Strength to Overcome

Humanitarian Highlight 8.12.21

This week, our focus for Humanitarian Highlight is on credit unions who are giving their community the strength to overcome life’s trials and tribulations.

Bay Federal Credit Union

In Bay Federal Credit Union’s annual fundraising drive, a total of over $27,000 was collected for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The money will go to help children in the various high-quality children’s hospitals the network represents.

West Virginia Central Credit Union

GoPacks, a nonprofit made to fight food insecurity and provide educational programs for children, partnered with this credit union to raise over $10,000. The money was raised through individual donations and contributions from West Virginia Credit Union community members and staff.

Credit Union West

Employees at Credit Union West donated $5,451 to the Firefighter Angel Foundation. This non-profit foundation aims to help children in need by providing essential items and services, particularly those in Yavapai County.

State Employees Federal Credit Union

State Employees Federal Credit Union pledged to donate a significant amount of money to the Special Olympics for every USA victory in the Tokyo Olympics. The credit union pledged $500 for every gold, $250 for every silver and $125 for every bronze. Fans and community members are also encouraged to donate directly through SEFCU’s page on the charity event.

Ascend Federal Credit Union

This credit union announced that their employees had donated 5,279 food items to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Ascend Federal Credit Union held the collection in its corporate office and within all 28 branch locations. The food bank will be donating the collected foods to 27 different agencies. This is the fourth year the credit union has participated in this food drive.

Visions Federal Credit Union

For July 4^th, Visions Federal Credit Union hosted its annual 4 on the 4th Road Race. This charity event supports a charitable organization of the credit union’s choosing, and this year’s event donated to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group. Over 350 runners participated both virtually and physically, and as a result of the race, the credit union donated over $3,500.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

These charitable acts benefitting children, veterans, and other vulnerable groups grant people the strength to overcome their struggles, and these credit unions should be praised for them.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Inspiring Hope

Humanitarian Highlight 8.5.21

For this week’s #HumanitarianHighlight, we’re looking at credit unions whose donations are inspiring hope in the communities they serve. Whether it is through donations to children’s organizations, or even directly donating a closed branch to a charitable organization, here are some credit unions that go above and beyond to inspire hope for those who really need it.

Redstone Federal Credit Union

This credit union committed $2 million toward the Boys & Girls Clubs of North America for their Doors to the Future capital campaign. This campaign aims to grow the organization through developing new Centers for Advancement, improving transportation, and increasing scholarship funds contributions. The significantly large donation will be paid in parts over the next five years.

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union hosted the “2021 Tech Drive Tuesday” donation event that aimed to collect laptop tech for struggling college students. In addition, for every laptop that was donated, the credit union promised to donate $150 directly to Minnesota Computers for Schools.

Pillar Credit Union

Marion Matters for Hope Center received an unusually generous donation: an entire closed branch. Pillar Credit Union handed over the keys to the closed office structure to the organization, which has partnered with them for over ten years. Marion Matters helps community members with financial literacy programs and provides comprehensive education for financially struggling participants.

Power Financial Credit Union

Power Financial Credit Union donated nearly $50,000 to charities that help minority groups and communities in Florida. The announcement was made as part of Power Financial Credit Union’s 70-year anniversary. Each of the organizations will receive over $7,000 to be used at their discretion. These organizations include the Advocacy Network on Disabilities, the Save Foundation, the Jason Taylor Foundation and more.

Eastman Credit Union

A $125,000 donation was made by this credit union to sponsor East Tennessee State University’s Roan Scholars Summer Experience Program. This program offers students a six-week service internship aimed at teaching them how to positively impact the world around them.

Directions Credit Union

This credit union donated $3,000 and over 700 pencils to the Monroe County Library System. These generous donations will go toward summer reading supply kits, which are aimed at inspiring children to complete summer reading logs.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Hope is important, and these credit unions, as well as many others we’ve featured before in #HumanitarianHighlight, are greatly appreciated for their charitable and hopeful donations.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Providing Food and Supporting Veterans

Humanitarian Highlight 7.29.21 | Providing Food and Supporting Veterans

Humanitarian Highlight 7.29.21

This week, our focus for Humanitarian Highlight is on credit unions providing food to the need and supporting veterans. Both are valuable causes and help those in need, and these credit unions are setting the bar high.

