The 71st Annual Meeting & Convention of the Association of Vermont Credit Unions is taking place at the Woodstock Inn & Resort May 18-20, 2018. We cordially invite all management, staff, and volunteer leaders from our members to join us at the largest annual credit union event in the state of Vermont! We hope to see you in the beautiful village of Woodstock in May.
Please Note: Our Woodstock Inn room block sold out on March 22. We encourage our members and exhibitor representatives to email the Association to be put on a Woodstock Inn Waiting List as we’ll be informed of any cancellations that occur between now and the start of convention weekend. Lodging is also available at nearby properties. View or download the Attendee Registration and Information Kit linked below for the Inn’s Reservation Desk phone number so their staff can assist with booking nearby lodging (AVCU is not able to control availability or room rates at other properties).
Click here to view or download the Attendee Registration and Information Kit
Click here to view or download the Exhibitor / Sponsor Information Kit
Standard Attendee Registration via Eventbrite is open until April 27: https://avcu71am.eventbrite.com/
- Report of the 2018 Nominating Committee
2018 Annual Meeting & Convention
Nominating Committee Report
DATE: March 30, 2018
TO: Member Credit Union Manager / CEOs
FROM: AVCU Nominating Committee
Susan Poczobut, Chair
Wanda Dunham (White River CU)
Bob Lake (Green Mountain CU)
The Nominating Committee of the Association of Vermont Credit Unions has performed the task of selecting candidates to fill three director terms that will expire at the 2018 71st Annual Meeting on May 18th. Two are the incumbent terms of Sean Gammon (Members Advantage Community CU) and Susan Poczobut. The third is a previously unexpired term that was filled for one year by Rick Hommel (Vermont State Employees CU) at the 2017 annual meeting of members. All three vacancies will be filled with persons elected for a three-year term.
On February 2, 2018, a request was sent to member credit unions for the purpose of soliciting names of possible candidates to fill the vacancies. The committee reviewed qualifications of candidates submitted, as well as others, and selected the following three candidates to place in nomination:
- Sean Gammon
- Rick Hommel
- Lisa Huyer
Petition Nominations
Association bylaws allow for additional nominees to be added to the ballot by petition. Any qualified individual seeking to be added to the 2018 director elections ballot must submit his / her completed petition and qualifications to the Nominating Committee by April 13, 2018. The appropriate Petition Nomination Form is available by request to elections@vermontcreditunions.coop.
Candidates submitted by petition must be accompanied by the authorized signatures of 5 member credit unions. Candidates meeting the petition requirement will be added to the ballot with Committee nominees.
Absentee Ballots
Under Association Bylaws, member credit unions are allowed to vote for Directors by absentee ballot in accordance with the deadlines below. Absentee ballots are available by request to elections@vermontcreditunions.coop.
Date Deadlines for absentee ballot requests and submissions
April 13 – Absentee ballot request deadline
May 4 – Absentee ballot vote submission deadline
May 18 – Annual meeting elections (Absentee ballots counted by ballot clerks)
2018 Association Nominating Committee Nominees
Sean Gammon
Sean is the Chief Executive Officer of Members Advantage Community Credit Union, a $133.3 million institution (as of 12/31/17) serving more than 16,000 members throughout Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Washington, Windham, and Windsor counties, and select towns in New Hampshire. He has held this position since 2002 and has more than 21 years of experience in the credit union industry. He has completed both CUNA Management School and CUNA Financial Management School, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Vermont. He has served on the Association’s Board of Directors since 2003, is a past Treasurer and Vice-chair, and has been Chair since 2011. He has been a Director for the New England Credit Union Executives Society since 2007, has served on the Board of Directors of the Vermont Chapter of the March of Dimes, has been a Director for the South Burlington Little League since 2011, and has been an active volunteer coach for youth sports in Burlington and South Burlington since 2005.
Rick Hommel
Rick is a Senior Vice-President / Technology and Operations Officer for Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU), a $752.4 million institution (as of 12/31/17) serving nearly 64,000 members throughout the state of Vermont. Rick has been with VSECU since May of 1999, in that time also holding positions as SVP Retail Operations, VP Retail Operation, VP Information Technology, and E-Commerce Manager. He was the Chairperson of Fiserv’s Retail Strategic Advisory Council from 2012-2016 and currently serves on the Global Alliance for Banking Values’ Digital Business and Innovation Committee. He held various volunteer roles in the Washington West Supervisory Union, including a number of coaching positions, from 1999-2014 and is a Vermont Foodbank volunteer. In 2015, he earned the Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation from Credit Union Executives Society and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management of Information Systems and Accounting from the University of Vermont.
