NAFCU Journal March April 2021

40 THE NAFCU JOURNAL March–April 2021 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK CREATING A STRONG WORKPLACE CULTURE By B. Dan Berger, NAFCU President and CEO F rom the coronavirus pandemic to social justice movements to widespread economic hardships, 2020 not only challenged us—it changed us. Companies across our nation were forced to adapt in many ways, including strengthening their cultures to provide for their employees’ well-being amid a time of increased uncertainty. At NAFCU, our employees are our greatest asset. We know full well that the trouble of the past year has not faded simply because it is a new year, but rather those same troubles will persist for many. NAFCU remains committed to helping our employees overcome adver- sity while thriving both professionally and personally. In 2021, even though our headquarters is open, our company-wide telework policy remains fully intact; our comment box is open for employees to give direct feed- back to management; and our culture committee is actively working to ensure the work of our staff is appreciated and that their voices are heard. NAFCU will also continue to focus intently on creating a diverse and inclusive culture, and we will continue speak out against intolerance, violence and hate. We will also remain steadfast in our commitment to offering financial support to organizations that promote diversity and inclusion, including the African American Credit Union Coalition, the NAACP, the Network of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals, and the UNCF. Because of NAFCU’s emphasis on cul- ture and employee morale, our asso- ciation has seen exponential growth as well. Since 2013, NAFCU has grown its membership by nearly 50 percent and the association now represents 56 percent of the industry’s assets. Subse- quently, total association assets have grown 59 percent and revenue has increased 40 percent. This goes to show that when you put your people first, they will take good care of your members. Here at NAFCU, we will continue to advocate, we will continue to grow and we will continue to provide extreme ser- vice to our membership. While doing so, we will foster a strong company culture to help propel us forward and in turn, better serve the credit union industry. Our employees are doing all they can to advance our respective organizations during this difficult time. And NAFCU, as well as our credit union members, will continue to go above and beyond to take care of our teams and our communities. Our focus remains on helping your credit union grow through our award-winning advocacy, compliance assistance and education. We work for you. Let me know how we can be of help. Connect with Dan Berger on Twitter @BDanBerger and on his blog at www.nafcu.org/berger-leadership-blog.