CailinCredit union executives who have experienced the collaborative council structure are excited for the launch of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates’ Councils.
“I’ve been a member of CUNA Councils for years,” said Brandi McKinney, vice president of HR & Compliance at Alabama Credit Union and a member of LSCU Councils’ Executive Committee. “I am certain that participation in these League-level councils is going to be critical moving forward — especially as we try to gain more relationships among the Alabama, Florida and Georgia League members.”
LSCU Councils are discipline-specific networking groups designed to help credit union professionals excel in their fields and advance their institutions. These motivated groups of peers will meet several times a year to network, share resources, learn best practices and engage in meaningful discussion regarding their specific role in the credit union industry.
Both Brandi and Kyle Collier — director of mortgage lending at LGE Community Credit Union and another member of the LSCU Councils Executive Committee — agree that the most exciting part of these new groups will be their proclivity to foster relationships between employees from similar departments across credit unions.
“I think the networking piece will be the biggest high point of LSCU Councils,” Kyle said. “Our challenges are not necessarily unique to ourselves — all of us credit union professionals face similar problems within our respective roles. That connection to your peers in the industry who are going through the same things as you — that’s going to be invaluable.”
Kyle speaks from experience. He had been a member of the Georgia Lending Council for three years and saw the benefits for both his career and his credit union. He said he’s excited for the even larger impact of LSCU Councils.
“Having Alabama, Florida and Georgia in the mix will be a big deal because you’ll be able to draw on more resources and have a more diverse footprint,” Kyle said. “That will allow employees to establish a wider perspective on some relevant and important topics. Overall, I’ve always found that more perspectives tend to lead toward a more well-rounded response to an issue or a problem.”
Each quarter through mid-2022, LSCU will be launching new councils — eight in all. Registration for the first two councils — the LSCU Compliance Council and the LSCU Payments Council — is open now. Click here for more information.
“This is a low-cost way to gain access to the info you could get at conferences and workshops at a more costly basis,” Brandi said. “At the same time, you’re gaining invaluable connections that allow you to access the insights and experiences of others through relationship building. You just can’t get that anywhere else. I highly recommend looking into LSCU Councils.”
