Credit unions including FORUM Credit Union and Robins Financial Credit Union announced promotions and the Dakota Credit Union Association presented awards during their annual awards banquet.

Recognitions

• Recently retired CEO of Western Cooperative Credit Union (Williston, ND) and a former CEO of Voyage Federal Credit Union (Sioux Falls, SD) were inducted into the Dakota Credit Union Association (DakCU) Hall of Fame during the Annual Summit Awards Banquet that was held on Thursday, May 16, at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa. The Hall of Fame honor is a lifetime achievement recognition, and the most prestigious of all DakCU’s awards. Melanie Stillwell joined the staff of Western Cooperative Credit Union (WCCU) in 1998, and within four years, earned the title of president/CEO. When she first started, the credit union was at $75 million in assets. Upon her retirement on April 1, 2024, they were at an astounding $441 million with more than 18,000 members and eight locations in western North Dakota. Darla Erb became the CEO of Voyage Federal Credit Union in 1998, a position she held until her retirement at the end of 2019. Today, after 85 years, Voyage is still growing under the vision she set, now exceeding $233 million in assets, and serving a community that covers 24 counties in four states, serving more than 20,000 members.

• During the Dakota Credit Union Association awards banquet that was recently held at the Grand Falls Casino & Resort in Larchwood, Iowa, three Dakota credit union professionals were recognized for their outstanding individual achievements.

  • Laura Hausmann, Financial Services Representative at United Savings Credit Union (Fargo, ND) received the Professional of the Year Award. This prestigious award honors one credit union professional each year from North or South Dakota for their contributions to advance the credit union movement in their state and the nation by helping to craft an environment that allows credit unions to grow and prosper, to better serve their members.

  • Jennifer Jerauld, AVP Member Services at Town & Country Credit Union (Minot, ND), received the Emerging Leader of the Year Award. This award recognizes one credit union employee each year from North or South Dakota showing proven dedication and enthusiasm for the credit union movement by executing the credit union mission and guiding in new directions that enhance the overall vision of their organization.

  • Darrell Pepper, Board Member at Ft. Randall Federal Credit Union (Wagner, SD) was named Volunteer of the Year. This award goes to one volunteer from North or South Dakota each year that has selflessly contributed time, effort, and talent to the development of the credit union movement in their state. Volunteers are an integral part of the credit union movement, and their contributions resonate throughout the credit union community by illuminating the most important part of the credit union structure.

• Voyage Federal Credit Union (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) was honored with the Dakota Credit Union Association (DakCU) Growth and Progress Award during the association’s awards banquet that was held recently at the Grand Falls Casino & Resort in Larchwood, Iowa. To be eligible for this prestigious award, a credit union must have been a dues-paying member of DakCU for the previous two years, and the credit union’s growth must equal or exceed the statewide annual average increase in four categories: total assets; shares; loans outstanding; and membership increase.

Promotions

• FORUM Credit Union announces the promotion of Mallorie Zainey as its Internal Audit Manager. In this role, Zainey is responsible for making sure various processes within the Credit Union are sound, and provides leadership on delivering risk-based and objective assurance, advice, and insight.

• Robins Financial Credit Union proudly announces the promotion of Rose Fulton to Branch Manager of their Hartley Bridge location. In this new role, Fulton will be responsible for overseeing daily operations, managing a team, and ensuring that members receive the highest level of service.

• Bay Federal announced the promotion of Holga Nugent to Assistant Vice President of the Member Service Center. Ms. Nugent joined the Credit Union in November 2021 during a particularly unique post-pandemic era. Ms. Nugent immediately recognized the imperative for expansion and efficiencies at the Credit Union’s Member Service Center. She made remarkable contributions supporting staffing, developing improvements to wait times, and establishing a new level of member service. Her recent advancement into a leadership role has resulted in an energized sense of morale for her team and exceptional quality of service for members.

• GTE Financial is pleased to announce the promotion of long-time team member Julie Smith from Internal Auditing Manager to AVP of Internal Auditing as part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing internal talent. Smith began her career with GTE Financial almost 10 years ago, starting as a Senior Internal Auditor and quickly working her way up to Manager and now Assistant Vice President within the Assurance and Consulting Services Department. In her new role, Smith will conduct audits of various credit union departments and processes to determine the credit union's exposure to risk, the level of compliance with regulatory requirements, adherence to company policies and procedures, the effectiveness and efficiency of internal control procedures, the accuracy and completeness of financial records, and more.

• Royal Credit Union (Royal) announces Edward Jambor’s promotion to Vice President- Commercial Lending Regional Manager. In this position, Jambor is responsible for leading the team of Commercial Loan Officers in the North Metro to achieve Royal Credit Union’s objectives, strategic goals and initiatives. Jambor will also assist in the development of new relationships.

Appointments

• The Affinity Plus Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Flaherty to its Board of Directors. Flaherty brings a wealth of experience and passion for financial empowerment to the Foundation, which aims to end cycles of financial inequity through life changing programs that transform lives and communities for generations to come. Flaherty has been a dedicated member of the Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union team since 2013, starting his journey as a Member Advisor in Grand Rapids. Throughout his tenure, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to the organization's growth and a strong desire to support both employees and members.

• The Dakota Credit Union Association (DakCU) held their annual meeting on May 16, 2024, with the main order of business being the election and reorganization of officers for the DakCU Board of Directors. Two credit union professionals were newly elected to the board, including Bob Herrington, President/CEO of North Star Community Credit Union, and Jake Klobuchar, SVP of Town & Country Credit Union. Lacey Fetch, CEO of University Federal Credit Union, was elected DakCU Board Chair, and Dawn Van Ash, CEO of Oahe FCU, was re-elected Board Chair of DakCU Service Corp (DakCUSC). We are pleased to announce our 2024 board members and their roles.

  • Katie Bredvik – DakCU Director and 1st Vice Chair DakCUSC representing SD Division C. Bredvik was named CEO of Coteau Valley FCU (Sisseton, SD) in 2017. She attended Black Hills State University in Spearfish, and later graduated from Lake Area Tech in Watertown with degrees in business and photography. She completed Management School in 2021, earning her Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation.

  • Lacey Fetsch – DakCU Board Chair representing ND Division B. Fetsch began working at University FCU (Grand Forks, ND) in 2004 while attending the University of North Dakota (UND). After graduating from UND with a BA in Banking and Financial Economics, she held the titles of Loan Officer and Director of Operations before becoming CEO in 2016. She graduated with High Honors from Management School in 2018 and holds the Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation.

  • Bob Herrington – DakCU Board 2nd Vice Chair representing ND Division A. Herrington has been the CEO of North Star Community CU since 2016; prior to that he worked for a community bank in Harvey, ND; and at credit unions in Montana and Wyoming. He holds a degree in Finance from Minot State University.

  • Veronica Holweger – DakCU Board and DakCUSC Secretary/Treasurer representing ND Division C. Veronica is the CEO of Med Park Credit Union (Grand Forks, ND). She was re-appointed to a board seat in 2023 following a short reprieve; she previously served on the board when she was CEO of Riverfork FCU. She has more than 25 years’ experience as a credit union CEO and 30 years in the industry.

  • Jake Klobuchar – DakCU Director representing Multi-State At-Large. Klobuchar graduated in 2009 from NDSU with a degree in finance and has been in the banking and credit union industry for 15 years. He is the SVP Fargo Market President for Town & Country Credit Union, serves as the secretary of the Sharehouse Foundation Board, and is the first credit union representative to serve on the Lake Agassiz Certified Development Company’s board that manages the SBA 504 loan program.

  • Jarrod Reisner – DakCU Board 1st Vice Chair representing SD Division A. Reisner began working at Black Hills FCU (Rapid City, SD) in 2009. His current title is Chief Financial Officer. He graduated from SD State University with a BS in Management and holds a CPA license. He is a member of the SD GAC and is a board member for Midwest Business Solutions, LLC dba Pactola.

  • Dawn Van Ash – DakCU Director and Chair of DakCUSC representing SD Division B. Van Ash has been involved with credit unions for more than 35 years. Starting as a teller, she was promoted to several roles including loan officer and assistant manager, prior to becoming CEO of Oahe FCU (Pierre, SD). A South Dakota native, she is a graduate of Management School and holds the Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation.

• The California Credit Union League is pleased to announce the appointment of Harold Roundtree as the At Large Director to the board of directors as of May 14, 2024. As an At Large Director, Roundtree will serve as a vital link between the League and its member credit unions, providing strategic guidance and oversight to ensure continued success and growth. This new role is a testament to his commitment to excellence and dedication to advancing the credit union movement.

• The National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations (NACUSO) is thrilled to announce a dynamic infusion of talent with the appointment of three visionary leaders to its executive team. Joining NACUSO are Adam Lee as Head of Innovation, Rebecca Isaacs as Head of Sustainability, and Sedric Brinson as Head of Collaboration. This strategic alignment underscores NACUSO's commitment to driving forward-thinking initiatives, fostering sustainable practices, and enhancing cooperative efforts within the credit union industry.