Corporate Connection E-Magazine

Vizo Financial Empowerment Grants Program

Recently, Vizo Financial funded a second year of Empowerment Grants with the CrossState Credit Union Foundation. This program was promoted in coordination with the CrossState Credit Union Association’s Fall Leadership Conference on September 5-7, 2024, and will continue to be shared with credit unions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Funds will continue to be allocated on an annual basis to the state credit union foundations that serve the majority of Vizo Financial members within the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas regions. The program is intended to help natural person credit unions build financial literacy programs that benefit their membership.

Victory Junction’s Run to Victory Run/Walk Event

Vizo Financial was a Victory Lane sponsor of the Run to Victory run/walk event to benefit Victory Junction on September 14, 2024. Additionally, two staff members attended the event in-person and represented Vizo Financial at a Pasta Party the night before the race. Participants were invited to join the event either in-person at Victory Junction in Randleman, N.C., or virtually from their homes. Victory Junction serves children dealing with serious medical conditions and chronic illnesses. Their mission is to enrich the lives of children with serious illnesses by providing life-changing camp experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, at no cost to children or their families.

Credit Union Sponsorships

Vizo Financial continues to support the credit union movement through various sponsorships:

Enhanced FiCEP

Vizo Financial is the sponsor of the CrossState Credit Union Foundation’s Enhanced Financial Counseling Certification Program (FiCEP), which is offered two times during the year – once in the spring and once in the fall. This program creates a pathway for the Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) designation and is designed for credit union professionals who are committed to helping members gain control of their financial future.

Foundation for Free Enterprise Education

Vizo Financial sponsored the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, whose mission is to heighten the awareness of Pennsylvania’s youth about their future role in the American free enterprise system by delivering high-quality and practical hands-on learning experiences. The Corporate’s sponsorship provided two high school students with the opportunity to attend a one-week summer program to learn all about what it takes to run a business.

CrossState Credit Union Foundation Viva Las Vegas Sponsorship

Vizo Financial was a silver sponsor of the program guide for the recent Viva Las Vegas Nite to benefit the CrossState Credit Union Foundation. This annual fundraising event for the Foundation is hosted in conjunction with the CrossState Credit Union Association’s Fall Leadership Conference on September 5-7, 2024.

Carolinas Cup

Vizo Financial was a Happy Sponsor and donated a silent auction item to the Carolinas Cup on September 22-24. The event was hosted by TruStage and the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation and benefits Victory Junction. Our SVP/chief financial officer also participated in the event, which was held in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Day of Service

Vizo Financial will be holding our annual Day of Service on October 14, 2024. Staff will have the opportunity to volunteer at one of several events being offered at each campus. Organizations we’ll be supporting during this year’s Day of Service include:

• American Cancer Society
• Caitlin’s Smiles
• Cocoa Packs
• Family Room
• Harvest Hope Food Bank
• Hospice of Central PA – Camp Dragonfly
• Love the Hill/Wildheart Ministries
• Midwest Food Bank
• Open Door Ministries
• Palmetto Conservation

Financial Reality Fairs

Throughout the fall, Vizo Financial staff members have and will continue to participate in several financial reality fairs across Pennsylvania. These events have been held by various credit unions and organizations, including Belco Community CU, Lanco FCU and the Greater Reading Reality Fair Committee.

Financial reality fairs are designed so that participants can identify potential career choices and starting salaries, then complete a budget sheet requiring them to live within their monthly salary while paying for basics such as housing, utilities, transportation, clothing, food and additional expenditures such as entertainment and travel.

Season of Hope Radiothon for Duke Children’s

The 30th annual Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals Season of Hope Radiothon to benefit Duke Children’s in North Carolina will be held on December 10-11, 2024. Vizo Financial will be a Spirit of Hope sponsor again this year. Last year, the CMN Radiothon raised $541,874 for Duke Children’s! Learn more about the Season of Hope Radiothon leading up to the big event, then tune into MIX 101.5 on December 10-11 to listen to heartwarming stories from the children and families that have been impacted by Duke Children's.

Investing in Your People – Developing an Effective Mentor Program

Jeanne Heath, director of engagement & learning, Vizo Financial
October 10 at 2:00 p.m. ET

Mentor programs are one of the most effective and meaningful ways to invest in your people. A successful mentor program will improve skill development, increase employee engagement, fuel employee retention, enhance productivity and attract talent.

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Got Fraud?

Kari Kronberg, director of education, Macha/PAR
October 16 at 2:00 p.m. ET

So, you end up with a fraud situation in a payment system…now what? Let’s take an operational look at how to handle fraud across the payment channels. In this session, we will discuss forgeries and alterations in checks, unauthorized ACH entries, card disputes and fraudulent wire requests.

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Engaging the Disengaged Employee

Joe Bertotto, SVP/chief culture officer, Vizo Financial
October 17 at 10:00 a.m. ET

The most recent data from Gallup notes that only 30 percent of employees are engaged. By definition, an engaged employee is a person who is willing to consistently give their discretionary effort to accomplish tasks. They are enthused about their work and their workplace. Think about how enjoyable and productive our offices would be if we were to double or triple that number of engaged employees at our credit unions. Join SVP/chief culture officer, Joe Bertotto, as he shares practical approaches to increase engagement. Recently, Vizo Financial received their second consecutive Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award. This global honor is given to organizations who put employee engagement at the center of their strategic plan.

