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The Roundtable: We had our Roundtable (formerly MonDak) event in Las Vegas this week with record attendance from Montana (33 participants) and the event itself (over 150 participants). Last year, we invited Minnesota to join us, and this year they sent several more participants, and we also had credit unions from Wyoming and Wisconsin participate.
What I love about this meeting is the connections we make across these five states that share similar values and makeup. Seeing credit unions share their ideas and best practices — as well as ask questions of their peers — is a cornerstone principle of this event. Our thought leaders and facilitators brought their “A-Game” to the event, both challenging and inspiring us. Mara Humphrey, President/CEO of the Minnesota Union Network shared that from Advocacy to AI, this event has it all! TruStage, the platinum partner for the Roundtable hosted a Fintech Connect event, where we heard from several fintechs and how they can help us across a spectrum of needs. Here's what I specifically enjoyed about these fintechs:
- They are relevant to the mission of credit unions
- They are scalable to all-size credit unions
For the last several weeks, I have focused on our strategy at Montana’s Credit Unions across our three pillars. I saw all three of them play out this week at the Roundtable —advocacy, collaboration, and education/partnerships. Advocacy was a top topic this year given all of the dynamics going on in DC and our states. Collaboration happened all around us as credit union leaders and volunteers shared their ideas and asked questions of one another. I challenged both groups to get “curious,” and consider how they can take these ideas back to the credit unions. Finally, education and partnerships were prominent throughout the event as thought leaders talked about issues (and solutions) for the “here and now,” as well as for the future to make sure we continue to thrive and be relevant in our communities. Our partners participated in the meeting alongside us, sharing
Connecting with friends and colleagues — old and new — is one of my favorite parts of the Roundtable. We truly are a family in the credit union movement. I’ve long shared that when we have a common purpose, shared values, and high trust, we can tackle any challenge that comes our way. Events like the Roundtable are a way to build on these three principles.
Enjoy your weekend.
Cooperatively, Gerry
p.s. While we enjoyed time in sunny and warm Las Vegas, many of our Montana communities got hammered with cold and snow this week. A special shout out to our families (especially my wife and youngest son) who shoveled lots of snow! 😊
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