By Jimmy Marks

I have big fingers. When my girlfriend asks me to look something up on her smart phone, it’s a trying endeavor. On my solid-button phone? No problem. On her touch screen phone? Problem.

“The restaurant is the Fireworks Pizza Pub,” she’ll say, looking for directions.

“I typed in Fairfax Parking Pug,” I’ll say, defeated. We go through this ritual about once a week.

By Tina K. Hall

By Theresa Witham

Every year, I enter Credit Union Management magazine in the APEX Awards for Publishing Excellence. It is both fun and challenging to look back at the previous year's issues and decide which one to enter. I find myself rereading certain articles and remembering how much I liked a piece of art. Or sometimes how difficult it was to find just the right piece of art! I can only enter one issue so narrowing them down can be tricky.

According to Terence Roche, boards can ask and answer the following questions to better understand their particular preferences about how to approach strategic planning. A principal with Cornerstone Advisors Inc., Roche gave this guidance during a CUES Webinar called “Strategic Differentiation and Operational Execution.”

1. How and when does the board participate with management in planning?

2. How many levels of management are included? How do they participate?

By David L. Tuyo, II

I am a student of my profession and currently working toward my Certified Chief Executive designation. The “CCE” is achieved by attending all three segments of CUES’ CEO Institute, and completing two between-segments projects.  

CUES Skybox has been bringing you big picture perspectives on the credit union industry since 2004. We're pleased to present it to you today, refreshed, and merged with the CUES Nexus Connection blog as well. Visit often to read the latest posts...and search the archive to find your favorite past Skybox and Nexus posts. Also, be sure to subscribe via RSS or email, at left.

We welcome your feedback and comments.

By Theresa Witham

"I've learned a lot about myself and my capabilities."

"Before the competition, the extent of my credit union network remained local, but since the competition my network has grown with credit union professionals around the country."

"I enjoyed the camaraderie of my fellow contestants, as well as sharing best practices as we competed (while working together) to help make our industry stronger. Having a voice to a larger audience is invaluable, and helped all of us move our projects forward!"

By Rik Kielbasa 

By Lisa Hochgraf

It seems like an age since February when I attended the inaugural CUES Director Strategy Seminar. But it was really only February.

By John Ainsworth