Lisa Huyer
Lisa is an Executive Vice President / Chief Financial Officer for NorthCountry Federal Credit Union, a $579 million institution (as of 12/31/17) serving nearly 45,000 members in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans and Washington Counties. During her 29 years of service to NorthCountry FCU, Lisa has managed several departments and currently oversees Risk Management, Accounting, Projects, Facilities, and IT. She previously served on the Association’s Audit Committee and on CUNA’s 2016 Task Force to reform the reporting structure for 5300 Call Reports. She volunteers for various credit union-sponsored events, including holiday gift wrapping for Anew Place and the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. For several years, she also served as a volunteer on the Finance Committee for the Greater Burlington YMCA. She holds an Associates Degree in Accounting from Champlain College, a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from State University of New York Oneonta, is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, and has completed the Credit Union Executives Society CEO Institutes to earn the Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation.
- Proposed Bylaw Amendment
Notice of Proposed Bylaw Change
Date: March 30, 2018
To: Member Credit Union CEO/Managers
From: AVCU Board of Directors
Sean Gammon – Chair
Susan Poczobut – Vice Chair
Jeff Morse – Treasurer
Carrie Allen – Secretary
Rick Hommel
Jim St. Peter
Brett Smith
The Board of Directors of the Association of Vermont Credit Unions (AVCU) recommends amendment of AVCU’s bylaws at the 2018 Annual Meeting of members on May 18, 2018. As required by Association bylaws, this communication is notice of the proposed amendment.
The purpose of the amendment proposed by the Association’s board of directors is three-fold:
- Move the date used in dues calculation from September 30th to June 30th, bringing calculation in line with CUNA, whose dues AVCU collects on its behalf.
- To enable the earlier preparation of AVCU budgets and membership invoices.
- To delete reference to the four-year transition period added when the current dues formula was implemented in 2013. The temporary provision bridged the change from the old formula to the current one, and is no longer in effect.
Amendment of AVCU’s bylaws is governed by Section 15.1:
Section 15.1 Amendments by Delegates. The bylaws of the Association may be amended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting delegates at any regular or special meeting of the members of the Association, providing the proposed amendment and a statement of its purpose has been given to members at least 7 days prior to the meeting. Bylaw amendments shall become effective immediately following the close of the meeting at which they are adopted.
Voting on the amendment will be conducted at the 2018 annual meeting of members on May 18th commencing at 3:00 pm at the Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, Vermont. Member credit unions may vote in advance by absentee ballot so long as such ballots are received by the absentee ballot voting deadline. Due to availability of absentee ballot voting amendments will not be allowed from the floor of the annual meeting.
Section 5.9 Member Voting. Voting at a meeting of members may be done in person, by absentee ballot, or electronically.
Voting by Absentee Ballot for AVCU’s 2018 annual meeting follows these deadlines:
- 04/13/18 – Absentee ballot request deadline
- 05/04/18 – Absentee ballot vote submission deadline
- 05/18/18 – Annual meeting elections (absentee ballots counted by ballot clerks)
Proposed Bylaw Amendment: Dues Calculation Date
Section 12.1 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year.
Section 12.2 Dues. The Association shall be financed by dues recommended by the board of directors and approved by member credit unions at a regular or special meeting. The board of directors shall have the right to waive all or part of a member’s dues when such dues would impair the operation of the credit union.
Section 12.3 Dues Formula. Dues for member credit unions shall be calculated by multiplying the square root of total assets of the credit union as of June 30 September 30 of the prior year by a factor to be determined by the board of directors annually.
Transition Period. Regardless of calculation, dues assessed to a member credit union for years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 shall not vary more than 25% upward or downward from dues assessed in the immediately prior calendar year, except in the case of mergers for which the 25% upward variance limit shall no longer apply following merger for the surviving member credit unions.34
The Association shall be a member of the Credit Union National Association, Inc.[1]Section 12.4 Time Payable. Dues shall be due and payable on January 1 of each year and shall be considered delinquent after February 15.[2]
Section 12.5[3] Newly Chartered Member Credit Unions. Newly chartered member credit unions shall not be assessed dues for the balance of the calendar year; except dues for any member credit union chartered after October 31 shall be considered dues for the next calendar year.
Section 12.6 Merging Member Credit Unions. Member credit unions having completed a merger by December 31 of any year must pay dues based on the combined June 30 September 30 assets of the merging member credit unions. Member credit unions that are in the process of a merger, but such merger has not been completed during the period from January 1 through February 15 in the year for which dues is being assessed, shall each be liable for and must pay Association dues as billed and as calculated using assets as of June 30 September 30 of the prior year.