GCS Credit Union

This credit union raised over $30,000 during their fifth annual Tee Up Fore Veterans golf tournament, an event started in the interest of supporting veterans. Several sponsors and golfers contributed to the overall donation, which will be used to sponsor a prepaid vacation for veterans to visit the memorials built for their service.

Jax Federal Credit Union

Jax Federal Credit Union gave generously to Feeding Northeast Florida: a whopping 23,000 meals through food drives and a sizeable $3,700 monetary donation. This foodbank serves millions of meals to families in need in the northeast region of Florida. It is estimated that the combined donation will result in approximately 23,174 meals.

All In Credit Union

Fort Rucker’s Army Emergency Relief Fund received $30,000 due to this credit union’s Annual Golf Tournament, which was held at Fort Rucker’s Silver Wings Golf Course. This emergency fund is a financial assistance program created to help active and retired soldiers with emergency vital care. The golf tournament was started over three decades ago to facilitate donations toward this valuable service.

University Credit Union

University Credit Union has started a three-day initiative to support local restaurants and donate to the Campaign for Ending Hunger. Every order taken at participating restaurants will be matched with a $5 donation toward the campaign by the credit union. The campaign hopes to raise up to $5,000 toward the $100,000 goal, which will support local food banks in Maine.

San Diego County Credit Union

SCCU is hosting it’s 7^th annual “Stuff the Bus” Fundraiser, which aims to purchase school supplies for students experiencing financial hardship or homelessness. The fundraiser takes digital and in-store donations through locations such as Ralphs or Food 4 Less. The event will run through July 31^st in San Diego County.

Clearwater Credit Union

The Community Food and Agriculture Coalition (CFAC) will receive a $25,000 donation from Clearwater Credit Union. This donation will aim to help with food shortages in vulnerable households in the area, as the CFAC estimates 1 in 8 Montana citizens struggle to afford food supplies. It will do so by contributing to the CFAC’s Double SNAP program, which doubles SNAP benefits (up to a certain amount) at local qualifying farmers’ markets.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

It is incredibly important for society to help those in need. Initiatives like these help some of our most honorable and some of our most vulnerable, and we applaud credit unions for doing them. These credit unions, as well as many others we’ve featured before in #HumanitarianHighlight, deserve praise for their wonderful acts of charity.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Economic Recovery and Fostering Growth

Humanitarian Highlight 7.22.21 | Economic Recovery and Fostering Growth

Humanitarian Highlight 7.22.21

The last year has not been easy for many, but credit unions are doing their part to help out. This week, our focus for Humanitarian Highlight is on credit unions that are pushing for economic recovery and fostering growth in their communities. Whether through scholarships, community charity, or even making positive changes within their own organizations; here are a few credit unions that are doing their part to help the world recover and grow.

Mass Mutual Federal Credit Union

In keeping with a longstanding tradition for the credit union, MassMutual recently awarded $20,000 in college scholarships to several outstanding students. Each of the ten selected students will receive $2,000 individually, to be put to use in their first year at a college of their choice.

Lookout Credit Union

This credit union, in addition to the efforts of the Idaho Falls firefighters and other donors, helped raise a record-breaking donation (almost $50,000 total) toward the treatment of muscular dystrophy. Lookout Credit Union donated $1,000 toward the goal, a significant portion of the total drive donation.

Michigan Legacy Credit Union

As public discourse over minimum wage mounts, one credit union has made waves in a decision to increase base pay from $13 an hour to $16 – a 23% pay increase. This change will apply immediately to current staff and new hires of the credit union, in the interest of allowing staff to earn a livable wage for the area.

St. Jean’s Credit Union

Following a successful previous grant allotment, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston Jobs for New England Recovery Grant Program gave St. Jean’s Credit Union an additional $50,000 in grant money. This grant was quickly distributed to six small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the interest of supporting the selected companies after the events of the last year.

