CrossState Reconnect Annual Convention 2022

Sunday, May 22, 2022    

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. | Convention Registration and Information

2:30 – 4:00 p.m. | Opening Keynote   Ross Bernstein

4:00 p.m.              | Hotel Check-In

4:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Trade Show Welcome Reception

4:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Wine, Lose or Draw and Spring Raffle in Trade Show

Monday, May 23, 2022    

7:30 a.m. – 1:30: | Convention Registration and Information

7:30 – 9:00 a.m. | Foundation Breakfast and Leaders in Financial Literacy Awards

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | Trade Show and Continental Breakfast

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | CU Ambassador Contest Presentations in Trade Show

9:15 – 10:45 a.m. | General Session Speaker Rachel DeAlto

11 a.m.– Noon      | Learning Labs: Business Lending Industry Updates, Crypto Currency Updates, Balance Sheet Management, How to Ace Your Next Regulatory Exam

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.   | Credit Union Regulatory Forum with NCUA’s Shawn Ruehle and Tom Evans

1:45 – 2:45 p.m.  | Learning Labs: AI Underwriting — What Is It And Why Do You Need It, Emerging Risk Outlook,  Member Engagement Via Text Messaging; Service & Sales, Redefining the Retail-Branch Experience

3 – 4:00 p.m.       | Trade Show and Afternoon Refreshments

Hall of Achievement (CU Ambassador Contest Presentations in Trade Show)

7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Awards Night!

CU Ambassador Contest & Lifetime Achievement Awards

Follows: Awards Celebration Reception Everyone Welcome!

Tuesday, May 24, 2022    

7:30 – 9:00 a.m.   | Breakfast Buffet

8:00 – 9:30 a.m.   | Convention Registration and Information

8:00 – 9:45 a..m.  | Last Chance Spring Raffle!

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.   | Annual Business Meeting

9:45 – 11:15 a.m.  | Closing Keynote: Ryan Leak

11:15 a.m.              | Spring Raffle Drawing

Ross Bernstein joins us for his keynote presentation, “The Champion’s Code: Building Relationships Through Life Lessons of Integrity and Accountability from the Sports World to the Business World.”

The best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, Ross is an award-winning peak performance Hall of Fame business speaker who’s keynoted conferences for Fortune 500 companies on all seven continents and has been featured on CNN, ESPN, Fox News, and CBS This Morning, as well as in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today.

Rachel DeAlto is a relationship expert, media personality, and speaker. She is the author of “relatable: How to Connect with Anyone Anywhere (Even if It Scares You)” (Simon & Schuster’s Tiller Press 2021).

Rachel has appeared as a relationship expert on Lifetime’s Married at First Sight and TLC’s Kate+Date. Rachel maintains a law degree and a Master’s in psychology. In addition to her regular appearances, Rachel has also been featured on a multitude of media outlets including The TODAY Show, Access Hollywood Live, and CBS This Morning. She has also given three TEDx talks including Being Authentic in a Filtered World which is featured on TED.com.

Ryan Leak speaks to over 200,000 people a year and trains over 15,000 leaders. His keynotes are known for helping people get out of their comfort zones and take risks.

The subjects Ryan speaks on vary depending on the nature of the event, but below you can get a taste of some of the keynotes Ryan has delivered in-person and online.

His keynote topics range from Chasing Failure, Self-Leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusions, Never Give Up-Ish, Seven Levels of Listening, Followership, How to be the Team Member Everyone Wants to Work With, and more.

Registration opens on January 10, 2022. 

Members Under $50 Million – $349 per person
Members Over $50 Million – $550 per person
Guests – $185 per person

Guests at Convention 

Guests are defined as the attending member’s spouse or significant other with whom they share a hotel room. Guests may attend the Convention for a $185 fee, which grants them access to the trade show, sessions, and breakfasts if they are interested in attending. Guests can be added during the registration process. The Foundation Breakfast is not included but may be purchased for an additional fee upon registration.

Get ready to experience the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Set on 17 acres with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will dial up the AC excitement with world-class entertainment and a music vibe unlike any other.

Atlantic City has always been renowned for its gaming scene, but in 2018, the casino scene got an infusion of classic rock and roll spirit. A high-energy environment featuring slots, table games, and plenty of characters, the excitement of the floor can only be matched by the stories you’ll tell later.

