Latest News

Financial Literacy Scholarships Available for Credit Unions

Thu, 30 May 2013 16:08:01 GMT

Credit unions involved in promoting financial literacy efforts can get financial assistance through the YES Committee’s Financial Literacy Scholarship program.

Scholarships are available to reimburse credit unions for out of pocket expenses incurred for financial literacy events held at their credit union or in their community. Financial Literacy scholarships are awarded quarterly and are limited to $200 per credit union, per geographic region.

Now is the time to apply for a scholarship to help fund your summer or fall financial literacy efforts!

APPLY

Skillsoft Courses Now Available on CUNA CPDOnline

Thu, 30 May 2013 14:59:16 GMT

CUNA CPDOnline now offers the option to include the full suite of Skillsoft interactive courses with membership.

These nearly 300 new courses allow members to integrate credit union specific training with highly sought after special computer and leadership skills.

Available courses range from beginner and advanced training in Microsoft Tools including Word, Excel and Outlook, to more specialized training in Adobe Photoshop.

Credit union management and executives may also take advantage of business development and leadership courses covering organizational change, fundamentals of management, developing strategic thinking, business execution and more.

Contact CPDOnline to learn more about these additional course offerings.

Enhanced Take-a-Way Tool Kit Now Available for KCUA Webinars

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:16:07 GMT

Beginning in July, quizzes, answer keys, and electronic training logs will be available for all KCUA webinars offered through the CU Webinar Network. Previously, these resources were only available for the six mandatory compliance series webinars.

These value-added resources will be included in the link to the webinar instructions that credit unions receive when they register for a webinar. They will also be included with the archived link and CD Rom.

For each webinar, credit unions will have access to the following:

Electronic training log that can be completed online, stored on your desktop, and printed for your files to record the names of individuals who participate in the live webinar or who viewed the archive.
Letter of attendance certification including webinar outline that can be attached to the training log
Quiz to measure learning
Answer key

Some webinars will also include supplemental documentation and take-a-ways specific to the webinar topic being presented. Examples of supplemental documentation might include checklists, worksheets and sample procedures.

Questions, contact Gina Evans, (800) 362-2076, ext. 3010.

Still Time to Enroll in CUNA Management Schools

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:08:43 GMT

Credit union professionals wishing to push their careers to new heights are encouraged to take advantage of what the CUNA Management Schools have to offer.

CUNA Management School was founded in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin-Madison with the goal of helping credit unions develop future leaders and a leadership pipeline to their fullest potential. Several regional schools developed around the country with the same goal in mind.

Graduation from one of the four CUNA Management Schools is recognized throughout the credit union movement as an honor and mark of accomplishment. These schools provide valuable, hands-on comprehensive management training.

Credit unions from Kansas traditionally attend one of the following schools:

Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS)
July 7-17, 2013 | Ft. Worth, TX | Texas Christian University

SCMS is a leader in professional education and credit union manager development in the Southwest, and offers instructional materials on a variety of key topics including advocacy, asset liability management, innovation, leadership and strategic planning/thinking.

Credit unions from the following states traditionally attend the Southwest school:
AR, KS, OK, TX, LA.

Details

Questions, contact SCMS director Janine McBee, (469) 385-6634 or (800) 442-5762, ext. 6634.

CUNA Management School
July 14-26, 2013 | Madison, WI | University of Wisconsin - Madison

The CUNA Management School program builds dynamic leaders with a rigorous blend of university classes and experiential learning activities.

Entering its 59th year, CUNA Management School has a well-earned reputation as an outstanding three-year executive education program that has prepared nearly 4,800 students.

Credit unions from the following states traditionally attend the Madison school:
CT, DC, DE, IL, IN, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OH, PA, RI, SD, VT, WI, WV.

Details

Questions, contact Caryn Bulovsky at (800) 356-9655, ext. 4892.

NASCUS Director’s College Held

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:21:47 GMT

Nearly 30 credit union directors and staff attended the 2013 Director’s College hosted by the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS) and the Kansas Department of Credit Unions (KDCU) on Wednesday, May 8.

