By Jessica Jones
Your members join your credit union for the sense of community and the benefits that help them be more
financially successful and reach their goals. Credit union directors are charged with ensuring this community remains robust, secure, and ultimately serves the members’ best interests. The same goes for a professional association—having a network of people you can turn to for support and insight can be invaluable.
Bob Peplowski, CCD, board member of Lake Trust Credit Union, Lansing, Mich., has been a long-time advocate of association membership through his many years of experience as an association member.
“Being a member of an association helps give me the necessary tools to be an effective director at our credit union,” says Peplowski.
“I’ve been involved with the credit union movement for more than 35 years, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have held numerous board roles,” he says. “My association membership has helped me serve our credit union’s members at all these levels—it’s one way of giving back to the community. I receive the support I need to do that from association membership.”
Peplowski notes a key benefit of being a member of an association is meeting like-minded people through association events.
“The networking is fantastic—everyone in the association is willing to engage in conversations and share experiences. They are willing to help others in the same situation they may be in,” he says.
In addition to the valuable networking, he emphasizes the expertise he encounters through sessions and event speakers.
“The seminars and conferences provide an opportunity to hear speakers on a gamut of subjects relative to today’s issues,” he says. “They really speak to the issues that credit unions are facing now and in the future.”
An association membership also opens the doors to services and tools that allow Lake Trust Credit Union’s board to help improve their operations.
“We have access to advanced tools that fit our needs, such as self-evaluation resources for the board,” Peplowski says.
Overall, Peplowski says his association membership has helped him enhance his personal growth and become the best credit union director he can be.
“I always encourage other credit union directors to take advantage of association memberships. It allows them to enhance their professionalism and their knowledge of what’s happening today in the credit union movement,” he says.
Jessica Jones is a freelance writer.
Get more from your volunteer experience by becoming a CUES Director member today. With benefits including free online learning courses and discounts on CUES conferences, a CUES Director Membership will help you better serve your credit union. Learn more about CUES Director Membership.