Gesa Credit Union

With over $100,000 in a shared grant pool, Gesa Credit Union is giving away a maximum of $5,000 per approved grant application. The grants are being awarded as part of a newly created Local Heroes Grant Program, which aims to support local heroic and selfless organizations in areas where Gesa Credit Union operates.

American 1 Credit Union & TRUE Community Credit Union

After a few years of planning, a YMCA building in Jackson, Michigan will finally be moving to construction. Several prominent companies and nonprofit organizations contributed to the creation of this facility, two of which are the American 1 Credit Union and the TRUE Community Credit Union. Both credit unions, as well as other significant donors, will receive naming rights for particular rooms in the facility.

New York Credit Union Association

Several credit unions in the New York Credit Union Association have pooled together a joint donation of $30,000 to Cohen Children’s Hospital. A charity golf outing has been held for the last twenty-eight years but was canceled due to the events of the last year. Instead, the NYCUA pooled together a donation that was equal in size to the previous years. This large donation was made toward supporting the treatment of diabetes at a pediatric level.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Economic recovery and growth are not going to be easy, but credit unions have always been dedicated to serving the community, no matter how difficult the problem. These credit unions are a small portion of the people dedicated to helping the local community.

If you would like to place an inquiry about being featured in a Humanitarian Highlight or have any other comments or questions regarding our business, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our email or by phone at (800) 537-9598.

Be sure to follow our social media pages if you’d like to see our weekly Humanitarian Highlights segment as soon as it comes up!

Positivity within CUs

Humanitarian Highlight 5.20.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to take a look at the positivity within CUs and their communities. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!! From scholarships to hospitals and the most vulnerable let’s look at the positivity CUs spread within their communities.

Michigan First Credit Union

Cascade Township, a branch of the Kent District Library received a donation of over 1,000 books. Michigan First Credit Union had their organization, First for Good, set up boxes at their 28 branches to collect new and gently used books. They collected over 1,000 books for the library in 3 weeks. Michigan First CU and its generous members were able to aid the library in adding to their collection.

Achieva Credit Union

Achieva Credit Union has been named one of the “Top Workplaces” in Tampa Bay for the ninth year in a row. In honor of this huge achievement, Achieva CU is donating $30,000 to charities in their local communities. What’s unique about what Achieva is doing is that each branch team and each department get $750 to donate to any community charity of their choice. This is awesome because they are making a huge impact on their entire community by dispersing the donations. Congratulations Achieva CU!

Corning Credit Union

Corning Credit Union is matching donations to local small businesses in their hometown, Elmira, New York. The local businesses in the Elmira area have been extremely impacted by the pandemic. The initiative of this program, “buy now, shop later” encourages community support. When someone purchases a gift card of any amount from one of the local businesses, Corning CU will donate up to $50 to that business. Corning CU will continue to donate to these businesses until they have reached their goal of donating $25,000 between all of the local shops.

Sandia Area Federal Credit Union

Sandia Area Federal Credit Union partnered with local community resources and was able to donate $40,000 to a local food pantry aimed to fight hunger. Together, they tackled FACE the Hunger Challenge. Feeding Area Children Everyday’s goal is to raise awareness of the hungry children in New Mexico. About 1 in 3 children in New Mexico are going hungry. Sandia Area FCU’s donation of $40,000 is able to provide over 200,000 meals for those in need.

Unitus Community Credit Union

Unitus Community Credit Union pledged $50,000 to Legacy Emanual Randall Children’s Hospital. The donation is to provide a BloodTrack and Belmont Rapid Infuser to the hospital’s birth center. The new equipment is meant to supply emergency blood transfusions at the bedside. The equipment is critical in the birthing center and can save more than 25 mothers and their newborns each year. Unitus Community CU strives to improve the quality of life in their community.

Georgia United Credit Union

Georgia United Credit Union’s foundation, Georgia United Foundation has awarded scholarships to 6 high school seniors of the graduating 2021 class. This has been the 27^th year that Georgia United CU has awarded scholarships. Their notable scholarship program motivates students to submit a one-minute video explaining how their continued education will help the community. The total amount of the scholarships was $30,000, enough to make a huge difference in each of these student’s lives. Good luck next year!

