New Western Region Director: The NCUA named Julie Cayse (pictured here) as the new Western Region Director this week. She takes over for Cherie Freed, who retired in early September. The region includes 22 states, including Montana. We worked with Julie in her previous role as Associate Regional Director of Operations and look forward to continuing to see how we can collaborate to the benefit of stronger credit unions in Montana. As NCUA Chairman Todd Harper noted, "She will be a strong, collaborative, and energetic leader, and I look forward to seeing what Julie will accomplish."

Support our CU Community: Montana’s Credit Unions stand in solidarity with our peers impacted by the devastating wildfires in California. Join us in supporting relief efforts through CUAid, which provides vital assistance to credit union employees and volunteers affected by these tragedies.

Last Call: It's a sign of maturity when you see a "last call" notice and think of registration for an event you don't want to miss instead of the final drink of the evening. Anyway, today is the final day to register for The Roundtable in Las Vegas, February 4-5. Exclusively for CEOs and volunteer board members, our 2025 event will once again offer an exciting, fast-paced two-day schedule of unique sessions. The Roundtable is an amazing educational opportunity for regional credit union leaders to collaborate and share ideas as they are guided by a professional lineup of top industry thought leaders. And, don’t miss the post-conference social at Ole Red brought to you by Alloya Corporate Federal Credit Union! 

Advocacy Update

Bill Tracking: The Montana Legislature is two weeks into the session, with over 4,313 bill placeholders and many still awaiting language. Here's a list of the bills MCU is currently tracking — stay tuned for updates and don’t hesitate to contact Karen with any legislative questions.

Industry Win: The CFPB has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have prohibited NSF fees on transactions declined in real-time, citing insufficient evidence of the practice's prevalence. Credit unions had raised concerns about the rule's broad UDAAP approach, aligning with the bureau's findings.

This Week's Blogs

A Direct Line: The NCUA has released its 2025 List of Priorities, and this week's blog has all of the details. Don't miss this quick read packed with compliance and risk management information.

Credit Union Sales Intensive Workshop: Experience the two- or three-day online workshop that will transform your service culture from order taker to value creator. The CU Sales Intensive Workshop is designed to provide the essential sales mindset, processes, and skills for all member-facing employees and leaders at your credit union. With seven virtual dates, proven sales development is available for everyone. Sign up before January 31 for the first training of the year in February.

Data Activation Series 2025: The Data Activation Series you know and trust is evolving! For 2025, we’re thrilled to introduce additional AI-focused content to help equip credit unions with the tools to harness data's power to effectively leverage AI. Here's a sampling of the upgraded course content:

Class 1: Credit Unions Have More Data Than Amazon!

Equip your credit unions with AI chatbot strategies that deliver real-world results

This enhanced series delivers your credit unions' data to drive growth, efficiency, intelligence, and empowerment. Register for the first class beginning in February.

Revolutionizing Lending: Register to join CU DigiLend on January 28 at 10:00 AM MST for this timely webinar, Revolutionizing Lending – How Point-of-Sale Financing Drives Member Engagement. This session will dive into point-of-sale financing and how it can help credit unions meet evolving member needs, strengthen community connections, and grow their loan portfolios. It’s a fantastic opportunity for credit unions to learn how they can stay competitive in 2025 with CU DigiLend.

The #CUDifference is at the heart of everything credit unions do, but advocating for the #CUDifference takes it a step further. The inaugural Montana Hike the Hill brought together over 30 credit union professionals from across the state for a day of advocacy and engagement at the Capitol. Participants had the opportunity to network with lawmakers during a luncheon in the Rotunda, fostering meaningful conversations about the impact of credit unions in Montana communities. The group was proudly introduced during both the House and Senate floor sessions, highlighting the strength and unity of Montana’s credit union movement. This successful event showcased the importance of grassroots advocacy in supporting the financial well-being of Montanans.

Pictured here: Advocating for the credit union difference at the Montana Hike the Hill. (Click to enlarge.)