"The Directors College is an opportunity for credit union directors to receive information from KDCU financial examiners and the Administrator outside of the formal examination process,” said John Smith, KDCU Administrator, "Compliance changes and issues were presented and discussed by Board and managers with financial examiners responding to their questions and concerns.”

Attendees heard from a variety of speakers on topics geared toward enhancing directors’ understanding of the critical statutory, fiduciary and regulatory responsibilities of a director.

Mary Martha Fortney, NASCUS President/CEO, and Haley DaVee, KCUA VP of Governmental and Public Affairs, presented regarding credit union trends and the federal and state legislative and regulatory environments.

Other topics included critical consumer compliance issues for directors, current examination issues for directors, and director responsibilities.

KCUA to Offer Human Resource Workshops

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:53:34 GMT

KCUA is partnering with Butler County Community College’s Center for Workforce and Professional Advancement to offer a series of human resource workshops to address key HR issues for credit unions. The first of three workshops will be held on June 27 and covers interviewing and selecting employees.

This session provides an overview of the entire hiring process including screening, questioning, listening, evaluating, and selecting employees. It emphasizes conducting legally sound interviews and applying appropriate screening criteria to select qualified individuals who are a good fit for the job and organization.

The second session, scheduled for August 28, will cover attracting and retaining employees and the third session, scheduled for November 14 will cover performance appraisals and discipline.

For details and to register, visit the KCUA Training Calendar.

Two New Webinars Added to Address NCUA’s New Fair Lending Exam Procedures

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 01:47:35 GMT

The NCUA issued guidance for federal credit unions (13-FCU-02) and a new 55-page Fair Lending Guide, which address fair lending examinations and training. Fair lending training isn't just for employees in the loan areas. Every employee that interacts with members must understand the basic requirements of Regulation B which prohibit discouraging a member or potential borrower.

In response to this guidance, KCUA is adding two webinars to our calendar.

May 30, 2013
How NCUA’s New Fair Lending Exam Procedures Affect the Frontline

In this webinar, you will learn:

How to respond when a member asks, "Do you think I'll qualify for a loan?"
What is an oral application under Reg B?
Questions you can and can’t ask
Comments that could discourage
What if you deny a member’s loan request?
How to handle a discrimination complaint
Taking and processing an application
The 3 types of discrimination and the 9 prohibited bases
The latest fair lending "hot buttons”

TAKE-AWAY TOOLKIT
You will also receive a Fair lending risk assessment template to determine quantity and quality of fair lending risk as well as checklists for preventing common lending compliance mistakes in Regulation B technical compliance, including an Adverse Action Guide.

August 22, 2013
The Effect of NCUA’s New Fair Lending Exam Procedures on Underwriting, Servicing & Collections

Additional details will be available soon.

YES Committee Still Accepting Donations for Live Auction

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 01:42:10 GMT

At the 2013 KCUA Annual Meeting and Convention, the YES Committee will hold a live auction to raise funds for education scholarships for credit union employees and volunteers. The live auction will be held during the awards banquet Saturday evening.

Please consider donating money for the purchase of an auction item by the YES Committee. The deadline to donate money TO THE LIVE AUCTION has been extended to Friday, April 12.

Please make checks payable to Kansas Credit Union Association, attention Amy Tillison and remit to KCUA, 2872 N. Ridge Road, Ste. 122, Wichita, KS 67205.

If you would like to bring an item for the silent auction, please bring to the KCUA convention registration area at the hotel upon your arrival to the annual meeting.

Credit unions who donate an item of at least $50 in value will be put into a drawing to win a free registration for the 2014 Annual Meeting and Convention. In addition, the credit union or person whose item brings the highest bid in the silent auction will receive $100.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of credit union staff and volunteers to help support their educational efforts. We look forward to seeing you in Topeka!

NCUA’s Keith Morton to address Kansas Credit Unions at Annual Meeting

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:34:28 GMT

Keith Morton, NCUA Regional Director for Region 4, will address Kansas credit unions during the KCUA annual membership meeting on Friday, April 19 in Topeka.

