Got Data, But Not Sure What’s Next? Join the virtual Data Activation Series, led by data analytics expert Anne Legg, and discover how your credit union can turn data into powerful member insights. This dynamic seven-class educational program is designed to boost your data confidence and capability so you can serve your members smarter.

The next series begins May 6! Don’t wait — registration closes April 26. Have questions? Reach out to Anne for more information.

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.

Clearwater CU recently donated $45,000 to support three Montana Native CDFIs. Each organization received $15,000 to help expand economic opportunities in Native communities by providing loans, business capital, technical assistance, and financial education. These funds will aid in promoting self-sufficiency and enhancing the quality of life for individuals and businesses in and around reservation communities.

That's making the #CUDifference!

When Take the Lead Meets the Giant Springs Chapter

This was a great week of collaboration! Take the Lead (Years One and Two) kicked off this week in Great Falls. It was the 7th cohort of leaders! The timing was perfect, too, because the Giant Spring Chapter held their meeting this week. The Take the Lead Year Two class participated in the chapter meeting, with over 50 credit union professionals attending. I loved seeing the energy and networking with credit unions from around the state.

I had the privilege of providing an update on your league, with no shortage of topics on advocacy, education, and collaboration. I also challenged the group with two activities, called "Musical Teams" and "Channels." In "Musical Teams," the groups rotated across four stations based on favorite food, music, pets, and sports. During each rotation, the groups shared their thoughts on key questions around credit union topics like training, member service, leadership, and collaboration.

The second activity, "Channels," has teams of five or six people who move a marble through a course with each person holding a “channel” for the marble to pass through. At the end, we talked about the various connections and handoffs we have every day, including those with one another, our members, our communities, business partners, etc.

We ended the evening debriefing ways our movement is stronger because of our connections and collaborations — it truly is part of our secret sauce and is magical to see in action. It is one of my favorite parts of our credit union movement in Montana!

In addition to Take the Lead and the chapter meeting, we held our quarterly all-staff meeting. (Thanks, Montana Credit Union, for hosting us!) CEOs John Hageman (Montana CU), Steve Grooms (1st Liberty FCU), and Stacey Byrne (Russell Country FCU) joined us for a panel discussion on challenges and opportunities these CEOs see in 2025. They also talked about their credit unions’ engagement with the league and gave us great feedback! (Pictured above)

The Montana Council of Cooperatives asked me to speak with several new cooperatives in Montana as part of an ongoing mentoring and networking program among new cooperatives. I talked about the “Heart” of cooperatives and shared about the upcoming Coop Academy, which I am very excited about! Please consider attending or sending staff to this important inaugural session next month.

Enjoy your weekend.

Cooperatively, Gerry