ST. PAUL, MN (May 9, 2024) — The Minnesota Credit Union Network presented the Outstanding Credit Union Professional of the Year and Director of the Year at a ceremony held during the MnCUN ACCELERATE 24 Conference on April 19 at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, Minn.
The 2024 Outstanding Professional the Year is Brian Volkmann, CFO and Executive Vice President of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, and the Outstanding Director of the Year is Lou Bruno, Board Chair of City & County Credit Union.
The Outstanding Professional of the Year is given to a remarkable person who truly stands behind the “people helping people” credit union philosophy.
Brian Volkmann is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, a role he has held since May of 2016 and was instrumental in the financial and operational turnaround of the organization. Volkmann also championed the elimination of nonsufficient fund fees and radically restructured courtesy fees and overdraft guardrails – using data to identify how to help the members who need it most.
Brian lives out the credit union mission of financial inclusion and putting the needs of members and employees first and is a well-known and respected leader within the credit union industry – perhaps more important, Brian understands who we are and who we are not. He knows we are a not-for-profit financial cooperative.” said Dave Larson, President & CEO of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union.
The Outstanding Director of the Year Award is given to a credit union board member who best represents the credit union spirit through dedication to, and belief in, the credit union movement.
Lou Bruno has been a board member for City & County Credit Union since 2014, has served as Chair since 2016 and has played a vital role in City & County Credit Union’s growth and advancements within his time on the Board of Directors. Since Lou has held the position of Board Chairman, City & County Credit Union grew to over $1 billion in assets, collaboratively merged with Mill City Credit Union, navigated through a global pandemic with an employee-first perspective and made strides and commitments to DEI initiatives.
“With his audacious passion for the industry, Lou Bruno stands out among the rest. He has transitioned the Board of Directors to lead with the People Helping People Philosophy, while also moving the needle forward to think bigger, brighter and to the future,” said Pat Pierce, President & CEO of City County.
“The Minnesota Credit Union Network is pleased to honor Brian Volkmann and Lou Bruno for their exceptional contributions to both the credit union movement and for their members,” said Mara Humphrey, President & CEO of the Minnesota Credit Union Network, the state’s trade association for credit unions.
The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the statewide trade association that works to ensure the success, growth, and vitality of Minnesota credit unions. With over $40 billion in assets, Minnesota credit unions are local, trusted financial cooperatives that serve 2.2 million members at 405 branch locations around the state. As not-for-profit institutions, credit unions give back to the communities they serve. For more information, visit mncun.org.
Julia Miller
Director of Communications
Minnesota Credit Union Network
jmiller@mncun.org
(612) 380 -1433
www.mncun.org
