View Form the Board: One More

Provided by Ron Aoki, DCUC Board Treasurer and president/CEO, Schofield FCU

I recently watched the movie “Hacksaw Ridge” for the first time. I know, where have I been? It was only released some 8 years ago. When watching the movie, I was amazed at the determination of Desmond Doss as he repeatedly stated “One more. Help me get one more.” To see how physically draining it can be to carry soldier after soldier to safety was truly inspiring! It made me reflect on the challenges we all encounter as credit unions. While it doesn’t compare to carrying a soldier across a battlefield, the idea of pressing on when faced with challenges and hurdles is still something credit unions and their staff can resonate with. Every credit union I talk to seems to be going through some sort of challenge, whether its personnel changes and/or the ability to find qualified applicants, liquidity issues, and even the battle to keep our credit unions relevant in times of constant technological and regulatory change.

​Our minds may want to say, “No more.” But still, we push through because we know there is tremendous satisfaction as the result of our dedication to serving our members; the work we do is more important than what we sometimes realize. We’ve seen numerous times that we can accomplish so much more together than we can individually. I love witnessing credit unions working together and helping each other toward our shared goal of serving our members. Within our industry lies opportunities where we can celebrate the successes of our fellow credit unions while also mutually benefitting from our collaborative efforts. This could be from joint loan participations, shared branching, and bridging resources through CUSO’s that seek to fill in the gaps in services that so many credit unions need.

On the regulatory front, having a resource like DCUC to advocate on credit unions’ behalf helps us do our jobs better in serving our members. As you may have already heard, DCUC is stepping up its game in advocacy. DCUC recognized an increased need to address the many issues to continue protecting the rights and access to financial services for our military and veteran communities. “One more” voice is a good thing especially when it comes to ensuring that alternative perspectives are being heard.

​When we keep our focus on who we serve, it’s easier to say, “One more.” For all of us, having a heart to serve more regardless of challenges will always make a difference as each and every member is important to our overall success.