Young pros network, learn at Fall Educational Summit

Young credit union professionals from throughout New York earlier this month attended the Young Professionals Commission’s Fall Educational Summit in Buffalo. The event provided attendees with information on education, awareness, networking and advocacy opportunities within the credit union movement.

The event kicked off with a networking reception at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery sponsored by Enterprise Car Sales and Alloya Corporate FCU.

The following morning, attendees heard from a variety of speakers who shared their diverse insights into the credit union movement.

Marge Kazz, management consultant for the New York Credit Union Association, provided the attendees with an informative breakdown of financials and NCUA reports. She reviewed in detail the Financial Summary and Ratio Analysis, and peer averages were discussed.

Michael Lieberman, Association VP of governmental affairs, provided the group with an advocacy update and shared his experiences with the political process.

Attendees also heard from Rick Rogers, the legislative director for state Sen. Tim Kennedy, D-Erie-Niagara, who offered tips for lobbying.

Additional speakers included:

Alan Bahr, SVP of business development for SimplyCredit, who discussed how credit unions can harness the power of online lending;
Gil Bohene, CEO & managing principal of CoPilot, who spoke about cybersecurity and risk management issues;
Laura McFall, assistant VP of business consulting for Alloya Corporate FCU, who reviewed the history of corporate credit unions and the value they bring to the credit union movement.

The summit concluded with a “Young Professionals in Leadership” panel discussion featuring Jason Pearl, president of Nacre Consulting; Emma Smalley, manager/CEO of Good Neighbors FCU; and Christina Sauve, assistant manager at Cooperative Federal CU (Syracuse).

To view pictures from the 2017 Fall Educational Summit, visit the Association’s Facebook page.

To learn more about upcoming events for young credit union professionals and volunteers, visit the YP Network Facebook page.