On May 7-9, over 450 credit union professionals from across the state joined us for the 2025 League Convention in Wisconsin Dells!
This year's Convention kicked off with an energetic opening by Brandi Stankovic, followed by a welcome address from League President & CEO Sarah Wainscott who had attendees on their feet showcasing the many ways we are connected (and stronger) as a Movement and celebrating our successes. Corporate Central Credit Union and The League then held their joint annual meetings before leading into Convention's biggest keynote yet--Sharon McMahon. McMahon, #1 bestselling author of The Small and The Mighty and founder of The Preamble followed with an inspiring discussion on the profound impact of empathy in bridging societal divides and fostering inclusivity.
After McMahon's keynote, attendees sat in on the first of 18 breakout sessions covering a variety of topics from developing high performance teams to tackling the latest compliance and regulatory issues, enjoyed lunch while viewing quick demos from innovative exhibitors, and then heard once more from Stankovic in a keynote on five strategies credit unions are effectively using to integrate emotional intelligence (EI) with AI.
On Friday, following a sold-out Conduit breakfast, four WILD (Wisconsin Ideation & Leadership Development) teams presented their latest homegrown innovations. After that, Wisconsin's credit unions were recognized for their accomplishments in the past year at the third annual Cooperative Spirit Awards, including the induction of 10 honorees into The Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation's Legends of The Movement.
To close out Convention, a thought-provoking panel on the value of cooperatives in today's world was facilitated by NCBA CLUSA's Aaliyah Nedd, who guided panelists through how the cooperative business model is not only alive and well, but remains sustainable and can continue to thrive. With the United Nations declaring 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives, this message was all the more relevant!
As always, Convention also provided numerous social and networking opportunities, with an an exciting event hosted each night. For the first time, the Welcome Reception was hosted in the sold-out expo hall on Wednesday night (a big hit!) and TruStage treated attendee goers to a Thursday night reception at Redd's Piano Bar.
The legislative PAC for Wisconsin's credit unions--WCULAF--was well supported throughout Convention with over $28,000 raised through a golf scramble, bowling outing, and a silent auction! These funds help support credit union-friendly candidates and legislators!
Besides funds for WCULAF, Convention goers supported credit union wellness and gave back to their communities. This year’s new Foundation Fundraising Challenge netted over $5,500 in donations, with The League Board of Directors Region 1 being crowned region winner. Finally, attendees prepared over 1,000 snack bags using donated goods to support children attending Spring Hill Elementary in the Dells area and combat food insecurity.
Check out this sneak preview of Convention pics--more photos coming soon!
Thank you to all who attended, and a very special thank you to our sponsors who made it all possible: