{"id":53614,"date":"2022-05-07T10:45:01","date_gmt":"2022-05-07T14:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=53614"},"modified":"2022-05-07T22:51:20","modified_gmt":"2022-05-08T02:51:20","slug":"mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn, Lead, Advocate: Lessons from Mountain West&#8217;s Annual Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When you come from a state without snow-capped mountains, the Colorado skyline (and the altitude!) can take your breath away. If you&#8217;re attending an event full of credit union leaders dedicated to making a positive impact, though, you&#8217;ll fill right back up with fresh air and inspiration!<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53616 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MWCUA-e1651970413949-1024x589.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain West Credit Union Association\" width=\"1024\" height=\"589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MWCUA-e1651970413949-1024x589.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MWCUA-e1651970413949-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MWCUA-e1651970413949-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MWCUA-e1651970413949-50x29.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Held in Colorado Springs, the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.cvent.com\/event\/634153c4-dc2c-4e04-88cf-bd6f9e7c90d3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2022 Mountain West Credit Union Annual Meeting<\/a> brought together hundreds of credit union professionals, presenters, sponsors, and exhibitors. Designed especially for credit union executives and boards, sessions delivered &#8220;actionable business intelligence and advice from experts on issues and opportunities facing credit unions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>The big news<\/h2>\n<p>Just a few months ahead of the retirement of MWCUA President and CEO Scott Earl, this event included multiple tributes and a celebration dinner in honor of Earl&#8217;s 40+-year credit union <a href=\"https:\/\/mwcua.com\/blog\/association\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-president-and-ceo-scott-earl-announces-retirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">career and accomplishments<\/a>. If that news wasn&#8217;t big enough, there&#8217;s more change on the horizon: The Mountain West and Northwest Credit Union Associations will soon merge, with both boards delivering <a href=\"https:\/\/nwcua.org\/2022\/03\/08\/northwest-mountain-west-credit-union-foundation-boards-vote-unanimously-to-merge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">unanimous approval<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>The combined efforts of both Mountain West and Northwest will be a significant force in advocacy. As the conference site noted,\u00a0&#8220;Legislative, regulatory and grassroots advocacy &#8211; it&#8217;s what we do! Together we&#8217;re stronger.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53619 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scott-Earl-e1651973864971-1024x586.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain West Credit Union Association\" width=\"1024\" height=\"586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scott-Earl-e1651973864971-1024x586.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scott-Earl-e1651973864971-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scott-Earl-e1651973864971-768x440.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Scott-Earl-e1651973864971-50x29.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>A few key points<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>In setting credit unions apart, remember: structure, value, and impact. &#8220;As stewards of that structure, we need to deliver the value. Otherwise, people will start to ask &#8212; What&#8217;s the difference?&#8221; &#8211; Troy Stang, President\/CEO, Northwest Credit Union Association<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>The fact that fewer people are coming into branches isn&#8217;t necessarily a bad thing. Consider the cost savings. Look at this time as The Great Attraction, an opportunity to meet your members where they are. &#8211; Mary Kelly, CEO, Productive Leaders<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Data is the new oil? No way. Data is the new oxygen.&#8221; &#8211; Sam Maule, Google<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>We have created tools to allow people to trade, to buy cryptocurrencies &#8212; but in some cases, they have no idea what they&#8217;re doing. The onus is on us to help educate them. &#8211; Sam Maule<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Don&#8217;t ever let anyone tell you that something you care about is a soft issue.&#8221; &#8211; Ancin Cooley, Synergy Credit Union Services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>De-center yourself. Prioritize succession planning. &#8220;If you remove that one person who&#8217;s been the ringmaster, things go a little haywire.&#8221; &#8211; Ancin Cooley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;If you want to retain talent that maintains the stability of your organization, you have to pay them.&#8221; &#8211; Ancin Cooley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>What brings people into the world of credit unions? The desire to do good. We are in the business of people helping people. But what does it say when there&#8217;s an imbalance between the makeup of the group of people getting approved for loans and the makeup of your community? &#8211; Jessica Vartanian, CU Lending Advice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>What are we asking our people to be experts at? Everything! Training service-oriented people into sales-oriented people is like trying to train someone who&#8217;s right-handed to be left-handed. &#8211; Jessica Vartanian<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53620 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Jessica-V-e1651976322377-1024x621.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain West Credit Union Association\" width=\"1024\" height=\"621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Jessica-V-e1651976322377-1024x621.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Jessica-V-e1651976322377-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Jessica-V-e1651976322377-768x466.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Jessica-V-e1651976322377-50x30.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>A major impact<\/h2>\n<p>A key question that was asked repeatedly: Are all of your goals financially based? While fiscal responsibility and revenue growth generally do have numbers attached, one of the biggest differentiators for credit unions is their commitment to their mission. For most, this mission prioritizes services and community.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Over and over, the word &#8220;impact&#8221; came up in the course of conversations. Combining data and storytelling helps make the impact more obvious and advocacy even more powerful, as in <a href=\"https:\/\/nwcua.org\/2022\/05\/03\/northwest-mountain-west-credit-unions-prepare-for-robust-economic-community-impact-reports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Economic Impact and Community Impact Reports<\/a>\u00a0the newly combined association will soon be rolling out. One of the last sessions of this event was dedicated to the impact of credit unions, honoring those leaders and groups who have made a significant difference in their communities over the past year. Dealing with the aftermath of the devastating Marshall fire in Colorado, working to pay off students&#8217; school lunch debt in Wyoming, and fundraising efforts for the Children&#8217;s\u00a0Miracle Network were among the initiatives honored at this event. During the conference, participants could also take part in a service project, decorating bags that would be used to deliver meals for a local foodbank. With this focus on service, community, and impact, it is very clear that the goals of the credit union movement are not all financial.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Missed the chance to chat?<\/strong>\u00a0Drop us a note at cu@sogosurvey.com! We&#8217;d love to connect and hear how you&#8217;re working to make an impact on your community!<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53623 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-e1651977719457-1024x660.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain West Credit Union Association\" width=\"1024\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-e1651977719457-1024x660.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-e1651977719457-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-e1651977719457-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Coffee-e1651977719457-50x32.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you come from a state without snow-capped mountains, the Colorado skyline (and the altitude!) can take your breath away. If you&#8217;re attending an event full of credit union leaders dedicated to making a positive impact, though, you&#8217;ll fill right back up with fresh air and inspiration! Held in Colorado Springs, the 2022 Mountain West Credit Union Annual Meeting brought together hundreds of credit union professionals, presenters, sponsors, and exhibitors. Designed especially for credit union executives and boards, sessions delivered &#8220;actionable business intelligence and advice from experts on issues and opportunities facing credit unions.&#8221; The big news Just a few months ahead of the retirement of MWCUA President and CEO Scott Earl, this event included multiple tributes and a celebration dinner in honor of Earl&#8217;s 40+-year credit union career and accomplishments. If that news wasn&#8217;t big enough, there&#8217;s more change on the horizon: The Mountain West and Northwest Credit Union Associations will soon merge, with both boards delivering unanimous approval. The combined efforts of both Mountain West and Northwest will be a significant force in advocacy. As the conference site noted,\u00a0&#8220;Legislative, regulatory and grassroots advocacy &#8211; it&#8217;s what we do! Together we&#8217;re stronger.&#8221; A few key points In setting credit unions apart, remember: structure, value, and impact. &#8220;As stewards of that structure, we need to deliver the value. Otherwise, people will start to ask &#8212; What&#8217;s the difference?&#8221; &#8211; Troy Stang, President\/CEO, Northwest Credit Union Association The fact that fewer people are coming into branches isn&#8217;t necessarily a bad thing. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":5076,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[175],"tags":[809,584,628,516,384,208],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Learn, Lead, Advocate: Lessons from Mountain West&#039;s Annual Meeting - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Check out a few highlights from the 2022 Mountain West Credit Union Association Annual Meeting, then share what you learned with us, too!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Learn, Lead, Advocate: Lessons from Mountain West&#039;s Annual Meeting - Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Check out a few highlights from the 2022 Mountain West Credit Union Association Annual Meeting, then share what you learned with us, too!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-05-07T14:45:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-05-08T02:51:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/financial-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"487\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"714\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Melissa Krut\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/\",\"name\":\"Learn, Lead, Advocate: Lessons from Mountain West's Annual Meeting - Sogolytics Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-07T14:45:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-05-08T02:51:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/eaf04ab90baaf0bb1e137e6c82f51d07\"},\"description\":\"Check out a few highlights from the 2022 Mountain West Credit Union Association Annual Meeting, then share what you learned with us, too!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/mountain-west-credit-union-association-annual-meeting\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Learn, Lead, Advocate: Lessons from Mountain West&#8217;s Annual Meeting\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sogolytics Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/eaf04ab90baaf0bb1e137e6c82f51d07\",\"name\":\"Melissa Krut\",\"description\":\"Melissa seeks balance in all things: the rush of running and the quiet of yoga, what's gained in learning and what's given in teaching, and the pleasures of reading and writing. 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