The Defense Credit Union Council’s (DCUC) 2024 Annual Conference moved into another conference day where DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer, Jason Stverak, welcomed several guest speakers and industry leaders to the stage for discussions on current and future industry insights.

Stverak began the general session by inviting Grace Newcombe Colvin, Vice President of Federal Advocacy and Strategy of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates (LSCU), to share a brief overview of matters the league is tracking.

Afterward, Stverak and DCUC guest, Ryan Donavan, President/CEO of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks, discussed the FHLBank System's role and what lessons were learned from the March 2023 bank failures, as well as the recent increased scrutiny from the Treasury and progressive Senators. Their discussion then examined how these factors are affecting FHLBanks and credit unions.

Following Donovan’s insights, attendees heard C-17 Special Operations pilot Colonel Alex Pelbath, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), keynote presentation, “Thriving in Chaos.” Pelbath shared his experience as the Air Mission Commander during the chaotic Kabul evacuation in 2021 to showcase how individuals and teams can excel in unpredictable and high-pressure situations. He provided tools and insights for thriving amid chaos, demonstrating how to unlock full potential even in the most challenging circumstances.

Chip Dykes, VP of Community Development for Frontwave Credit Union, shares how valuable the networking opportunities and keynote speaker presentations are to credit union executives like himself when attending DCUC’s conferences. Hear more from his interview here.

DCUC President/CEO Anthony Hernandez invited Brian Knight, President/CEO of NASCUS, to share his perspective on the future of the credit union industry over the next decade, including potential consolidation and changes in credit union identity. Knight also discussed the relationship between state regulators and the NCUA, how conflicts between state regulatory approaches are resolved, and the top three issues currently facing state-level credit union regulation.

Shifting the discussion to AI, Cortney Arnold, Community Development Director of the Cooperative Trust with Filene Research Institute, discussed understanding what AI is, including features, abilities, and threats of generative AI. Arnold also noted which use cases make sense for credit unions compared to cases that may invite too much risk.

Hernandez concluded the morning session by providing an update on DCUC’s current position, future direction, and the Council’s efforts to effectively meet credit unions’ needs.

In addition to networking with DCUC’s sponsors and partners, conference attendees also enjoyed participating in DCUC’s popular Silent Auction, and 50/50 ticket raffle, led by this year’s Crash class. The proceeds of the auction and raffle will support this year’s Conference with a Purpose charity, USA Cares.

After lunch, DCUC held its 2024 Annual Business Meeting. During the meeting, three DCUC Board Member positions were filled. Ron Aoki, President/CEO, Schofield Federal Credit Union, Maggie Sayer, President/CEO, Keys Federal Credit Union, and Ryan Ross, President/CEO, Soarian Credit Union, were re-elected to the Army, Navy/Coast Guard, and Air Force positions respectively. Additionally, Jim Hayes, President/CEO, State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU), was elected to serve the remainder of the Marine Corps Representative term.

This evening, DCUC will host its 2024 Hall of Honor gala where the Council will officially induct three new honorees into its DCUC Hall of Honor.

Follow along as DCUC’s Annual Conference continues tomorrow morning for its final session. Visit DCUC’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages and join the conversation using the hashtag, #DCUC2024. For more information on DCUC’s Annual Conference, please visit dcucannual.org.