Top 5 posts credit union board members should read before Board of Directors Conference
From strategic and succession planning to risk management, the most popular blog posts from 2025 cover essential governance topics with practical insights you can apply immediately. Sharpen your governance skills and tackle the most pressing challenges facing credit union boards today.
1. Turn strategic planning into a daily discipline
In an environment where member expectations shift with every digital interaction, credit union boards need to treat strategy as an ongoing discipline rather than one annual event. This post will help you discover a three-step cadence for strategy check-ins, how to embed strategic thinking into daily operations, and where to explore critical trends like generative AI and digital wallets to weave into planning. As one expert argues, the future belongs to credit unions that think like startups and serve like social enterprises.
2. Is your risk management plan…risky?
Trust is a credit union's most valuable asset, and an outdated risk management plan puts that trust at risk. With bank failures, cybersecurity threats, and increasing natural disasters, credit unions need more than regulatory compliance. They need a strategic Enterprise Risk Management framework that addresses operational, credit, strategic, and compliance risks. This post outlines the four core elements of effective risk management and ways to strengthen your framework to create a competitive advantage. The goal isn't to eliminate all risk but to understand it, manage it, and take action before it becomes a crisis.
3. Credit union boards' critical role in succession planning
Here's a sobering statistic: only 54 percent of credit union boards have a succession plan. Yet hiring a new CEO is one of the most important responsibilities a board faces, and it often takes longer than anyone anticipates. This post provides five practical starting points for boards to prioritize succession planning for multiple senior executive positions. Learn how to build a comprehensive succession strategy that identifies and develops potential leaders across your organization and creates a culture of leadership development.
4. Balance of the board: credit union mission and financial stability
Board members routinely face choices that pit short-term member satisfaction against long-term institutional health. This post explores the reality of difficult financial decisions and the ethical challenges board members face. You'll learn about the NCUA's financial literacy requirements for board members and how to use risk metrics to better understand how far the credit union can stretch itself to serve members. When boards truly grasp these fundamentals, they can better navigate the delicate balance between what members want today and what the credit union needs to serve them for decades to come.
5. From bankruptcy to breakthrough: how a small loan can transform someone's life
When traditional banks turned him away after losing his farm, AIM Credit Union saw potential where others saw only risk. With a modest loan and the words "Let's get creative. We can help you," Mark Arthofer launched what would become Skyline Storage and Trucking, now employing up to 70 seasonal workers. His experience with his credit union led him to join their Board of Directors. Today, Arthofer serves on two credit union boards, paying forward the belief someone once showed in him. His story exemplifies how board members who understand member struggles firsthand bring invaluable perspective to governance. As he shared at the Governmental Affairs Conference, "The underdog doesn't necessarily have to be the underdog." This powerful member experience reminds board members why their service matters and how lived experience strengthens credit union leadership.
As you get ready for the Board of Directors Conference in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, from January 18 to 21, these five essential reads will help you engage in meaningful discussions with colleagues about the challenges and opportunities facing your credit unions.
