What’s Going On In Your Account?

Some of us may have entered adulthood fully engrossed in the digital age, while others may have watched the development of online technology advance from dial-up, to wireless, to mobile technology. Regardless of how we arrived here, we can all benefit from the ability to know at any given moment exactly what is going on in our checking or savings accounts thanks to online account access.

A generation ago, the most you could ever know at any given time was a balance inquiry at your local ATM. Two generations ago, you could only know what checks cleared your account by getting a monthly statement in the mail or visiting a branch to inquire. Now, you can know what’s going on in your account right now – this very minute – or later tonight, or on Sunday morning if you prefer thanks to mobile and online services.

Do you know that 81% of people utilize this technology? But are you taking advantage of all the services available to you? Dakota West offers dozens of how-to guides to help you navigate your online account or make the most of our mobile app, but the true value of being able to access your account anytime you like is to have more control over your own finances.

Our Rewards Checking partner, Kasasa, offers several suggestions on how you can automate your money-movement and investing services to take advantage of the technology designed to serve you. Whether navigating an app is second nature to you, or if you can brag about the digital advancements you have witnessed and conquered, Dakota West’s online account access is designed to connect you with your money so you’ll always know what’s going on in your accounts.

The Diversity of Our Branches

Yes, all of the Dakota West branches offer personal service to our members (and future members) and yes, all of our communities are nestled in western North Dakota, but if you zoom in, you’ll notice what makes each of our branches unique and special in each of our communities.

Grenora, one of the oldest branches in the Dakota West organization is the only financial institution within 30 miles of the community. Originally built around the Great Northern Railroad (GreNoRa), This community is as valuable to the region as Dakota West is to its northwestern members.

With a membership radius of fifty miles, Bowman’s community reaches beyond the edges of North Dakota. Unlike any other branch, our Bowman location serves members in Baker, Montana and Buffalo, South Dakota, and into Hettinger, North Dakota making it our only three-state location.

Serving our members of the MHA Nation at our New Town branch, our Member Service Representatives are learning traditional Hidatsa greetings to welcome elders who visit our branch on the Fort Berthold Reservation. We thank our members for the sense of family this shared communication brings to us.

Watford City is Dakota West’s home base, but it’s also the center of a county that includes a national park, two major rivers, two time zones, and blends both the history of agriculture and the modern advancements of the energy industry.

Located just twenty miles from Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport, our New England branch plays a vital role for the smaller communities of Hettinger County. The constancy of a credit union benefits the residents in the less-populated regions of North Dakota, and for half a century, this location has served as a valuable resource.

Each summer our Washburn branch provides account support to number of seasonal residents who come from the west coast of the United States and even from South Africa who return each year to lend a hand to our agricultural community. We welcome back our summer members who are helping to continue the traditions of farming and honey production in our McLean County community.

It’s the small ways our Mohall branch impacts our northeast region. When the north winds blow, it certainly is a benefit to be the only financial institution in town with drive-through service so our members can remain warm and toasty in their vehicles. In the summer, it’s also on the way to Lake Metigoshe for travelers needing to take advantage of our shared branch services.

In existence since 1940, our Turtle Lake branch is just down the street from Rusty the Turtle, the namesake placed to celebrate the 90^th anniversary of the town in eastern McLean County.

We invite you to explore any of our branches when you are travelling throughout the Dakota West region. You may meet new faces, but you’ll always receive the same quality service. See you here soon!

Scholarship Profiles - Taylalyn Kaczmar, Clayton Ledahl, & Gracey Russell

Let us introduce three more Dakota West Annual Scholarship recipients from three different Dakota West branches. Taylalyn Kaczmar of Watford City will be starting at North Dakota State University this month working towards her goal of becoming a physician’s assistant. Her thoughts on the importance of communication relate directly to her future plans.

“Once in the medical field, discussion with providers and patients will be critical for the best and efficient care to be provided. I recognize that having effective communication in the workplace can determine and impact how well my relationships with my superiors, coworkers, and patients will be. I have been practicing good communication skills, and I will continue to improve these skills. I strive to be the best I can for those around me, and I feel that communication will make that difference.”

Also pursuing a career in the medical profession, Gracey Russell of Washburn recognizes the impact of both current global circumstances and the importance of communication now more than ever.

“With the current situation throughout the world, scientists, doctors, and government officials need to communicate so that there is a cure coming, the proper precautions are taken, and that people need to stay away from others and certain things, such as indoor dining need to be closed.” Gracey resumes her studies this month at Bismarck State College where she will be studying Nursing.

Clayton Ledahl of Grenora will be studying Business Management in his home county at Williston State College and is already planning for life after college and how Communication will play a role in his success.

“After I graduate college I plan to open and run my own business. If I do open up my own business, I would have to do interviews with potential workers. In order to do this I’d be communicating with the people I’m interviewing. After I hire workers, I would have to talk with them every day, as well, beings they work for me.”

We wish Clayton, Gracey, and Tayla an exciting and productive school year as they reach towards their long-term goals. They certainly represent what we hope for and partner with our members to provide every day. Good luck to all our scholarship recipients!

We Thank Our Board of Directors

At any Dakota West branch you may visit with your loan officer, complete a transaction with one of our Member Service Representatives, or even speak by phone with a member of our Loan Processing team, yet the names and faces who are the guiding force behind Dakota West Credit Union are not the people with whom you meet or speak – they are our Board of Directors and their voices develop the long-term direction of our organization.

With five voting members, three of whom serve as Board officers, the Board of Directors’ leadership responsibilities comprise an important part of Dakota West’s governance. As members, they have a vested interest in the success of the organization, yet they lead with an absence of self-dealing and with open-mindedness for the success and strength of the credit union on behalf of the entire membership.

Joy Brew, our current Chairperson joined the board in 2009, but we are also proud to count her as one of our members for nearly thirty years. Jim Svihovec, who likewise has belonged to Dakota West for several decades joined the Board of Directors in 2005 – our longest serving board member – and is currently serving as our Vice Chairman. Lynn Oberg currently serves as our Secretary, beginning as a member more than a decade and a half ago, having joined our Board in 2018.

Erin Forbes, who joined as a Director in 2019, having also served our members as an employee, and Karla Quale, a member for more than a dozen years, recently completed the full Board as a voting member. We are thankful for both the insight and the oversight these outstanding individuals offer to our leadership team, but also we value their membership, as we do all our members.

To understand more about the contributions and commitment of these five Board members, we encourage you to review the Board Philosophy and Expectations, as well as the Committees on which they serve. If you would like to offer your voice and be a part of the strategic direction of Dakota West, please reach out to us at dwcu@dakotawestcu.org and become an Associate Board Member.