Explore the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino here.

To reserve your hotel room, follow this link to the booking page.

Join us for CrossState Connect Annual Convention. Our premier event draws nearly 300 credit union professions throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. You’ll make valuable connections with key decision-makers in the credit union movement.

Explore Exhibitor and Sponsorship opportunities here.

For more information on sponsorship availability and inclusions, please reach out to Sarah Roman at sroman@crossstate.org.

The safety of our attendees is our top priority. CrossState will follow all safety protocols that are required by the venue and legally required by the state of New Jersey at the time of the event. Information on COVID-19 safety measures will be communicated to members leading up to the start of the event.

Additional Opportunities

Logo/Hyperlink | Pricing: $300

Logo with hyperlink will be placed on the convention website. Company logo and website will be placed along with your company profile in the convention guide.

Please submit your logo to jkumpf@crossstate.org by April 8. Best if providing an illustrator file; transparent background.

Advertising in the Convention Guide

The convention guide is distributed to all attendees and includes everything they’ll want to know – from speakers to special events and exhibitor information – it’s all in one place!

Full-Page Ad $450 | Half-Page Ad $300

Artwork is due no later than April 8.

Artwork should include a bleed of .125” on all sides.

• Full Page – Final size: 7.5 x 10” | Bleed size: 7.75 x 10.25
• Half Page – Final size: 7.5 x 5” | Bleed size: 7.75 x 5.25 | Half page ads are only available in the horizontal format.

Please send a .pdf or .jpg of your artwork to jkumpf@crossstate.org.

Demo Showcase | Pricing: $1000

Purchase a spot in our demo showcase for an opportunity to give a 10–15-minute product or service demonstration.

Trade Show Game | Pricing: $200

Drive attendees to your booth by being part of the always-popular Trade Show Game! Attendees have to visit every vendor participating in the Game and get a stamp on their sheet, which makes them eligible for the grand prize drawing. What better way to get some facetime with attendees?

CrossState Convention offers more than great networking opportunities, education, and keynote speakers. We also keep the agenda packed with fun events, including the ones below that will benefit the CrossState Credit Union Foundation.

LEADERS IN FINANCIAL LITERACY AWARDS BREAKFAST, PRESENTED BY PSECU

The CrossState Credit Union Foundation has a history of promoting and supporting financial literacy initiatives. Continuing this tradition, we will recognize and honor credit unions and organizations for excellence in the advancement of financial literacy.

Award winners will be honored at a breakfast being held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Resort on Monday, May 23, 2022, from 7:30-9:00 a.m.  Seating is limited, so register soon. To sign up for the Breakfast, simply choose it from the Sessions list when registering for Convention.

SPRING RAFFLE

The Foundation’s Spring Raffle features baskets, artwork, and other items generously donated by credit unions to raise money for the CrossState Credit Union Foundation. The raffle runs throughout CrossState Credit Union Association’s Annual Convention and concludes with drawings beginning at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

WINE, LOSE, OR DRAW

We are continuing with our popular event, “Wine, Lose, or Draw”, that will be held in conjunction with CrossState Credit Union Association’s Annual Convention taking place May 22-24, 2022, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. The event has been a lot of fun for all and is a great way to support the Foundation’s efforts.

CrossState Convention attendees and exhibitors, their colleagues, friends, family members, etc., can purchase raffle tickets for $20.  For each ticket purchased, the ticket holder is guaranteed to win a bottle of wine (or other spirit) ranging in price; it could be a $15 bottle of Chardonnay or a $250 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Everyone is a winner, and all the proceeds support the Foundation’s mission. Be sure to find a CrossState Foundation Board member to buy a ticket and/or visit the Wine, Lose, or Draw booth in the Trade Show.

PULL TAB TICKETS

The popular Foundation fundraising is back.  Pull tabs are a unique category of instant winning games.  Pull open the tabs to reveal if you’re a winner!  (License No. 822)

Visit the CrossState Credit Union Foundation webpage to learn more.

Please see the following guidelines regarding purchase orders.

