A Written Message from the Candidate
Fellow CUA CUSO Owners,
This is my first election, but I am running for Re-Election to the CU*Answers Board. In Jan 2024, I was nominated to an open seat on the BOARD OF DIRECTORS, after serving as an Associate Board Member since June 2019.
I spent 4.5 years as 1 of 2 Associate Board Members for the CUSO. The duties of the Associate Board Member are the same as a Board of Director, except for the authority to vote. I spent my time attending Board meetings, Strategic Planning meetings, CEO Strategies, Leadership Conferences and Annual Meetings along with many other CUSO events. The Associate Board Member program has been a wonderful opportunity to gain experience from the current Board of Directors, interact and learn from the Executive Team and Staff of CUA, and prepare for a future role on the board should a seat become vacant. The program established a Board of Directors ‘bench’ to choose from when needed. I was happy to be a part of this new program that began in 2019. Appointed to the HR Committee, I worked side by side with the voting Board Members to create a plan for and hire Geoff Johnson as the new CEO.
Fast forward to Jan 2024, nominated to a Board seat, and now, writing and communicating with other owners, asking for you to re-elect me to the Board of Directors, allowing me to continue to represent you in the Board room.
As the CEO of an $81M CU, I have a particularly good understanding of the challenges and needs of small and medium-sized CUs and am representing YOUR Voice in the Board of Directors meetings and events. We all know the number of CUs are shrinking; most of those CUs were small in asset size. The ripple effect on the CU Industry and how the partners in the industry plan for and act in this continued – exponentially shrinking world, will determine its success & future. I feel I can contribute to the CUSO in this overall industry challenge.
I am a big believer in the Cooperative Principles and have spearheaded 2 Cooperative Groups in the last 2 years…the Indiana CUA Collaborative Group, and a Small & Medium CU CEO Collaborative group. I also hosted a Symposium in 2023 for other CUs to share and work together, strategizing & collaborating to improve our chances of not just surviving, but thriving while continuing to serve our members.
I am very passionate about the need to collaborate, and this is why serving on the Board of the CUA CUSO, whose very existence is rooted in collaborative principles, is so important to me. Financial education and financial success are my second passion…. not everyone grew up with a dad who was a Financial Analyst for IBM for over 30 years…. who taught me so much about money and finances at the kitchen table throughout my childhood years. Every opportunity I receive to teach or help someone improve their financial life is truly humbling and rewarding. Life is what you make of it….and this is me making it by giving back and volunteering to serve. I would be grateful for your support to continue to serve the Owners of and Credit Unions that participate in the CUSO.
Thank you for your support.
Respectfully,
Carolyn