What’s Your MVP? Are you a fan of the hit series Ted Lasso? Don’t miss your chance to meet Coach Donnie Campbell, the math teacher and high school basketball coach who inspired the award-winning show. During his keynote speech at Power Up, Donnie will share valuable leadership lessons that can be seen on the court and applied in the workplace. Watch this short video from Donnie ⬅️ as a preview and register yourself and your staff to attend Power Up.

ADVOCACY UPDATE

Don’t Miss the Action of GAC: More than 30 enthusiastic representatives from Montana credit unions are preparing to participate in what is expected to be the largest Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) ever, hosting over 5,000 credit union advocates from across the country.

However, you can still be part of the virtual experience and catch all the action. While it may not fully replicate the energizing experience of joining thousands of peers in Washington, the online event is perfect for those unable to attend in person. Participants will enjoy a blend of recorded and live sessions, including keynote speakers and breakout sessions.

Action Alert: Learn how the CFPB's overdraft proposal could impact access to financial services for credit unions and why America's Credit Unions is urging a reconsideration. Share your feedback and stories to help shape the outcome.

A Direct Line: Leadership training is kind of a big deal, but who has time to shop around for a program that fits your credit union? We happen to be excellent shoppers, so we’ve found the perfect solution for you. Meet the Personify Leadership Training — now in a credit union-specific model!

Consumer Blog: As it turns out, teaching your kids about money is much easier than having them teach you their slang. Cheugy? Sigma? Yassify? If your head is spinning, and you're looking for ways to raise financially savvy kids, check out this week's blog. Financial literacy is bussin'.

Impact Report 2023: Did you know we have 16 free peer communities that provide networking and education to credit union professionals at all stages of their careers? Here are two celebrations from 2023:

• We hosted the first Women’s Community ReSet event
• We added the Internal Auditor’s Community

Find a community (or communities) perfect for your professional development.

Online Learning: Webinars, online courses, and virtual trainings (oh my!) are some of the most popular, convenient, and cost-effective training methods for your credit union. Check out the upcoming webinars from our partners Credit Union Webinar Network and OnCourse Learning.

Innovative Technology Solutions for Credit Unions: Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, employing a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud, and talent recruitment to deliver innovative technology solutions. As a partner through the Tristate Collaborative, your credit union can work with the experts at Trellance who understand the complexity of meeting the ever-evolving expectations of the modern digital member. Contact James Gukeisen to learn more. 

Several years ago, Bitterroot Community FCU started Darby Brilliant Beginnings (DBB), a kindergarten-to-career savings initiative. The credit union sets up a deposit-only account to help kids save for college, trade school, military, professional development, or an entrepreneurial plan. Through this program, families also receive help with financial literacy through access to resources and materials to help them prepare their children for their future. The inaugural class of DBB just hit 8^th grade — what an achievement!

“Leap” Ahead for Your Credit Union: Happy Leap Year! As I reflect on this time, I like to "leap" forward with our strategy and impact using the "one-way question": What does your credit union look like in 10 years if nothing changes? Five years? One year? For most of us, we would be gone! Everything is changing so quickly around us that we must adapt to remain relevant. 

This might mean evaluating your products and services and adding or eliminating some. It might mean looking at your current and potential members to see what's changing and what actions you need to take. It might mean looking at your community and adapting to its changing needs. It likely means finding new ways to partner and collaborate. 

I have been at our Health Insurance Trust Captive meeting this week, and we have been looking at insurance trends and new ways to provide quality healthcare to our groups while managing costs. We talked about some innovative ways to bring value to our credit unions and employees. 

I love using the one-way question for our team here at the league. We continue to evolve and adapt to your needs and your challenges. I see our team doing this daily. 

As you leap into March and this ever-changing and challenging year, think about what you need to do this year and next to increase your relevance to your members and communities. Enjoy your weekend.

Cooperatively, Gerry