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! It was great to see positivity within CUs and their communities. Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

CUs Spreading Compassion

Humanitarian Highlight 5.6.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to take a look at the credit unions spreading compassion in their communities. Compassion is contagious! Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!! From playgrounds to food banks and the most vulnerable let’s look at how CUs are spreading their compassion throughout their communities.

Firelands Federal Credit Union

Firelands FCU donated $10,000 to the Bucyrus Legacy Fund of Projects, Inc. in honor of celebrating 200 years of “Community Unity.” The donated money is going towards the development of Bucyrus’ Norton Bicentennial Multi-Generational Greenspace. The greenspace will be a trailhead where many activities, including a bike/walk pathway, a dog park, gardens, and many more will take place. The generous donation made by Firelands FCU is focused on helping their city and the communities within it.

Case Credit Union

CASE CU has donated $100,000 through their CASE Cares program to Lansing, Michigan’s first universally accessible playground. The main drive behind the project is that any child with or without a disability can play on it. What most people do not realize is that many playgrounds do not have much to offer for children with disabilities. In other words, the entire playground is specifically designed to be fit for any child. The project has raised $700,000 out of an estimated $1,500,000. Case CU Cares Program has made a huge impact on this project. The playground is projected to open next summer.

State Employee’s Credit Union

State Employees’ CU made a large, $2 million donation to the expansion of UNC Hospitals’ “Family House.” The SECU (after State Employees’ CU) Family House is a comfortable, affordable place for patients and family that are traveling to Chapel Hill for medical care to stay. After the expansion, the “Family House” now has 74 rooms available, nearly doubling the rooms. After 2 years of construction, the SECU Family House recently celebrated the opening of the Pine Wing. Thanks to State Employees’ CU, more patients, and their families have access to this incredible program.

Gerber Federal Credit Union

Gerber FCU donated 600 books across 9 school districts in Michigan. President/CEO of Gerber FCU, John Buckley, read Give It! virtually to 2nd-grade classrooms. The book is a fun way to introduce simple concepts of money. Certainly, children are never too young to start learning about the concept of money. The book was donated to students, teachers, and the library, which was 600 books in total. Gerber FCU’s generous donation will provide students the resources to learn the critical concepts of money.

Workers Credit Union

Workers CU donated $10,000 to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. Their annual campaign this year was to incentivize members to open up a savings account or set up an automatic transfer. If a member did one of these, Workers CU would donate $5 to the food bank. Under the current circumstances, the Merrimack Valley Food Bank has been aiding over 65,000 people per month. The large donation made a big impact at the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. Workers CU and their members continuously show a strong dedication to their community.

Black Hills Federal Credit Union

Black Hills FCU in Rapid City, South Dakota donated $1,800 to the HOPE Center, providing 3 days’ worth of services at HOPE. The HOPE Center facilitates basic and particular needs to members of their community. It is about $500 a day for service at HOPE, serving 200-250 people. As a result of their dedication to their various campaigns, Black Hills FCU was able to raise enough for 3 days of food and service, surpassing their goal of 2 days of service for the HOPE Center. Black Hills FCU and its members have shown a tremendous amount of compassion and dedication towards their community.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Thank you for reading this week’s Humanitarian Highlight! It was great to see so many CUs spreading compassion throughout their communities. As you can see, compassion is very contagious within the CU community. Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

5 Types Found at Credit Union Events

5 Types Found at Credit Union Events

It’s clear that events are a colossal part of the credit union industry. From community credit union outings, local chapter meetings, annual league meetings, national conferences, technology symposiums, and international training events, there always seems to be an event happening in the credit union world. We know there are more than 5 types found at Credit Union Events, but there are some we see at all events.

It’s important to attend events to stay up to date with credit union industry news, regulations, and be aware of challenges other credit unions have faced, and how they have overcome these hurdles. In addition, it is a great opportunity to come together and share ideas with other industry leaders. Events are also a great way to meet with vendors and to learn about new technology that may benefit your credit union by saving time and money, like the credit union forms solutions from Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. With all the commotion going on, it may be hard to filter out what events are worthwhile and which ones can be skipped. After asking credit union executives, Oak Tree has provided some guidance on how to select an event to attend.

