Elton Brooks sharpens leadership, builds connections through Councils

Elton Brooks didn't set out to become a leader in America's Credit Unions' Operations & Member Experience Council. But after more than 15 years in the credit union movement, the recently promoted chief retail and lending officer at Dow Credit Union in Midland, Michigan, found himself looking for something more-an opportunity to grow professionally while giving back to his peers in the industry.

That opportunity came when Brooks started engaging with the Council's online community platform after joining about three and a half years ago.

"You could find white papers, you could chat with other credit union professionals," he said. "I would see people sharing job descriptions, giving feedback. That was my first introduction to just how to get engaged."

Brooks was encouraged to explore Councils by former colleagues who viewed it as a valuable resource for professional growth—an idea reinforced by his former boss, who regularly shared learning opportunities tied to the credit union movement.

Brooks eventually volunteered for the Member Experience Subcommittee, which led to a seat on the Council's executive committee—an experience he calls "a whirlwind of fun" and a key part of his recent career advancement.

Practicing executive-level skills in a peer-led environment

Brooks credits his involvement with the Council as a springboard for developing the kinds of strategic and leadership capabilities that translate directly to his role at Dow.

"You are presenting, you are promoting, you are managing people. You are being strategic. You have to be innovative, creative," he said. "All of those things… have played a piece in my professional development."

He's not alone. Through the Council, Brooks has worked alongside other credit union leaders-some of whom have since become CEOs or moved into other C-suite roles. That shared ambition and camaraderie have made the experience both energizing and impactful. "Now I have these people that I've worked alongside that I can call and say, 'OK, what should I be doing?'" he said.

One of those connections is Cynthia Ryan, chief operating officer at a credit union in Florida, who Brooks met through Councils. "She's been like an unspoken mentor," Brooks said. "I've been able to say, 'I want to be a COO one day. What should I be working on?' And she's like, 'OK, this is what you've got to do.'"

Real-time insight from peers and conference takeaways

Brooks says one of the most valuable aspects of the Council experience is exposure to a wide range of credit union perspectives—across asset sizes and stages of development. "You can think about new ways of doing things and then you can take those things back to your own credit union," he said. "You can create dialogue around it."

He points to the Council's annual conference as another powerful tool for growth and connection. "There's networking. There's an education component. There are smaller groups talking about specific products," he said. Recent sessions have covered timely innovations like robotic process automation and practical AI applications-tools that Brooks was able to evaluate through discussion with fellow attendees. "You get to do a real-time reference check," he said. "You get to talk to people who are in the midst of using it."

Even vendor interactions are more productive in the Council environment, Brooks says. "For some of us, this might be our one big conference that we get a chance to go to every year," he said. "So you're seeing all of these different providers… and then you can go back to your counterparts and say, 'Have you used them?' and get real feedback."

Expanding personal growth—and bringing value back home

Councils also offer professional experiences that may be outside a member's everyday responsibilities. Brooks has moderated industry chats and watched peers emcee Council events-opportunities that build public-speaking and facilitation skills while bolstering résumés.

"It allows you to step outside of your comfort box and do it in a very measured way," he said. "You get exposure to your trade organization that is doing the work for credit unions in D.C. and our local areas. That exposure is really important."

Today, Brooks applies his expanded network and sharpened leadership abilities to benefit Dow Credit Union and its members. "When I'm asked about tools or what we should be doing in operations and member experience, I know that if I hear someone talk about AI or RPA, I have people that I can call and say, 'Are you doing this? How are you using it?'"

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