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My name is Joe, and I am CUES.

My first financial services job was wearing the “Thrifty the Hot Dog” youth club costume—among other tasks—as a marketing intern at Dupaco Community Credit Union, Dubuque, Iowa. Following graduation from Loras College, my immediate full-time plans to pursue an MBA were abruptly altered. To my surprise, credit union CEO Bob Hoefer offered me the marketing director position. Hot dog!

I joined CUES at Bob’s urging. He firmly believes in growing and developing staff to continuously enhance service to our members. To that end, CUES is an important part of professional development at Dupaco, for both board and staff. CUES offers unique educational programs, networking opportunities and access to valuable industry support materials. And speaking of support, the CUES staff consistently provides team Dupaco with unparalleled support when we ask questions or need assistance.

My most cherished memories throughout my long-time affiliation with CUES are from my CEO Institute experience. The combination of extended networking and team building with dozens of the best and brightest minds from within the credit union industry—while under the tutelage of the world-class educators at Wharton, Cornell and the University of Virginia—made a profound personal and professional impact on me.

Graduating from CUES’ CEO Institute inspired me with a renewed sense of the importance of life-long-learning. As a result, I enrolled and completed my MBA at the University of Dubuque while working full time at Dupaco. Although this achievement was 24 years after my initial MBA plans, coupled with my CEO Institute exposure and daily work experience, it was well worth the wait.

Just as CUES has challenged and inspired me over the years, so do effective mentors. Many people come to mind, but I first and foremost point to my parents. As small business owners, they instilled in me the value of hard work, building community and treating people with respect—all while having a little fun along the way.

At Dupaco, I am extremely fortunate to have been mentored by our president and CEO, Bob Hoefer. A 47-year credit union veteran who still has a twinkle in his eye, Bob maintains a passion for making a difference in our members’ lives and enhancing the communities we serve. His efforts to strengthen the credit union movement align well with the core values by which I was raised.

I also respect and admire CUES’ CEO Fred Johnson for raising credit union leadership education to the highest level through partnerships with world-class institutions of higher learning as part of the CUES Director and CEO Institutes.

Team Dupaco supports professional development and relies extensively on CUES. Both our senior management team and entire board of directors are CUES members. In addition to annual CUES conference attendance, our board recently used CUES’ CEO Assessment for Credit Unions and has continued to enhance its extensive knowledge through proactive use of the exceptional Center for Credit Union Board Excellence (CCUBE), Powered by CUES.

I tell credit union folks that CUES is an outstanding resource that offers many practical tools and networking opportunities that will make a personal and professional impact. CUES also can help you raise the member service bar and keep you moving ahead. If you stand still in your profession, there’s a good chance the world will pass you by. And you could end up wearing a hot dog mascot costume.

My name is Joe Hearn, from Dupaco Community Credit Union, and I am CUES.