The two biggest factors for deciding what event(s) to attend were the price of the event and the topics covered. Attending any event has a cost associated, so it is important to know ahead of time what budget your credit union has to spend on such events. Not to mention your valuable time out of the office must produce results upon your return to the office. Here is a tip; most credit union events will have scholarships that you might be eligible to procure. So, be sure to read all the event details or ask the event coordinator if they offer any scholarship options. As far as the topics covered, most large events will have an agenda posted prior to the event that will list the overall focus of the meeting, who will be speaking, if sponsors/vendors will be there, and who those sponsors are. This agenda is a great way to gauge if you will truly benefit by attending, as it will let you know if there will be training, hands-on experience with the systems or technology, compliance updates, or networking opportunities.

The date and location of the events are the next factors to keep in mind when determining what event to attend. Travel, hotel, and time spent outside of the office can add extra cost to attending an event. If your budget is small, travel may not be an option. Instead, research your local league or chapter website to see what is happening near you. These websites may also have useful webinar training links available. The length of the event, as well as time of year, is also important to consider. Even a great event may conflict with important deadlines at your credit union. If there is a conflict, there may be other options to still learn about the topics covered, such as downloadable worksheets, the podcast of the event speakers, or even a second date/location of the same event.

Five different types of people at credit union events

1. The Networker: He or she always has a business card handy and ready. The Networker is on the lookout to meet someone new to engage in an insightful conversation about what is going on around him or her in the credit union industry. 
2. The #SocialMedia Guru: The Social Media Guru always has their phone handy, taking pictures for social media. He or she is taking advantage of the conference/event hashtags in their social media updates and is sharing photos with their coworkers back home. If the event has an app, he or she definitely has it downloaded and in full use. @OTBS_CUforms 
3. The Question Asker: He or she is hungry to know more about the topic at hand. They have many questions and are not afraid to ask. The Question Asker came to the event with a purpose, and the purpose is to learn! Nothing is going to stop him or her from inquiring about a question they need to know the answer to.
4. The Quiet One: He or she is quiet, but this does not mean that they are not fully engaged in what is going on. The Quiet One is silently thinking and absorbing all of the information that is presented to him or her at a conference or event. It will be the quiet one who applies the information back at the office that will positively affect your credit union.
5. The Booth Visitor: Whether he or she is collecting the free handouts at the booths or trying to learn about new businesses/technology, this person is sure to stop at all and any vendor booth.

What is your biggest state event? Comment to let us know.

CU Events Roundup Mar 26, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Mar. 26, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events.

We are hopefully on the tail end of this pandemic that has disrupted so much, including the events that we often participate in for our industry. We know that there are some “LIVE” events coming up soon, as well as at least one Virtual/Live event. Stay tuned on those and more. Let’s look at CU Events Roundup Mar 26, 2021.

This Past Week

CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council Virtual Conference

This past week was the big Marketing and Business Development Council Conference put on by CUNA. They held 13 sessions over three days to help their council members. If you were a part of it, let us know how it went!

NAFCU Virtual Regulatory Compliance School

NAFCU Virtual Regulatory Compliance School is wrapping up today and that means there are a bunch of upcoming Compliance Officers in the credit union field. I hope they all know how much Oak Tree puts importance on compliance for credit unions!

Next Week’s Events

We saw online at 10times that NACUSO Network Conference was supposed to take place at the end of March, but it looks like they rescheduled this for a live event in November. So who is ready to go to Las Vegas in November? We might have to check this event out!

Coming Soon

School of Business Lending™ II: Financial Analysis and Diagnostic Assessment put on CUES next week, it will be virtual.

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for CU Events Roundup Mar 26, 2021.

We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

CU Events Roundup Mar 19, 2021

CU Events Roundup

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Mar. 19, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. We love keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events. CU Events Roundup Mar 19, 2021.

We are hopefully on the tail end of this pandemic that has disrupted so much, including the events that we often participate in for our industry.

Louisiana’s Credit Union Connect

An annual event we like to keep up on and try to help out is the Credit Union Connect put on by the Louisiana Credit Union League and it is often around this time. Turns out it has been canceled for 2021, but we look forward to its return in 2022!