As Regional Director, Mr. Morton is responsible for the oversight of the chartering program for federal credit unions and the examination and supervision programs for all federally insured credit unions in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Mr. Morton’s career began in December 1986 as a field examiner in Washington, D.C.

He also was a Problem Case Officer prior to moving into management in 1994. He spent nearly eight years in management roles in Region 2 (Alexandria, Virginia) as a supervisory examiner, director of Special Actions, and director of Supervision prior to joining Region 4 as Associate Regional Director in 2002.

A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Mr. Morton holds an accounting degree from Frostburg State College, Frostburg, Maryland.

Earn the credentials of a Certified Credit Union Volunteer (CCUV)

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:26:53 GMT

CUNA Volunteer Certification School
September 22-27 | Seattle, WA

As a credit union volunteer, the pressure rests on you to prove that you’re capable and competent enough to run credit union operations. You not only need to possess the necessary skills and knowledge, but to prove to your managers, your staff and your members that you’re qualified to fulfill the duties of your role.

At CUNA's Volunteer Certification School, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the concrete knowledge and critical skills necessary to fulfill your duties in the directing of a credit union.

Through the completion of this curriculum, you set yourself apart with a proven level of competence and dedication. Highlighted by keynote sessions from Tim Harrington, Michael L. Dougal, Jeff Rendel and David Reed, this school delivers invaluable competencies and prestige.

This year’s certification curriculum features:

Governance strategies and best practices
Current trends and risks in safety and soundness
Hiring and keeping a CEO in the current CEO landscape
Prioritizing your members’ interests through strategic planning
Building a board and planning its succession

Earn your Certified Credit Union Volunteer (CCUV) designation by successfully completing the curriculum’s certification exams.

Save $200 when you register before July 22.

Prerequisite Information
In order to attend CUNA Volunteer Certification School and earn your CCUV designation, you must complete three self-study prerequisite courses through the CUNA Volunteer Achievement Program.

KCUA Annual Meeting & Convention Keynote and General Session Speaker Highlights

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:21:12 GMT

Don’t miss two of the most dynamic and inspiring sessions at this year’s annual meeting and convention.

KEYNOTE

We will kick off the KCUA Annual Meeting and Convention on Friday morning with a Leadership Breakfast and Keynote, featuring a presentation titled: 24 Hours Inside the President's Bunker by Rob Darling.

On September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Colonel Rob Darling was working in the White House Military Office and was initially tasked to coordinate airlift assets for the President’s evacuation to an undisclosed site. However, he was quickly recruited to provide his military expertise and became a liaison between the Vice President, National Security Advisor and the Pentagon.

During the next 24 hours, he received real time information from numerous government agencies and worked directly with the National Command Authority to respond to the terrorist attacks. Lieutenant Colonel Darling witnessed first-hand the enormity of the crisis leadership decisions that were made that day on behalf of all Americans.

About Rob Darling

In October 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Darling retired from the United States Marine Corps with just over 20 years of active duty service.

He flew attack helicopters in Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the first Gulf War and in Somalia, Africa, in support of Operation Restore Hope.

In June 1998, he was selected to fly as a presidential pilot with Marine Helicopter Squadron One and in October 2000, he was handpicked to work for the White House Military Office, Airlift Operations Department. It was in that capacity that Lt. Col. Darling supported the President, Vice President and National Security Advisor in the President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) on September 11, 2001.

In May 2002, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School where he earned his MBA in Financial Management and subsequently served as a Program Manager for the Chief of Naval Operations supporting the Department of the Navy Flying Hour Program.

Rob is the author of "24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker, 9/11/01: The White House," and the President of Quantitative Analytics, LLC, an aviation operations and logistics company located in Stafford, Virginia.

GENERAL SESSION

The general session on Friday afternoon features a presentation called Hearts of Courage by John Tippets.

John shares a heartwarming and inspirational story about famed Alaska bush pilot, Harold Gillam, and his flight from Seattle, WA to Alaska back in 1943. The plane crashed in the Alaska wilderness about 30 miles from his intended refueling stop at Annette Island. Gillam and his five passengers all survived the crash. Four of the six persons survived 29 days in the wilderness before being rescued. Hearts of Courage is a survival story beyond belief. Spouses are encouraged and welcome to attend this session.

