Celebration in Detroit at the MCUL 2024 Executive Summit

Last week, I had a great time hanging out with 120 of my colleagues at our 2024 Executive Summit. Downtown Detroit was a great host, offering a beautiful skyline, riverboat ride, and a reception at the Detroit Institute of Arts and more. 

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of talking to Renee Sattiewhite, President/CEO of the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC), and Jennifer Woessner, Chief Talent Officer of Vibe Credit Union, to discuss DEI — what it means to them, how they integrate inclusion and how it fits with the credit union mission.

Renee was able to boil down the importance of DEI so well, saying, “It all goes back to our basics. We’re people helping people … How you make people feel and how you treat them is the difference between people going to a bank or a credit union. What matters is, how are you, as a credit union professional, moving people towards financial success?”

This is such a simple idea, yet it really resonated with me. Inclusion shouldn’t be something extra that we’re doing in the credit union movement. It’s not something we should be making sure we’re going out of our way to check off our list. Inclusion should be ingrained into our daily operations. It should define our internal and external policies.

Renee and Jennifer were able to name some specific ways they’ve seen credit unions successfully integrate inclusion. Every example came down to one simple rule: doing what you can to remove potential biases.

One of my favorite things that Jennifer said was that when you are outspoken about who you are as an organization — when you broadcast your values — you see a great response and end up having an abundance of talented people who share your values coming through your door.

Before talking with Renee and Jennifer, I announced CU Spark Tank, a new YP-based competition that MCUL will start early next year. The idea is to showcase the bright YP minds in our movement by giving them an opportunity to work on creating and presenting industry-advancing projects. Look for more information on CU Spark Tank soon.

I was also able to chat on stage with MSUFCU CEO April Clobes about how she navigates current industry trends. We talked about the fintech space, branch expansion, member growth and hiring practices. Our conversation was recorded and I’m excited to share it with everyone as an episode of the Credit Unions, Coffee & Conversation podcast. Look for that this Friday.

In addition to stage time with these amazing people, we had thought leaders present offering perspective on AI, what CEOs are excited about at their credit unions and asset-based work groups to really dig into key issues. 

The team did an amazing job hosting this year’s summit and I am thrilled with the feedback from attendees. Excited to bring this event back to the lovely and famous Mackinac Island Grand Hotel next Sept. 10-12 so save the dates! 

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