CUNA
  • Advocacy
    • Priorities we’re fighting for
    • Actions you can take
  • News
  • Learn
  • Compliance
  • Shop
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • COVID-19
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Contact
Learn More about Member Value

News

Member Benefits
Learn more
Learn more about the benefits of membership.
Home » Volunteering for success
Directors CU Rock Stars 2018

Volunteering for success

Jean Peterson’s parents taught her the value of volunteerism.

September 25, 2018
No Comments
Jean Peterson

Growing up on a ranch just outside of tiny Martin, S.D., Jean Peterson learned the value of community.

“You learn to help where you can,” says Peterson, who has served for 15 years as a board member at $135 million asset Aberdeen (S.D.) Federal Credit Union. “Busy minds, busy hands. It keeps you out of trouble.”

She learned the value of volunteering from her parents, who established the Martin Addiction Recovery Center for people battling drug addiction.

And she’s trying to pass on those values to a new generation of credit union volunteer leaders. Peterson is in her sixth year as a member of CUNA’s Volunteer Leadership Committee, where she serves as vice chair.

‘The educated volunteer is the best volunteer.’

As a board member, Peterson values the education she’s received at industry conferences, and the colleagues with whom she’s been able to network.

“It’s not always what you know, but who you get to know at some of these events,” says Peterson, a certified public accountant who works as financial controller for an agricultural cooperative.

Those professional connections led her to co-found a successful associate board member program at Aberdeen Federal.

CUNA News Podcast

The Importance of Volunteerism with Jean Peterson

Aberdeen FCU Board Member Jean Peterson knows the value of hard work.

“Although I worked for a time as manager of a credit union, I truly found my passion in volunteering, and the educated volunteer is the best volunteer,” says Peterson, whose favorite coffee mug says “People Helping People.”

She is especially proud of the credit union’s sponsorship of the Rising Star Competition, a talent contest held annually in a big-top tent at the Brown County Fair.

“We contribute $2,600 in prize money for youth and adults, and it’s turned out to be a great promotion and a chance for the community to learn more about Aberdeen Federal,” says Peterson, who serves as one of three judges for the event.

The challenges of a volunteer board member have grown over the years, she says.

“It’s not easy to find the time to keep current with regulatory changes and the fast pace of changes in the industry,” Peterson says. “But if it’s important, you make the time. You know what they say: If you want something done, ask a busy person.”

Meet the 2018 Credit Union Rock Stars

KEYWORDS board members Rock Stars volunteers

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine - Winter 2020

Winter 2020

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2020 edition features CUNA’s 2021 lending outlook, CEO insights on adjusting to the pandemic, and board recruitment strategies.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • Compliance: 2020 Year in Review, Checklist now available

  • NCUA proposes raising threshold for ‘complex’ CUs

  • 5 fraud predictions for 2021

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

Will you ask employees to receive the coronavirus vaccine?

View Results
More

Champion of America’s Credit Unions

Credit Union National Association is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America’s credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Recommended Websites
  • Privacy Policy

Resources for

  • CUNA Board Members
  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Vendors