Basecamp improves collaboration

The Indiana Credit Union League has set up a Basecamp group for credit unions to interact and share information specific to the pandemic response. Basecamp is a project management tool through which participants can hold conversations and share documents.

League President John McKenzie also is collecting information that will be shared with the Indiana congressional delegation regarding how Indiana credit unions help their members with hardships. He shared a link to the comprehensive CUNA/leagues survey that also collects this information.

Additionally, the Indiana league has adopted a policy allowing employees to work remotely to maximize social distancing. This will not impact service to credit unions as the league already had remote access available to most employees as part of its overall business continuity plan.

The league has postponed its in-person meetings and conferences.

Regulatory guidance

The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) is providing its member credit unions with a resource page that includes regulatory guidance.

MnCUN has also hosted webinars on pandemic preparedness and human resources concerns. It partnered with the Baker Group and Deep Future Analytics to host a webinar next week on economic and investment implications of the pandemic.

MnCUN leaders are holding calls daily with member credit union CEOs and have streamlined communications with regulators.

The Maryland and DC (MD|DC) Credit Union Association organized a call with a group of CEOs and several NCUA representatives, including the agency’s eastern regional director, as well as the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation.

The group discussed how to maintain a high level of confidence in the financial system while protecting the health and safety of credit union staff and members during the COVID-19 outbreak. The commissioner agreed to work with credit unions to allow them to adopt reasonable, precautionary measures to reduce the amount of face-to-face interactions between members and staff.

The MD|DC Credit Union Association has distributed to lawmakers and posted on its website a list of credit unions with members in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area with contact information.

It’s also providing a central resource and guidance page on its website that includes updates on decision making by local, state, and federal officials. The page also has guidance on human resource issues, business continuity planning, and how to support members, plus links to government, regulatory, and credit union-specific resources.

“We are processing the considerable information we’re receiving and gathering it in a balanced and thoughtful way to offer our credit unions access to the essential guidance and resources they need to continue to serve their members while protecting the health and safety of staff,” says MD|DC Credit Union Association President/CEO John Bratsakis.

“We appreciate the active engagement of our state and federal regulators as we work together to help credit unions navigate this unprecedented situation by providing clear guidance in a rapidly changing situation.”