This is the final profile ofCUNA Compliance Communitymembers who have been named CUNA Compliance Community Cultivators in celebration of the five-year anniversary of the community’s launch. Today, the CUNA Compliance Community—a member benefit available to every CUNA member credit union—has more than 6,000 members and is the most engaged CUNA community.
Donald Montague, CUCE, BSACS, has been a member of CUNA Compliance Community since its inception in 2015. In fact, you could make the argument that it was even earlier.
"I was in a group that initially provided feedback on the site to CUNA," says the compliance officer at $1.7 billion asset Harborstone Credit Union in Tacoma, Wash.
Montague is one of the most active community members, with more than 900 responses to member discussions. He was also a Compliance Champion Best-in-Class winner in 2017.
Montague particularly appreciates the "camaraderie and fellowship that grows out of sharing a collective experience. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at times. But others are there to offer advice, and it’s really helpful."
Montague recommends that CUNA Compliance Community newcomers:
Take time to explore all the different aspects of the community.
Read library documents and articles.
Review the discussion topics daily.
Utilize the community’s search function to find answers.
"If someone’s already done the research, take advantage of it," he says.
Montague is responsible for the overall compliance management system at Harborstone, including reporting compliance activities and adherence across the business units.
"Or, that’s what my job duties say," he says. "I educate staff on upcoming regulatory changes, monitor for deficiencies by conducting compliance reviews, and serve as the subject matter expert for department managers who are accountable for compliance adherence in their areas of responsibility."
Montague and some colleagues have taken advantage of the Compliance Community to form create their own email list to ask questions and share information.
"Many of us have become friends in the process," he says.
Credit Union Magazine’s Summer 2023 issue highlights the lending outlook for the rest of the year, how credit unions leverage fintech companies to boost digital lending, the power of lending partnerships, common Bank Secrecy Act violations, and the shift board members must make when becoming chair.