• Accounts Receivable will need to have their Purchase Order signed and returned in time for their check to be received.
  • Purchase orders can be emailed to Jessica.diaz@hrhcac.com; groupfinance@hrhcac.com
• That being said, payment needs to be received no later than 30 days before arrival. AR will need to have their check deposited (cleared) and posted to their reservation for a smooth check-in.

Note: When making initial reservation, you will be charged the first night’s room rate plus taxes on the credit card provided. When Hard Rock receives the check for that guest’s reservation, you will be refunded at that time.

THIS IS A MANDATORY PROCESS.

Following is the address to submit their checks and ST-5 forms:

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
1000 Boardwalk Atlantic City, NJ 08401
ATTN: ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE/JESSICA DIAZ

A room night breakdown that is to be paid via Purchase order has been provided below:

$89.00 room rate
17.00 resort fee
5.00 tourism fee
$111.00 in total per night

If your credit union requires a letter of exemption, you may find one here.

You can find the list of attendees, updated 3/23/2022, here. Feel free to use the Command+F function on you keyboard to search for your credit union friends and colleagues.

Attendee
Cancellations may be made up to two weeks before the event less a $50 processing fee. Within two weeks of the event, substitutions are encouraged.

Vendors
Cancellations may be made up to two weeks before the event less a $500 fee. Substitutions are encouraged for vendor representatives unable to attend.

On Monday, May 23, we will provide a series of educational breakout opportunities — Learning Labs. These labs will be recorded for viewing after Convention in case there are more than one in the same time slot that pique your interest. Read more about these Learning Labs in detail below.

Monday, May 23, 2022 11:00 – 12:00 p.m. 

Business Lending Industry Updates

MBFS CEO Mark Ritter will talk all things credit union business lending. This session will provide a current state of the industry along with regulatory updates, the loan participation marketplace, along with what is and is not working when it comes to loan originations.

Mark Ritter is the CEO of MBFS and Nu Direction Lending.  Both organizations are owned by credit unions and designed to help credit unions fund more loans to real estate investors and small business owners in their communities. In 2002, Mark started Members 1st FCU’s business lending program as “one person and a desk” with no policies, products, staff, systems, or business members. After ten years at Members 1st, he took on the challenge of being the CEO of MBFS service. In the past nine years at MBFS, Mark increased the number of credit unions the company services by over 10x with over $2 billion in commercial loans serviced.  Mark is a native of Berwick, PA and a graduate of Penn State.

Crypto Currency Update

Blockchain technologies and their instant payments capabilities have loomed large on the fintech horizon, but what does crypto mean for future financial service providers? This presentation is a curated summary of recent news and emerging use cases around cryptocurrencies. It focuses on the trends, potential impacts, new policies, and reasons why today’s financial institutions need to prepare for blockchain-driven changes.

Key Takeaways:

• Recent crypto disruptions in financial services
• Possible long-term recalibrations for the financial services industry
• Strategies to weave crypto into long-term payments decisions

Larry Pruss is the Senior Vice President of Crypto Advisory Services at SRM (Strategic Resource Management), an independent firm that helps financial institutions identify cost savings and new revenue potential in their contractual relationships.

Balance Sheet Management

This session will cover:  Examiner expectations for 2022: How the NEV supervisory test behaves in a rising rate environment, NCUA RBC changes and what they mean to CU’s, Balance Sheet Management in a rising rate environment: How to navigate through the Feds new policies, Increasing Balance Sheet Performance: Creating and executing successful balance sheet strategies.

Greg Tomaszewicz is a Senior Financial Strategist with The Baker Group. Prior to joining the firm in 2018, Greg spent twelve years working for a fixed income broker/dealer in New York, where he helped financial institutions across the country in evaluating their balance sheet risks and opportunities. In addition, he worked to develop new analytics to aid those clients in meeting the challenges of an ever-changing economic environment. Greg holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stony Brook University.

How to Ace Your Next Regulatory Exam

Ever wanted to know exactly what the examiner is going to ask for? This session focuses on the “secrets to success” in preparing for and excelling in your next exam as it relates to loan portfolio management. With a strong focus on how to mature your operations to a state of readiness through data processes, KPIs, and operational effectiveness, you will leave the session with some key points to lead your organization to a more rewarding and much less painful exam process.

