to do business with us."
Quote of the Week:
"There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking."
- Brian Tracy

Educational Calendar
Upcoming Conferences & Seminars from your League:

October 29: Financial Counseling Next Steps
November 7: Financial Counseling Next Steps
November 20-21: IRA Essentials/Advanced with Ascencus

Upcoming Teleconferences & Webinars from your League:
 
October 15:  Mortgage Lending Hot Spots Series
October 16:  Regulation E Series   
October 17:  POD Account Documentation, Compliance, Beneficiaries & Closing
October 22:  Commercial Loan Annual Credit Review
October  23:  Medallion & Signature Guarantee Risks, Rules & Best Practices
October  24:  12 Key Elements of an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy
October 28:  New NCUA Bylaw Revisions: Abusive Members, Elections, Limitation of Services, Expulsion & More
October  29:  Personal Accounts: Ownership, Authorization, Titling & Documentation
October 30:  1099 Reporting: Foreclosures, Repossessions & Debt Settlements
October  31:  New BSA Officer Training Part 2: 
Reviews, SARs, CDD, Technical Aspects & Real-Life Scenarios
                        
For a complete listing of educational opportunities available from LCUL, visit the League website.
Copyright © 2019 Louisiana Credit Union League 
824 Elmwood Park Blvd, Suite 200, Harahan, LA  70123
(800) 452-7221   www.lcul.com