GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.–CU*Answers held its 2018 Annual Leadership Conference and Stockholders Meeting at which it offered a briefing on the organization’s overall direction and major projects for the coming year.
The CUSO also presented awards to three people.
This year’s conference theme was “We Need a Hero!” In introducing the theme to the group, CU*Answers CEO Randy Karnes said many people might assume it refers to how credit unions are heroes for helping members, or even that members, current and future, are heroes to credit unions.
However, said Karnes, “The heroes we need for our future are the credit union’s owners, members who are vested in being part of the cooperative. We count on the fact that members are both consumers and owners, but do we act like it?”
The day-long conference was attended by 187 leaders from 93 credit unions, along with representatives from 25 vendors and 36 internal staff.
Topics at the meeting included: Boot Camps: Where Do We Go From Here, Designing the Future of Internet Retailing, Designing Teller Platforms for our Future, and Designing the Future for Online and Mobile Tools.
Board Election Results
At a separate session, CU*Answers stockholders met for the annual board member election and to hear a recap of the CUSO’s financial position and projections for the fiscal year. Three people were elected to serve a three-year term on the CUSO’s board of directors. Incumbents Thomas Gryp, CEO of Notre Dame FCU in Notre Dame, Ind., and Scott McFarland, CEO of Honor Credit Union in St. Joseph, Mich., will both serve another a three-year term on the CU*Answers Board of Directors beginning this October.
Newcomer Kris Lewis, CEO of Allegan Credit Union in Allegan, Mich., was also elected to serve a three-year term on the CUSO board, filling a seat recently vacated by Don Mills, president/CEO of Alpena Alcona Area CU in Michigan and also a CU*Answers board member since 2010, who retires this year from the CU*Answers board.
Three People Honored
CU*Answers honored several people during the meeting, including:
- Retired CEO of the State Employees CU in North Carolina, Jim Blaine, who was the recipient of this year’s “Spirit of CU*Answers” Award in honor of his long-time contributions to credit unions.
“We have a tremendous opportunity, and a tremendous problem, and that problem is that credit unions are unique in the financial segment,” said Blaine. He explained the problem is that it’s very hard to explain something unique to somebody who’s never experienced it. Like explaining how something tastes to someone who’s never eaten it, you have to put it in the context of your audience.
“If you say it tastes just like fried chicken, then everyone immediately understands what you are talking about,” explained Blaine. “Our members have no idea for the most part what being a credit union is. Their only frame of reference is that four-letter word: what they do understand is bank. Your challenge in trying to stay in business and do great things for your members is being able to define something that you are which is unique.”
The Spirit of CU*Answers award, established in 2011, recognizes a client credit union for excellence in a variety of areas.
- Glenn Kretchmer, COO of ATL Federal Credit Union, and Don Mills, president & CEO of Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union, were recognized by CU*Answers as recipients of the Robert H. Mackay award.
Kretchmer has devoted 30 years to the credit union industry, 21 of them as COO of ATLFCU in Grand Rapids, Mich. “I know Bob Mackay and I know what this award means,” said Kretchmer. “I have seen it presented many times and my thought was always, well, I don’t ever have to worry about receiving that award.”
After serving eight years on the CU*Answers Board of Directors, Mills recently stepped down from the CUSO board to give other network participants an opportunity to participate.
“I’m shocked and very humbled to receive this award,” said Mills. “The past nine years have truly been an amazing ride. Working with my fellow six board members has made a huge impact on me and my family. And it will continue to make an impact. I will continue to be involved down the road in other ways. Thank you for this honor.”
The Robert H. Mackay award was established in 2005 to recognize the leadership contribution of Robert Mackay, retired CEO of Berrien Teachers CU (now known as Honor Credit Union,) who served as a member of the CU*Answers Board of Directors from 1985 to 2007 and as chairman for 19 of those years.