Derrick Wiemer will be the presenter for this session. Derrick is a Master Solutions Architect and Business Information Security Officer for NCINO. He is one of the original founders of Visible Equity (acquired by NCINO in 2019) and he had the opportunity to implement the first 300 or so clients back in the early days of the company. Derrick has been working in “the banking world” for the last 22 years and prior to that held leadership positions in the telecom industry. He followed up his BS in Computer Information Systems with an MBA with an emphasis in Operations Management from Regis University.

Monday, May 23, 2022 1:45-2:45pm

AI Underwriting – What Is It And Why Do You Need It?

AI-based lending uses more data and better math to give credit unions a more accurate view of borrower risk than legacy scoring. In this session, you’ll hear how credit unions are adopting AI Underwriting and learn how they are yielding big gains in loan growth (20% to 30%) without adding risk. We’ll talk about the key concerns and hurdles and how to find the right partner to develop an AI model and deploy it in your lending business without headaches or hassles.

Jay Budzik, CTO, Zest AI, will be the presenter for this session.

Emerging Risk Outlook

Keeping ahead of the complex array of ever-changing risks, compliance issues, and industry regulations that are impacting credit unions requires keen awareness, effective preparation, and loss control scrutiny. When risk management is effective, typically nothing bad happens. But, if you’re blindsided by a problem, your credit union reputation takes the hit. Don’t let not knowing which emerging risks are around the corner take the blame. While each credit union has its own unique risk footprint, this Emerging Risks Outlook introduces risks and trends that should be on your radar.

Carlos Molina, Senior Consultant, Risk & Compliance Solutions, CUNA Mutual Group, will be the presenter of this session.

Carlos is responsible for assisting credit unions nationwide in identifying areas of risk in their operations and recommending appropriate controls to reduce loss exposures. Prior to joining CUNA Mutual Group, Molina was a criminal investigator with the Public Defender’s Office in Essex County, N.J. He also holds the following designations: Certified Risk Manager (CRM), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), CUNA Credit Union Compliance Expert (CUCE) and Credit Union Enterprise Risk Management Expert (CUERME)

Member Engagement Via Text Messaging; Service & Sales

Jordan Marshall will present intriguing statistic and survey results that will surprise and enlighten in respect to consumer engagement via text.  Use cases will be explored as well as solutions that provide direct member communication right to the text app on a smart phone.

A native Missourian who attended the University of Missouri after spending 4 years living aboard and graduating high school in Hong Kong.  Jordan joined the MEA team in 2018 and has quickly become a key associate as well as an expert in engagement via text.   Jordan’s perspective as a Millennial is of unparalleled value in crafting a successful engagement solution for the 26-40 year old consumer.

MEA is a national leader in the provision of innovative software solutions to the financial services marketplace around the nation. As specialists in both cutting edge technology and the financial industry, our highly experienced and versatile team creates and supports flexible solutions that meet the demanding requirements in an adaptable industry.

Redefining the Retail-Branch Experience

In an ultra-competitive financial environment, credit unions need to rethink their member journey. Over many years and for a variety of reasons, the branch experience has shifted from a transactional to a relational environment. Now more than ever, the transformation of the physical space along with the development of great human capital and technology, is critical to differentiate yourself in the marketplace to remain competitive and successful.  Join our break-out session to gain a deeper understanding of how we blend human capital and modern technology to redefine the retail-branch environment and become the go-to financial institution in your market.

The Element Group is a full-service firm that provides niche expertise in design, build, and engagement services for financial institutions. At the core of all our partnerships is a passion for expanding perceptions of what the retail banking experience can be.

Nate Baldasaro Co-founder, The Element Group, will be the presenter for this session.

With over 20 years of experience in the financial service industry and a background in senior management positions, Nate has covered the nation to help grow thousands of financial institutions through his intuitive merchandising plans, retail and promotional marketing programs, and design-build solutions. Nate holds a BA in Communications from the University of New Hampshire.

Sign Up for Free Text Alerts

This year’s Annual Convention has a schedule packed with amazing speakers, learning labs, and activities to keep you busy CrossState is pleased to offer the Text Concierge Service, sponsored by MEA Financial, as a free service to our members attending Convention this year. Members can opt into this text alert service to receive regular updates and reminders during the entire event.

To sign up for text alerts, please text “Convention Updates” to 1-833-242-2142. *Msg & data rates may apply.