WEEKLY UPDATE FROM MONTANA'S CREDIT UNIONS | March 13, 2026 | | Happy Friday (the 13th)! Since it's really just a number after all, we have three Montana facts to take your mind off 13... and onto 3,015, 201, and 300 — you know, good, safe, not unlucky numbers at all. | | | Lewis & Clark Caverns became the first state park on May 4, 1941. It covers 3,015 acres. Although Lewis & Clark never entered the caves, they passed by them on July 31, 1805 | |  | The Roe River, running just 201 feet near Great Falls, was recorded as the shortest river in the U.S.A. until being dethroned in 2006. It's the equivalent to most "lakes" in Minnesota. | | | Butte-born daredevil Evel Knievel completed more than 300 motorcycle jumps during his career and famously fractured numerous bones along the way. | | | |
Care for Community: The Key to Gen Z? The latest episode of the A CU Seat at the Table podcast discusses the importance of articulating shared values with Gen Z to help position credit unions as the best option for a financial partner. The podcast episode highlights how Michigan State Federal Credit Union engages with its younger members and in their community to remain relevant with Gen Z.
Bonus: If you need help communicating the credit union difference, check out this information sheet on the difference between banks and credit unions or read (and share!) one of these blogs:
| | | New Event Notice: Join fellow credit union leaders for the VP Roundtable in Helena on May 21, for a free two-hour roundtable the morning after Power Up. This peer-driven discussion provides Vice Presidents and executives a chance to connect, share ideas, and discuss current challenges and opportunities facing Montana’s credit unions. Bring your insights, ask questions, and walk away with practical perspectives you can apply within your organization. | | | |
Personify Leadership Training — Practical Skills for CU Leaders: Invest in the future of your credit union with Personify Leadership Training, coming to Great Falls on June 10-11. Designed specifically for credit union professionals, this interactive program helps leaders strengthen communication, build high-performing teams, and lead with greater impact.
Whether you’re an emerging leader or a seasoned executive, you’ll gain practical tools to elevate your leadership and support your credit union’s mission.
Don’t miss this opportunity to grow alongside peers from across Montana. Sign up today or share with someone at your credit union and encourage them to attend.
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Credit Union Youth Month: April is Credit Union Youth Month, and this year, we've selected "Money Masterpiece: Create Your Financial Story” as our theme. It reminds us that even the smallest savers can create something remarkable with good money habits. If you would like to participate, we've compiled a toolkit (clicking triggers an automatic download) filled with:
- Printable coloring pages and activities
- Sample social media posts
- Cover pics for Facebook and X
- A logo
- Celebration ideas
Use what you want or create your own masterpiece. Throughout the month, we'll also be sharing five "kids and money" personal finance blogs and coordinating social media posts. We can't wait to see how you celebrate! Ask Michelle if you have questions.
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Connect, Collaborate, and Grow at the EDGE Workshop: Credit union leaders are invited to attend the EDGE Small Credit Union Workshop on April 9, hosted at Billings FCU. Designed specifically for credit unions with less than $150M in assets, this hands-on workshop will explore practical tools, collaboration opportunities, and peer networking to help small credit unions tackle everyday challenges and plan for the future. The workshop runs 10:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. (lunch included), followed by a networking reception from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. at Rimrock CU. Register by March 31, and reserve your room at DoubleTree by Hilton by March 17 to receive the room block rate.
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This Week's Blogs
A Direct Line: This week, the blog goes back to a topic we covered in a webinar series in early 2025 — the value of providing feedback. Nina Lund with Next Generation HR was gracious enough to provide a guest blog that digs a little deeper into the topic and reminds us why leaders need to be continually communicating with their teams. I hope you'll give it a read. If you missed our webinar series last year, you'll find links to it in the blog, too.
Personal Finance Blog: Our spring cleaning theme continues in this week's personal finance blog. "Financial Decluttering: What to Keep, What to Shred, and What to Automate" provides a great checklist for your members, and there's also a bonus section on how credit unions can make all of this happen. Share it with your members — it belongs in the "What to Keep" pile.