Check out their site for other upcoming events, though — including their 2021 Louisiana GAC.

This Past Week’s Events

There were a lot of roundtable discussions and annual meetings, so we can’t keep track of them all — but feel free to let us know how your Credit Union’s Annual Meeting or event went in the comments or our social media. We love engaging with credit unions!

Did you see that the NAFCU held their Annual Regulatory Compliance School event as a virtual event, did you participate?

Not exactly “credit union” related, but how was your St. Patrick’s Day? Did your credit union do anything special?

Next Week’s Events

Next week it looks like there will be the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council as a Virtual Conference, will you be participating? You know how much Oak Tree values marketing, and we know your credit union will only see its membership rosters grow with the right credit union marketing and the best credit union forms!

Coming Soon

Houston’s Credit Unions will soon be hosting their March Chapter Meeting, are you attending?

That does it for CU Events Roundup on Mar 19, 2021. We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

Let's Begin

Humanitarian Highlight 1.7.21

Happy #HumanitarianHighlight everyone! How are you all doing? In today’s blog, we highlighted a few #creditunions who have exhibited outstanding work within their communities! Well done #CUfamily! Let’s begin this praise for some great credit unions!

Suffolk Federal Credit Union

Suffolk FCU has donated $2,500 to the Community Housing Innovation’s (CHI) Homeownership Counseling & Education Program!  “The White Plains, N.Y.-based CHI offers a counseling and education program for first-time homeowners, and down payment and closing cost assistance for income-eligible households on Long Island, N.Y., as well as for those in Westchester and the Hudson Valley.” CUTimes

First Capital Federal Credit Union

Making sure everyone in their community is well taken care of, First Capital FCU donated canned food items to help support the West York Area School District Bulldog Pantry! “The Bulldog Pantry supplies needed items to families and students in the school district on the first Thursday of each month. And, Life Skills class students work at the pantry to learn valuable lessons on the value of hard work and supporting those in need.” CUTimes

Gesa Credit Union

Continuing support for their community, Gesa CU’s Turkey Trot is a SIGNATURE Tri-Cities event held every year! Due to COVID-19, the event will be going virtual this year, but don’t let that shy you away from the fun-filled community tradition! Choosing to run either the mile or the 5k, runners can participate between Monday, November 23rd, and Sunday, November 29th. “We are extremely grateful to Gesa Credit Union for their continued support and commitment to still host this virtual event despite not being able to gather in person as a community,” said Michele Roth, Executive Director for our local American Red Cross chapter. “The Turkey Trot has been a long-standing Tri-Cities tradition and although it will look different this year, it is still a great way to celebrate the holiday and support the important work of the Red Cross in our local community.” The quote is taken from NBC 23

Neighbors Federal Credit Union

For the past 12 years, Neighbors FCU has partnered up with WBRZ as a sponsor for [sic] Coats for Kids’ They accepted donations at all 10 locations throughout the Greater Baton Rouge Area! “For 32 years Pat’s Coats for Kids has provided a warm jacket to children in our community. It takes only $20 to give a kid a new coat in the proper size. During the cold months of December through April, we know that there are kids in the Baton Rouge community that do not have coats, whose parents cannot afford coats, kids that start their day at a bus stop shivering, and kids who enter a school needing time to “warm-up” to start their classes.” WBRZ 2

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

First New York Federal Credit Union

Due to COVID-19, this year has been very hard on us all. Now with students going back to school a few times a week while other days are spent at home learning, many don’t have the supplies they need to get through the school week. Knowing this, First New York FCU donated 450 backpacks filled with supplies (1,200 pocket folders, 900 spiral notebooks, and 700 highlighters), to the Schenectady City School District!

Common Trust Federal Credit Union

Supporting their community, Common Trust FCU has once again renewed its support for nonprofit health care as a Platinum Sponsor of the Step Out for Hospice Virtual Wellness Event. “We are grateful for Common Trust’s ongoing generosity as a key sponsor of our annual benefit. All the money raised through Step Out for Hospice will help our healthcare heroes provide care, support, and comfort to people of all ages with a life-limiting illness,” said Laura Wise, Manager of Fund Development.