About John Tippets

John Tippets spent 42 years in the airline industry, 17 plus of those years as the President/CEO of the American Airlines Federal Credit Union in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. Mr. Tippets retired from there in 2008 when he authored and published "Hearts of Courage,” a book about the miraculous 29-day survival story of his father Joseph Tippets, a former CAA/FAA employee, who was on a plane that went down in Alaska in January 1943.

In late 2009, coming out of retirement, Mr. Tippets became the President/CEO of North Island Credit Union in San Diego, California. Tippets recently retired again and has been a frequent speaker for credit union groups and credit union conferences.

Check out all of the details and register for the KCUA Annual Meeting & Convention

Changes for Annual Meeting Silent Auction

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:16:53 GMT

For years, the YES Committee has been able to provide scholarships for college, for credit union employees to attend training programs and seminars, and to promote financial literacy throughout the state.

This has all been due to the generosity of the credit unions that donate money annually through the dues process and also from individuals who participate in the yearly annual meeting silent auction, the two major sources of fundraising for the YES Committee.

The YES Committee is happy to announce that they are implementing changes to the Annual Meeting Silent Auction that they hope will both increase the amount of participation as well as increasing the funds that are raised.

The silent auction will be held this year in conjunction with the Exhibitor Showcase luncheon and reception on Friday and breakfast on Saturday. They will also hold a Live Auction for the more expensive items at the Awards Banquet on Saturday evening.

There are two ways that you can contribute to the success of the silent auction:

Contribute an item of at least $30 in value to be used as an auction item. Items can be dropped off at the golf tournament on Thursday or at the registration desk at the annual meeting on Friday.
Contribute money for the purchase of an auction item by the YES Committee. Monitory donations for the silent auction can be sent to Amy Tillison, KCUA, 2872 N. Ridge Road, Ste. 122, Wichita, KS 67205 remitted to the Kansas Credit Union Association.

Please send donations no later than March 15th so the committee will have time to shop on your behalf.

Credit unions who donate an item of at least $50 in value will be put into a drawing to win a free registration for the 2014 KCUA Annual Meeting and Convention.

In addition, the credit union or person whose item brings the highest bid in the silent auction will receive $100.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of credit union staff and volunteers to help support their educational efforts. The YES Committee appreciates your continued interest and can’t wait to see where your donations can be utilized to help others.

New Webinar: The "Anonymous" Bank Hack: Lessons to Learn and Actions to Take

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:18:41 GMT

On Monday, February 4, the world learned of a large-scale data breach involving approximately 4,600 bank executives. The hacktivist group, known as "Anonymous”, claimed responsibility for this incident and posted data publicly on the Internet. It has since been confirmed that the publicized information was obtained from the Federal Reserve’s Emergency Communications System (ECS).

Included in this breach was not only public bank and executive information, but sensitive information including cell and home phone numbers, user accounts, hashed passwords with salts, bank and personal email addresses, and external IP addresses. What does this mean for the institutions that were included on this list? What does this mean for financial institution information security in general?

This important webinar, scheduled for Thursday, March 7 will address these questions and provide some additional details about the breach and why this hack is more important than you may realize.

What You Will Learn:

What happened during the breach? What does it mean globally?
Who is "Anonymous”?
Statistics about the breach
Why did they do it?
What does it mean for you and your credit union?
What immediate steps should you take now to protect your financial institution?

This informative session is designed for presidents, operations executives, IT security officers, IT managers, IT committee members, compliance officers, risk managers, and others who want to fully understand the implications of this security breach.

Attendance verification for CE credits provided upon request.

Register

Annual Meeting Scholarships Available

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:15:13 GMT

The Youth Education and Scholarship (YES) Committee is offering scholarships for the 2013 KCUA

Annual Meeting and Convention. The scholarships are available to credit union staff and volunteers and

pay 100% of the annual meeting registration costs only.

