The New York Credit Union Association’s board of directors held our annual planning session and quarterly meeting last week in New Paltz. I’m pleased to say this was another productive meeting that allowed us to discuss important industry updates and assess the strategic direction of the Association.

The meeting included an update on the financial performance of the Association and its Affiliates. All organizations are well-capitalized and in sound financial standing. We also reviewed a financial forecast for the next three years, which reflected positive results.

The board approved credit union leaders to our Governmental Affairs Committee and trustees to the New York Credit Union Foundation and to our Credit Union Political Action Committee. We look forward to welcoming new appointees and welcoming back those that are returning for another term. We’ll be announcing the full list of appointees in this publication in the days ahead.

We then discussed the Association’s priorities and initiatives for the future. All of the Association’s priorities are focused on improving member engagement and experiences. Notably, we reviewed forthcoming initiatives in the areas of communications and marketing, compliance, events and training, governmental affairs, shared branching, and mortgage servicing and technology. There were additional discussions on collaboration opportunities within the credit union movement.

Finally, we heard industry updates from two well-known and well-respected credit union insiders: George M. Towle, principal at the management consulting firm The FBS Group, and Elry Armaza, impact director and analyst at Filene Research Institute. Both provided an eye-opening look at the current state of our movement, as well as a fascinating look at what’s on the horizon.

I’m excited about what the future holds for the Association and the New York credit union community. Overall, the Association is in a strong position to continue executing on our mission: advocating, educating, uniting and supporting the interests of all credit unions statewide.

I wish you a successful fourth quarter and year-end. And remember, your Association and the board are here to support you every step of the way.

Warmest regards,

Marie Betti,
Chairwoman, New York Credit Union Association
CEO/Treasurer, Western New York FCU