NASCUS Focus on Education for State Credit Union System

Mary Martha Fortney

NASCUS is holding its first Information Technology School for Safety and Soundness Examiners in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 27-29. During this event, expert faculty (including several NASCUS Information Technology Committee members) will share their methods for examining credit union information technology for safety and soundness. Sessions include: making the most of the new AIRES IT questionnaire, incorporating IT issues into CAMEL accurately and more. This seminar promises to offer attendees a “hands on” experience that will enable them to take home practical knowledge they can use on the job every day.

Next, our 10th Annual Senior Management Symposium is scheduled for October 17-20 in Boston, Massachusetts. We will focus on enhancing attendees’ core management skills during this event and provide a high-level look at the challenges facing the credit union system today.

Symposium speakers will also address current legal challenges to the credit union system, regulatory and legislative issues facing the state system, compliance responsibilities and NASCUS priorities. The symposium includes sessions to strengthen attendees’ management skills, with a focus on effective interviewing, hiring and employee retention skills. More information on this program including registration can be found here.

In November, NASCUS will conduct its second Member Business Lending School, November 13-17 in San Antonio, Texas. NASCUS is again teaming up with Hipereon Consulting to provide state examiners and credit union management with the skills necessary to effectively examine or manage member business lending programs.

During the four-day seminar, sessions will focus on understanding financial statements and tax returns, the fundamentals of cash flow analysis and more. NASCUS has also planned a full day on sound member business lending policies and procedures. Dave Steele, examiner with the state of Utah, will close the seminar with a half-day session devoted to providing attendees with a detailed overview of an MBL examination. For registration and additional information on this school, click here.

Rounding out educational programs for 2006, NASCUS is partnering with the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) for its second Advanced Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Training in San Diego, California, December 3-6. For this school, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) have agreed to send compliance officers to discuss changes to the examination manual. In addition, they will discuss compliance issues they have identified in the past year and will provide a preview into 2007.

On the BSA School agenda, credit union compliance officers from a large and small credit union will discuss how they made compliance work for their credit unions. Additional sessions will focus on compliance issues related to service centers and other issues. More information is available on this educational opportunity by following this link.

The NASCUS Education Committee is currently planning events for the 2007 Educational Calendar. We take state agencies and state credit unions’ needs seriously when developing curricula for the events. Strong educational offerings for the state credit union examination force and state credit union managers are important to maintaining the safety and soundness of the credit union system.

As we develop next year’s programs, I encourage you to inform NASCUS about the educational needs of your agency or credit union. On many occasions we have developed schools based solely on requests from members and emerging topics and needs across the state credit union system. Information about educational offerings and suggestions for topics can be directed to Jenny Champagne, NASCUS’ director of education, programs and events, at jenny@nascus.org.

Be assured of our continuing commitment to further benefit and strengthen the state credit union system.

***All NASCUS Educational Programs are made possible by the generous donations of the NASCUS Credit Union Advisory Council members to the National Institute for State Credit Union Examination (NISCUE). To see a list of donors, click here.

To view the Special Message from the President and CEO Archive, click here.