Confession: if you haven’t realized it by now, I’m a bit of a nerd. I thoroughly enjoyed school, enough to be considering pursuing a Master’s Degree, just for funsies. So imagine my delight when, through my NTCUE experience and success, I was able to travel to Philadelphia for one very intense week of school.

It’s been nearly a year since I got the email saying I had been nominated for the CUES Next Top Credit Union Executive competition, and I can’t believe the journey it has been since that note came through.

I’m fresh off the trifecta of Credit Union Advocacy efforts: In the last month I have attended CUNA’s GAC and both the Washington and Oregon Credit Union Days at the Capitol. My time in D.C., Olympia, and Salem have kept my fire going and growing for credit union advocacy—I am a passionate and dedicated cheerleader for our movement.

I’ve been contacted by many credit union folk, both near and far, since the NTCUE competition wrapped up. By and large, their questions center around the nuts and bolts of what we are actually doing.

I hope the New Year is off to the best of beginnings for you! The New Year has come in like a blizzard up here in the Northwest - or at least 6 inches of snow that has stuck around for weeks and slowed our cities to a crawl.