BISMARCK, N.D. (5/22/15)--The Credit Union Association of the Dakotas announced its board of directors during its recent annual meeting in Las Vegas (Memo May 19). Executive officers are: Chair, Travis Kasten, president, Service First FCU, Sioux Falls, S.D.; first vice chair, Steve Davis, chief operating officer, Capital CU, Bismarck, N.D.; second vice chair, Shannon Webster, senior vice president of marketing, Town and Country CU, Minot, N.D.; and secretary/treasurer, Veronica Holweger, manager, Riverfork CU, Grand Forks, N.D. Other board members include Peter Butterfield, CEO, Dakota Plains FCU, Lemmon, S.D.; Mike Reisnour, CEO, Dakota Plains CU, Edgeley, N.D.; Mary Connick, president/CEO, Minuteman FCU, Rapid City, S.D.; George Jewett, volunteer, Black Hills FCU, Rapid City, S.D.; and Joel Metz, volunteer, Prairie FCU, Minot, N.D. Mid America Service Corp. board of directors include Butterfield as chair, Metz as first vice chair and Holweger as secretary/treasurer ...

PORTLAND, Ore. (5/22/15)--Three schoolteachers in the Northwest will have a portion of their mortgage covered during the school year by OnPoint Community CU, Portland, Ore. The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education went to Kevin Topolski, a sixth-grade English teacher in Portland, and co-teachers Samuel Ormson and Eric Smedsrud, who teach high school band and orchestra in Vancouver, Wash. Their schools also received $1,000 for resources and supplies. Two additional finalists received $500 for themselves and $500 for their schools. Third-grade teacher Darryl Coppedge, Milwaukie, Ore., was the K-8 finalist, and high school science teacher Gretchen Kraig-Turner, Portland, was the 9-12 finalist. The prize recognizes exceptional teachers throughout Oregon and southwest Washington for their ability to encourage creativity, inspire enthusiasm for learning and positively impact their students ...

FITCHBURG, Mass. (5/22/15)--After distributing a bonus dividend of $2.5 million to its members in February, Workers’ CU announced it will pay out $3 million in 2016 through its GiveBack program (Daily CU Scan May 21). "The feedback from our members has just been tremendous. They really appreciate the GiveBack, since we are the only local financial institution making a payout," said Doug Petersen, president/CEO of the Fitchburg, Mass.-based credit union. "It is our very supportive members who make the GiveBack program possible, which is the reason for the significant increase over 2015." The amount is based on the average balance for the year in all eligible deposit and loan accounts, including individual retirement accounts, and business loan and deposit accounts ...

WAYNESBORO, Va. (5/22/15)--Effective Wednesday, Walker-Virginia FCU (WVFCU), Harrisburg, Va., has merged into DuPoint Community CU, Waynesboro, Va. Members of Walker-Virginia approved the merger in March. The decision came after the Walker-Tenneco plant, where WVFCU is located, made safety and security changes that would have required WVFCU to relocate its sole branch. “After learning that we needed to move our credit union operations, WVFCU board of directors determined that it would not be in the best interest of the credit union to take on the relocation expense,” said Manager Jimmy Garber. “We found DuPont Community CU to be the best fit for our members”...