Scholarships will be awarded on first come basis and are awarded one per credit union.

The deadline to submit an application is March 15, 2013.

-APPLY

YES Committee Provides 4th Quarter Scholarships

Fri, 4 Jan 2013 15:02:24 GMT

YES Committee Provides 4th Quarter Scholarships

The Youth Education and Scholarship (YES) Committee awarded more than $480 in education and financial literacy scholarships during the fourth quarter.

Scholarships are awarded on a quarterly basis and are available to credit union staff and volunteers and provide financial assistance for financial literacy events and to attend face to face events, webinars and teleconferences sponsored by the Kansas Credit Union Association, CUNA Mutual Group and CUNA.

In addition, the Committee offers scholarships for the KCUA Annual Meeting and Convention and college scholarship opportunities for children and grandchildren of credit union staff and volunteers.

For more information on how your credit union can benefit from scholarship assistance, go to YES Committee Scholarships.

2013 KCUA Annual Meeting & Convention Sneak Preview

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 15:39:49 GMT

Mark your calendars for April 18-20 in Topeka.

This year’s Annual Meeting & Convention is sure to make a difference for you and your credit union with enhanced education breakout sessions, a volunteer panel and roundtable, a young professional’s jam session and more!

KCUA wants to know how you have made a difference in the lives on your members and communities…more details about the Make a Difference video showcase coming soon!

New for 2013!

General Session Featured Presenter: Lt. Colonel Robert Darling 24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker
Friday’s general session presents a riveting eyewitness, chronological account of the minute-by-minute drama that unfolded beneath the White House during the 9/11 attack. Ordered to evacuate the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Darling ran past grim-faced Secret Service Agents to the President’s Emergency Operations Center, located under the White House. Darling reveals the actual dialogue among key leaders, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and George Bush and offers an important description of events for all Americans who want to know what their leaders knew, when they knew it and the unprecedented actions they took to defend us.
Retirement Reality Fair: The National Credit Union Foundation’s REAL Solutions Program in cooperation with the CUNA Mutual Group has developed a new Retirement Reality Fair to assist credit unions in helping their members and staff better prepare for retirement.
Connection Center: Relax and enjoy networking with your peers in this specially designed lounge for convention attendees.
Young Professionals Jam Session: As credit union collaborators, idea sharing is one of the most important assets we have. Through an open dialogue approach, participants will become their own best resource, as they work as a group to collectively find solutions for the challenges we all face.

Watch your mail for more details coming later this month!

Stop the Email Clutter and Start Receiving the Information You Want Most

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 21:29:42 GMT

KCUA is improving our education and training communications services to you by sending only the messages about upcoming education opportunities that apply to your specific needs and interests.

For example, if you work in the lending department of your credit union, would you only like to receive education alerts for lending topics? Are you a CEO or branch manager and would like to see alerts for all of the education events?

Beginning January 1, you will start receiving education and training alerts that are most valuable and interesting to you.

Here’s how it works:

Credit unions over $10 million in assets:

CEOs, managers and branch managers will receive all daily education and training email alerts.
Staff will receive education alerts based on the job title we have for each staff member in our database.
For example, if you are the marketing director, you will only receive education alerts for programs about marketing. You will no longer receive alerts about other programs such as lending, IRA, compliance, etc…
Volunteers will only receive education alerts for board and volunteer training topics.

Credit unions under $10 million in assets:

Managers, staff and volunteers will continue to receive a weekly digest of all education and training email alerts.

Want to make changes to what you will receive?

If you would like to receive additional alerts or be removed from certain alerts, let us know and we’ll update your preferences.

IMPORTANT: Please do NOT unsubscribe directly from the emails you receive from Constant Contact. Unsubscribing to any email communication sent to you by KCUA through constant contact will permanently remove your email from ALL email communications from KCUA. Please contact KCUA directly to unsubscribe to any email communication list.

The education alerts you can choose to receive are the following:

Management topics
HR topics
Lending topics
Marketing topics
Operations/Front Line topics
Compliance topics
Volunteer topics

Please complete this form regarding your email preferences.