Learn To Limit Effects Of Current Economy On CUs, Members During April On-Site Offering

February 25, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katye Long – CUNA Communications; (608) 231-4038; klong@cuna.coop

MADISON, Wis. – Mortgage lending professionals can learn how to limit the effects of the current economy and mortgage crisis on their credit unions and members during an upcoming school scheduled on CUNA’s April 2008 calendar of events.

CUNA’s Residential Mortgage Lending School assists credit union lending staff in making their lending operations more efficient and successful. The school, taking place April 7-11 in Atlanta, will explore loan servicing, marketing strategies, appraisals, operational improvements, underwriting, and mortgage regulations. Attendees will also learn about the pivotal role that mortgages play in member relations and their role in creating and enhancing a strong bond.

Other on-site offerings from CUNA taking place in April are:

Learn to spot possible criminal activity and keep your credit union and its staff and members safe during the Security and Fraud Institutes: Introduction and Advanced, taking place concurrently in St. Pete Beach, Fla. Introduction, April 27 - May 2 will take an in- depth look at internal fraud and security, including: workplace violence, robbery, scams, and more. Sessions will also cover policies and procedures for different issues, as well as security planning, risk assessment, and investigations. Advanced, April 27 - May 1, goes beyond the basics to an annual update of new threats and security trends. It will also cover end user training, risk analysis, managing and reporting fraud, security issues, and more.

Preceding both institutes, an optional Robbery and Fear Seminar will be offered to help prepare and protect staff in case of a credit union robbery. Attendees will also learn how to respond in two different robbery scenarios – the note pass and the hostile takeover – during the simulation portion of the April 27 seminar, which will take place at a local credit union.

For those responsible for strategic business growth, Business Development School: Part I will take place April 27 – May 2 in Atlanta, to train attendees in strategies to help further their credit union’s development. Part I will help attendees build a plan based on their credit union’s strategic plan and develop a budget. The school also discusses issues affecting community charters and SEGs to help with different charter situations, along with member experience management, developing business accounts, and communication strategies.

CEOs and managers can learn to strengthen member relations and improve the bottom line during the Sales and Service Culture Institute, taking place April 15-18 in San Diego. Additionally, participants will explore the keys to building and staffing for a remarkable sales culture, including how to recruit, develop, motivate, and coach successful sales staff.

Branch Management Institute: Foundations and Strategies will take place concurrently April 14-17 in Baltimore. Foundations will teach the core knowledge and skills necessary for branch management in financial management, sales, compliance, and recruiting/managing to increase employee retention. Strategies focuses on leadership skills, sales strategies and skills, training sales culture, managing different generations, and boosting the bottom line through financial education.

Management Essentials for Supervisors: Introduction and Advanced take place in St. Pete Beach, Fla. to help all levels of managers and supervisors raise their performance and retain and develop the right staff. Introduction, April 6-11, delves into technical management skills, including all aspects of the hiring, interviewing, retaining, coaching, disciplining, and firing process. Advanced, April 6-10, will teach effective strategic management skills, negotiating, ethics, branding, and communications.

Compliance training will kick off with the Compliance Fundamentals Seminar, April 26-27, in Atlanta, for a comprehensive overview of more than 25 regulations that affect credit unions on a daily basis.

Following the seminar, CUNA will offer Regulatory Compliance Schools: Introduction and Update. Introduction, April 27 - May 2, is for staff new to compliance or those who have not had compliance training in more than two years. This class covers NCUA requirements and guidance issues, along with regulations for mortgage and consumer lending, deposit accounts, and general operations. Update, April 27 - May 1, reviews the topics covered in Introduction, and also discusses eBanking, disaster recovery plans, compliance audits, BSA issues, due diligence, and possible future issues.

For those who are interested in certification or recertification, study sessions and testing for CUNA’s Regulatory Compliance Training Certification (RegTraC) will be offered on site.

Finally, career advice for blazing trails in today’s job market will be addressed at the CUNA Human Resources, Training, and Development (HR/TD) Council Summit, April 20-23, in Boston. Breakout sessions will be divided into a human resources track, a training track, and an executive series tracks to allow participants to focus on issues critical to their specific areas of interest.

For more information or to register, visit training.cuna.org and select the “Schools and Conferences” link; call (800) 356-9655, ext. 4249; or e-mail elearning@cuna.coop.

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About CUNA
With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association (CUNA) serves about 90 percent of America's 8,500 credit unions, which are owned by more than 90 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.cuna.org.

Copyright © 2008 - Credit Union National Association, Inc.