DCUC’s 2022 Annual Conference continued into its second full day, which featured a series of phenomenal military speakers and panels.
The first military speaker was Chad Williams, a former Navy SEAL, who shared his experience becoming and serving as a SEAL. He discussed goal setting, including the importance of aiming small to miss small, and that it is the common man with an uncommon desire that will succeed even in the hardest trials. He received a standing ovation and the room echoed with thanks for his time and sacrifices in the line of duty.
Following Williams’ powerful presentation, a panel of credit union industry leaders took the stage. DCUC’s President/CEO Anthony Hernandez was joined by NAFCU’s President/CEO Dan Berger, AACUC’s President/CEO Renee Sattiewhite, and Cornerstone League’s President/CEO Caroline Willard. Their conversation covered the importance of the credit union industry working together to advance its common mission.
The second military speaker of the day was General Robert Neller. General Neller served as the 37th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and had a long successful career as an Infantry Officer. He shared his lessons in leadership with the audience, discussing the path to leadership and emphasizing that simple does not mean easy.
“The opportunity to be educated on a wide range of relevant topics is the most valuable aspect of the conference,” said Fred Salyers, VP Business Development/Military Affairs. “There are also very valuable networking opportunities. These two factors bring great value to all conference attendees.”
The second day also featured Lyn Graft and a panel of the 2022 DCUC Crashers. Graft is a master storyteller with years of experience capturing industry stories, and he shared his three principles of storytelling: pattern, brevity, and memorability. Lunch with DCUC Crashers is always a popular event, and this year was no exception. They answered audience questions about their Crash experience and their hopes for the future of credit unions and their careers.
Following the General Session, DCUC held its Annual Business Meeting. During the meeting, two DCUC Board Member positions were filled. Bill Birnie, President/CEO, Frontwave CU, was re-elected to the Marine Corps Representative position. Robin Larsen, President/CEO, Cobalt Credit Union, was elected to the open Representative-at-Large position.
Thursday evening featured DCUC’s Hall of Honor Dinner. Every year, DCUC honors individuals whose contributions over the years have made a significant difference to DCUC and the defense credit union community. This year’s ceremony honored three exceptional individuals: Karl Murphy, FirstLight FCU; William “Bill” Rone, Eglin FCU; and Col. Richard Rothwell, USMC (Ret.), Frontwave CU.
