Meet Bonnie Locken

Of all the qualities we love about our members, the sense of community we feel ties us to our membership, but in the case of Bonnie Locken, it brought her to work for Dakota West.

Nearly thirty years ago, after losing her husband, the credit union reached out to her knowing she and her small children needed a financial boost to her part-time job. It was more than keeping her safe and secure, she recalls, "They wanted the kids to stay." The humor she uses to describe her first job at Dakota West continues to be a part of her welcoming smile and personality as the Regional Operations Manager at our Mohall location.

Born and raised in North Dakota, she always wanted to study interior design, but went to school to be a dental assistant. In the end, her creative touches can be felt in the branch and in the community that welcomed her. She sews, she restores furniture, and she designs and sells her own creations of purses and handbags.

Helping those who helped her brings her joy in the ways she can help our members. Bonnie recalls helping someone in her community who came to the branch in tears, worried about the family's debt, whom she helped get a small personal loan. "It made me feel amazing, watching the weight of the world lifted off their shoulders."

Bonnie celebrates her birthday this month among the friends and community that opened its arms to her, and calls her one of their own even today. If you stop into our Mohall branch this month, be sure to wish her best wishes - it's what she wishes for all of the people in Mohall who opened their arms to her and kept her close to their town and their hearts.

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 90th 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 - Ethan Kobos & Charles Eriksmoen

Throughout the summer we are featuring our 2020 Dakota West Scholarship recipients and sharing their thoughts on the value of Communication from their applications.  Today we introduce Ethan Kobos of Watford City and Charles Eriksmoen of Mohall.

Ethan plans to study Cyber Security at UND and wrote this about his view of the importance of Communication, “I recognize that communication is a skill that I will carry with me throughout my entire career as I develop relationships with clients who entrust me with their security numerous vulnerabilities and will expect me to the able to effectively communicate their shortcomings as well as how to address them.”

Charles will be starting his second year at Bismarck State College in the fall.  He knows the impact Communication has on his future plans as a cattle rancher, “Communication affects me pretty hard right now because I am just getting started in my business of ranching and I am just starting to meet all of the people I need to know most such as marketing advisors that can help me contract my calves so I can get the best possible price for them.  I also need to be able to talk to my parents about all of my plans because they need to know what I am doing in case they have any good advice for me to stay on the right track to become successful in the ranching industry.”

We celebrate our scholarship recipients, their parents and families, and all the members of Dakota West who support the education goals of these young members.  Congratulations Ethan and Charles!

Watch for more individual profiles of these outstanding young members throughout the summer.

2020 Dakota West Credit Union Scholarships Awarded

(WATFORD CITY, ND, 15 May 2020) – Breaking from its tradition, Dakota West awarded $500 to every student who submitted an application for its 2020 Dakota West Credit Union Annual Scholarships.  Originally planning to award four scholarships, current high school seniors and enrolled college and trade school students submitted essays focusing on the Dakota West value of Communication.

“The unconventional circumstances for most students right now made the final months of this school year an exercise in self-discipline.  Any students who made the effort to speak to their viewpoint on the importance of Communication in this time of social-distancing deserves to be recognized for his or her dedication,” Juliet Jones, Marketing Coordinator for Dakota West, explained of the change in the number of recipients.

These seven students received news of their receipt of these scholarships on Dakota West’s Facebook page on Friday, May 15.

Dakota West expresses its congratulations and gratitude to the all the student members who belong to the non-profit credit union headquartered in Watford City, North Dakota.  Established in 1941, each of its branches and its members and employees help grow the Dakota West family with exceptional commitment to building relationships and strengthening communities.

Dedicated to exhibiting its values of Responsibility, Positive Attitude, Respectfulness, and Communication throughout west and central North Dakota, Dakota West Credit Union is instilling its young members with skills to maintain personal financial responsibility throughout their education.  Dakota West supports all its members grow with comprehensive, competitive financial products partnered with personal, professional service.  To learn more about its services and communities, visit our Member Service page.

Watch for individual profiles of these outstanding young members on our News & Events page throughout the summer.

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