GAC – We all know that GAC is March 2-4, 2021, who else is excited?!

“Let’s Begin” is a way of life for credit unions. We are always looking for ways to start deeds of greatness in this community.

Since COVID-19 had shaken up our year, it is imperative that we keep our heads up and stay positive during this tough time. We hope to see you all soon! If you have any questions, call us at (949) 548-7601.

Best Credit Union CEOs of 2017

For the credit union world, the eventful year of 2017 is now a thing of the past. When we take a look back at the past twelve months we remember the highlights and bright spots from around the industry. Credit unions who saw success were recognized, as well as the individuals who helped facilitate accomplishments and achievements. is your CEO on the list of Best Credit Union CEOs of 2017?

It goes without saying that in order to prosper in any industry, it takes a team effort. And although it may seem a bit cliché, it is true. Everyone must do their job to the best of their ability to create cohesiveness and keep everything operating smoothly. This all doesn’t just happen out of nowhere or overnight. Strategy and direction for a team or close working community all come from somewhere and that place is usually at the top.

With credit unions and most workplaces, the CEO is tasked with creating an environment and culture unique to their situation that can provide the most efficient plan of attack to developing success. In most cases, you can say that they are the most valuable member of a team because of the types of characteristics they must possess.

In 2017 there were plenty of standout credit unions that owed much of their success to the credit of their CEO. This came in the form of awards and other means of recognition that we would like to highlight. Take a look at some of the best credit union CEOs of 2017.

NAFCU CEO of the Year, CUs with assets of $250M or less

Daniel L. McGowan Jr., Pioneer West Virginia Federal Credit Union

NAFCU CEO of the Year, CUs with assets of more than $250M

John D. Unangst, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union

Mayor’s Award, Rochester Hills, MI

Tom Dluzen, Chief Financial Credit Union

City of Lawrence Good Scout Award

Kevin Ryan, Financial Center First Credit Union

NWCUA Awards

Tom Johnson, STCU- Lifetime Achievement

Connie Miller, Icon Credit Union- Advocate of the Year, Idaho

Gene Pelham, Rogue Credit Union- Advocate of the Year, Oregon

Jeff Kennedy, TwinStar Credit Union- Advocate of the Year, Washington

Lifetime Gonzo Credit Union Leader, GonzoBanker

Doug Samuels, Space Coast Credit Union

Most Admired CEO, San Diego Business Journal

Teresa Halleck, San Diego County Credit Union

California and Nevada Credit Union League Awards

Teresa Freeborn, Xceed Financial Credit Union- Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Cooper, Mendo Lake Credit Union- Distinguished Service Award

Dennis Flannigan, Great Basin Federal Credit Union- Distinguished Service Award

Diana Michaels, Western Health Care Federal Credit Union- Eternal Flame Award

Carolinas Credit Union League Awards

Dorinda Edwards, American Partners Federal Credit Union- Lifetime Achievement

John Radenbaugh, Carolinas CUL- Lifetime Achievement

Cathy Pace, Allegacy Federal Credit Union- Individual Achievement Award

Other Mentions

Individual awards are not necessarily the only thing that sets a credit union CEO apart from the rest. We looked at CU Journal’s list of top credit unions to work for to recognize a few more CEOs because as we mentioned before, creating a desirable work environment starts at the top. Take a look at the top 5 credit unions from the list.

Consumers Credit Union

CEO: Kit Snyder

Texas Tech Federal Credit Union

CEO: Chris Hutson

Bay Federal Credit Union

CEO: Carrie L. Birkhofer

One Nevada Credit Union

CEO: Bradley Beal

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union

CEO: April Clobes

Thank you to everyone on our list for continuing to prove why credit unions are a step above when it comes to financial institutions. We also invite you to let us know who else deserves to be recognized for their leadership efforts because we know there is no shortage of excellence around the credit union community.

Oak Tree knows the significance of important leadership. As a leading provider of compliant forms and disclosures to credit unions for over 35 years, we know what it takes to create a successful working and business environment. See for yourself by checking out our products and services page, and sending us a message. We would love to hear from you!