A Direct Line Blog

By Donya Parrish, MCU VP- Risk Management

There are a variety of ways to gain knowledge as a credit union board member. How often you do so might depend on your experience level, the amount of time you have had on the credit union board, and your own level of curiosity. Today’s blog highlights some of the programs you can find on our website, and those offered through our national association, CUNA.

Our MCU Director Training Tools page has pre-recorded webinars on a variety of topics. It includes Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) webinars for both directors and supervisory committee, financial literacy sessions with Tim Harrington, links to CUNA and NCUA training programs, and more. Most do not require a password and can be accessed when the time is right. We also have a Resources page in the Director’s section of our site that includes several guides and self-study books you might find valuable.

CUNA recently transitioned their long-time VAP (Volunteer Achievement Program) and VLP (Volunteer Leadership Program) to another site. Those programs were in a book format at one time and meant being dependent on having access to the most current book if something changed. The online CUNA Professional Development Online, or CPD Online, offers four different business areas that cover board topics — Board Development, Board Financial Literacy, Board Governance, and Board Strategic Planning.

Within each topic are several modules of interest and you can earn a certificate by completing four online courses in one category. There is a lot to choose from and that allows you to tailor a program to your areas of needed education and credit union focus. Topics that caught my eye included:

• Challenges Credit Unions Face
• What Credit Union Volunteers Need to Know About Harassment in the Workplace
• Overseeing the Annual Audit by Outside Parties
• Effective Governance: An Overview
• The Supervisory Committee’s Role in Finding Fraud
• Credit Union Growth Strategies

Several Montana credit unions have an annual subscription to CPD Online that might allow you to access the modules at no cost and provide the credit union a record of your training. Be sure to keep this option in mind when looking for training options.