Send questions about the proposed bylaw amendment to bylaw@vermontcreditunions.coop
[1] Reference to collecting dues for Credit Union National Association deleted on 5/14/16. Section 12.3 regarding provision of financial data by members deleted due to availability on regulator website; Section 12.4 re-numbered to 12.3 and amended to reflect new dues formula – 5/14/05
[2] Section 12.5 re-numbered to 12.4 – 5/14/05
[3] Section 12.6 re-numbered to 12.5 – 5/14/05
- Take a Chance Auction Preview Gallery
Donated by Association of Vermont Credit Unions
Value is $100 plus $1 for each ticket
dropped into the drawing boxDonated by Association of Vermont Credit Unions
Set of four handcrafted maple leaf mugs
by BlueMoon Pottery of Cambridge
Valued at $100Donated by CUNA Mutual Group
Amazon Echo 2nd Generation
Valued at $100Donated by One Credit Union
Amazon Echo Plus
Valued at $150Donated by Tricorp Federal Credit Union
Swarovski Bracelet - Lemon Bangle, White, Rhodium plating
Valued at $130Donated by Tricorp Federal Credit Union
LL Bean - Winter Walker Snowshoe Boxed Set
Valued at $180Donated by Heritage Family Credit Union
Print entitled “Woodstock Middle Bridge” by Vermont
artist Peter Huntoon (16" x 20" unframed)
Valued at $150Donated by Members Advantage Community Credit Union
Five piece set of wooden salad bowls
(one large, four single serving) created by Springfield
artisan Joseph Langton of Unique Turning Vermont.
Valued at $250Donated by Vermont Federal Credit Union
Fitbit Charge 2 featuring PurePulse Heart Rate,
All-Day Activity & Sleep, Mulit-Sport Tracking,
Smartphone Notifications and Interchangeable Bands
Valued at $150Donated by CO-OP Financial Services
Zoom Bluetooth Gridlock Folding Keyboard
Valued at $100Donated by Synergent
Stonewall Kitchen Anchor Sea Bag Breakfast Gift.
Valued at $65Donated by VSECU
Bill Campbell Porcelain Bowl with
Vermont Maple & Chocolate Snacks.
Valued at $90 - Convention Golf Social Information and Registration
- 2018 Annual Meeting Schedule
Friday, 5/18
8:00 – 9:00 AM … Golf social tee times (Woodstock Country Club)
2:00 – 6:30 PM … Convention Registration open (Tavern Wing Lobby)
3:00 – 4:00 PM … 71st AVCU Business Meeting (Garden Terrace)
4:00 – 6:30 PM … Exhibitor Hall Open / “Credit Union Concentration” Contest (Ballroom)
4:00 – 9:30 PM … Take-a-Chance Auction ticket sales (Garden Parlor)
6:30 – 8:15 PM … Opening Banquet & Speakers (South Garden Pavilion)
8:15 – 9:30 PM … Dessert Social / Vendor door prizes / Live drawings for “Credit Union Concentration” Winners (Ballroom)
Saturday, 5/19
7:30 AM … Breakfast service begins (Ballroom & Foyer)
7:30 AM – 10:00 PM … Take-a-Chance Auction ticket sales (Garden Parlor)
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM … Strategy Breakfast w/ Mark Sievewright (Garden Terrace … This is a limited attendance “By Invitation Only” event)
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM … Breakfast Roundtable General Session #1 w/ Tim Harrington (Ballroom)
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM … Breakfast Roundtable General Session #2 w/ Mark Lynch & CUDE Panel (Ballroom)
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM … Opening Keynote by Mark Sievewright (Ballroom)
12:00 – 1:30 PM … Networking Lunch (Rockefeller Room)
1:30 – 2:15 PM … Breakout Sessions (Ballroom A & C)
2:30 – 5:00 PM … Special Experiential Learning Event – Life Simulation: Experiencing Poverty (South Garden Pavilion)
6:00 – 7:00 PM … Social Reception (Ballroom Foyer / Outdoor Terrace)
7:00 – 10:15 PM … 71st Anniversary Action Station Banquet & Entertainment (Ballroom)
Sunday, 5/20
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM (Ballroom & Foyer)
Breakfast service
Weekend Closing Presentation by Mark Sievewright
Take-a-Chance Auction Live Drawings
Fabulous Parting Gift Live Drawing
Convention closes
Please email questions about the Annual Meeting & Convention to Conference Manager John Cote: JohnCote(at)VermontCreditUnions.coop