OCEAN CITY, Md.–A first-ever Volunteer Leadership Conference was sponsored here by the Cooperative Credit Union Association, which joined with the Maryland/DC Credit Union Association on the effort.
Credit union volunteers from Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia attended the event, which covered a number of core issues volunteers need to be aware of as they set the strategic direction of their credit unions, according to the associations.
“The Volunteer Leadership Conference is another example of how collaboration among leagues results in more value for credit unions,” said Brad Miller, executive director of the American Association of Credit Union Leagues. “The individual resources of the Cooperative Credit Union Association and the Maryland/DC Credit Union Association come together for the important task of educating credit union volunteers.”
The meeting kicked off with annual Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) training for the volunteers, with André Lucas, director of compliance with the MD|DC CUA, providing updates and insights into requirements of Customer Identification and other aspects of the PATRIOT Act. All VLC attendees received certification of attendance.
On Saturday, John Bratsakis, MD|DC CUA president/CEO, and Paul Gentile, CCUA president/CEO offered remarks that were then followed by an entertaining and educational keynote from Gene Marks, Washington Post columnist, author and founder of the Marks Group PC. Gentile then returned to provide a wide-ranging industry update that took attendees through the latest industry statistics, as well as a regulatory, legislative and consumer trends, while Bratsakis followed that with an engaging session on consumer awareness and an update on a CUNA-led awareness initiative, according to the associations.
In the spirit of the volunteer-focused event, longtime credit union volunteer Dave Gilbert of Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union, Aberdeen, Md., was honored for his leadership over a 48-year span of volunteer service.
Afternoon sessions included:
- Don’t the Millennials Want What We All Want? by Bill Nagle, SVP-professional development with the CCUA
- Litigation Trends that Don’t Suit Your Credit Union, by Ken Otsuka, senior consultant, Business Protection Risk Management, CUNA Mutual Group
- Enterprise Risk Management, by Charlotte Whatley, VP Compliance Services with the CCUA
- Supervisory Committee Training by Ashley Beach, Associate, Litigation Department with Fox Rothschild LLP
The event closed with a presentation from Mark Sievewright, CEO Sievewright & Associates, who challenged credit unions to make the move from being traditional to being digital to not only survive but thrive in the coming years.