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Save the Dates for Future Important Events
We've compiled a list of events happening next week so you don't have to. All events are mountain time unless noted otherwise.
| | | Looking (A Bit Farther) Ahead | | | |
Save the dates (MCU events are in blue)...
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Looking to attend an MCU training or an America’s Credit Unions event this year — like Power Up, for instance? Don’t forget — Montana’s Credit Unions offers an education scholarship (for credit unions with under $100 million in 2025 assets) to help cover the cost. It’s designed for credit union staff, volunteers, and board members who want to grow their skills and strengthen their impact.
If professional development is on your list, now’s the perfect time to apply. Be sure to pass it along to your team!
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Did You Know?
In 2025, we partnered with HR Performance Solutions to provide HR Suite Plus at no cost to credit unions (under $150M in assets). This platform gives you:
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Smart Employee Handbook: Generate federal and state-compliant handbooks with automatic updates when regulations change
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HR Compliance Library: Expert-developed resources to navigate HR complexities
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Customizable Solutions: Tailor resources and policies to your credit union’s needs
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Compliance Tools: Features like a Compliance Calendar, Job Description Library, Salary Compare, and OSHA Reference
This league‑provided benefit helps simplify HR, strengthen compliance, and free up your time to focus on serving members.
To learn about other tools and services we provide to make your job easier, check out our full 2025 Impact Report.
| | | Webinars for Everyone on your Team: Learn from the comfort of your own office from these webinar partners. Click on each to view a list of upcoming webinars. | | | THE CREDIT UNION DIFFERENCE | | |
Calling the Midland Chapter of Credit Union (Billings area) champions of "financial well-being for all" hardly does justice to their impact. Earlier this month, they dedicated time to educating Billings Senior High School students about the real costs of adulthood. As many of us face replacing fence panels, trees, or roof tiles after the recent windstorm, we’re reminded just how expensive life can be. Reality fairs offer students a practical, risk-free way to experience financial decision-making, and we’re incredibly proud of the Midland Chapter for helping prepare the next generation for a financially stable future. Preparing kids for adulting? That's the #CUDifference!
(Pictured above: representatives from Valley CU, Altana FCU, Billings FCU, Intrepid CU, and Black Hills FCU.)
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Celebrating International Women's Month
As we continue through International Women’s Month, I’m reminded of how much stronger our movement becomes when we elevate — and celebrate — every voice. Credit unions were built on the idea of people helping people, and nowhere is that spirit more powerfully demonstrated than in the women who lead, mentor, innovate, and carry this movement forward every day.
This month is an opportunity to celebrate those contributions from early credit union pioneers like Louise Herring and Dora Maxwell (see Herstory features from America’s Credit Union Museum), as well as those of our credit unions (25 of our credit union CEOs are women) across Montana.
Our support for organizations like CUWLA — the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance — is a meaningful part of that commitment. CUWLA continues to be a force in developing and empowering women CEOs of smaller credit unions, ensuring that diverse leadership remains a strength across our system. I have attended the CUWLA reception at GAC every year since its inception, and their impact and influence across our movement continue to grow!
We’re also proud to encourage participation in other networks such as the World Council’s Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) and regional women’s sister societies across the country. These communities are building the next generation of leaders by connecting women to resources, mentorship, and each other.
We have our own Women’s Community in Montana, which is a network to empower and celebrate women with the intention to improve their professional development and growth opportunities, regardless of their career path within the credit union movement. When we champion these efforts, we invest in the future of our movement.
I’m inspired by the progress we’ve made, but I’m even more energized by what lies ahead. As we close out the week, I’ll leave you with a quote from former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — one that feels especially fitting this month:
“Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more than the person who gives it their all.”
Here’s to giving it our all — for collaboration, for leadership, and for the many women who make our mission possible every single day. I am thankful for Montana’s Credit Unions team for giving it their all and leading by example every day!
Have a great weekend! Cooperatively, Gerry
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