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Regulations and Compliance for Business Accounts

Mike Smith, VP, senior business services officer, CU Business Group LLC
November 7 at 2:00 p.m. ET

This webinar will provide an overview of the most common regulations and compliance issues associated with business deposit accounts.

In this session, Mike will discuss the following regulations:

• Regulation CC (Check Holds)
• Regulation DD (Trutn Savings)
• Regulation E (Electronic Funds Transfers)
• Bank Secrecy Act
• Know Your Customer (KYC) and Enhanced Customer Due Diligence

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Tabletop Exercise – Threats to Your Credit Union

Mark Clarke, business continuity administrator, Vizo Financial
November 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET

A tabletop exercise is a walk-through of emergency procedures with your credit union’s key personnel about what could happen in a real-life incident. This live tabletop will test your credit union’s plans with a “mock” real-world example. How will your team handle the situation? Are you prepared?

This tabletop session is designed for multiple credit union team members to participate together. The session will break periodically for 5 to 10-minute intervals to allow time for team discussion regarding the tabletop scenario. The goal of this exercise is to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the team and your credit union’s security and risk plans.

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Check Warranties & Indemnities

Kari Kronberg, director of education, Macha/PAR
November 19 at 10:00 a.m. ET

Understanding the promises and protections that are present in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is crucial to your check processing operations. This session will cover UCC Articles 3 and 4, scenarios illustrating key warranties and the impact of breaching these warranties.

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Meet CUaxis and the CU*BASE System Webinar

Jaime E.S. Agostino, VP – sales, marketing & education, Vizo Financial
Ashley Aubele, core solutions account manager, CUaxis
November 20 at 2:00 p.m. ET

Back in 2020, Vizo Financial and our payments CUSO, MY CU Services, partnered with CU*Answers for their CU*BASE core processing system. Our goal was to create a core processing community where we can support and uplift each other through collaboration. This collaboration is the very reason Vizo Financial and MY CU Services created CUaxis, which is a community that connects credit unions with a whole host of resources to stay firmly on the cutting edge. From this central hub, you can find all the products and services that meet your credit union’s core processing needs and beyond.

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Quarterly Economic Insights

Scott Wood, SVP/chief investment officer, Vizo Financial
December 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET

We can all agree that the economy and the markets are unpredictable. So, what can we do? We can use the insights we have through trends, expert opinions, past performance in similar situations and so on to make educated predictions. That’s what these quarterly sessions are all about – sharing our insights to help your credit union achieve financial fortitude, regardless of what may actually happen in the future.

Each quarter, Scott Wood, Vizo Financial’s SVP/chief investment officer, along with other Vizo Financial experts, will examine the financial landscape and discuss topics at each session based on the current environment.

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How Do I Return That?

Jessica Lelii, director of education, Macha/PAR
December 12 at 2:00 p.m. ET

Are you sometimes unsure of the right return reason code to use? Do dishonored returns and contested dishonored returns have you scratching your head? Knowing your rights and responsibilities under the rules will help you reduce the risk of potential loss for your institution.

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Payments Conference

November 5-6, 2024 - Virtual Event

Payments don’t just fuel credit unions, they fuel the world we live in. Whether through P2P apps or ACH transactions, cards or digital wallets, the payments domain moves fast and impacts the way we do business with members. At Vizo Financial’s virtual Payments Conference, an immersive online event, we’ll be uniting credit union professionals and payment industry leaders – including the Payments Professor himself! – to explore the transforming payments arena.

Join us on November 5-6, 2024, as we delve into a series of forward-thinking education sessions on error and fraud in electronic payments, managing instant payment risks, wire transfer strategies and more. These sessions are designed to provide actionable insights on the latest payment technologies and trends and relevant strategies to incorporate them into your product line.

It’s time to gear up for this informative online event that will keep your credit union up to speed on the latest industry education and, ultimately, on track to remain competitive in the payments circuit.

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Quarterly Tech Talk

December 11, 2024 - Virtual Event

Did you know there are approximately 11,651 financial technology startups throughout the United States, with many ranging all the way from person-to-person (P2P) and wealth management apps to stock trading and e-commerce sites? That’s according to a 2023 study conducted by Statista.

With the ability to deeply understand the ins and outs of both the financial and technology industries, these fintechs are positioned to grow even more in the coming years. In fact, they’re already profoundly reshaping financial services through innovation, member-centric value propositions, collaborative business models and so much more! That then begs the question: How many of these fintechs has your credit union looked at – 20, 10, even five? And moreover, how is your credit union embracing this evolving service landscape?

If you’re not sure how to answer either of those questions, that’s okay. We’ve got you covered! Vizo Financial is here to serve as your link to these fintechs.

During each 30-minute quarterly Tech Talk, we will showcase a few fintechs that we believe may bring benefits to your institution. We highly recommend that you use these 30 minutes to seek out the technology and innovation that may help revolutionize how you serve your members. And you never know, one of these may end up holding the key to innovation for your credit union because if your credit union isn’t already looking at fintechs, then you could be falling behind. Your members are expecting the latest modern solutions, after all, so make sure you’re prepared to provide them by joining us for Vizo Financial’s 2024 Quarterly Tech Talks!

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CrossState Evoke Marketing Conference

It was a marketing extravaganza as Jaime Agostino, VP of sales, marketing and education, and Miranda Connelly, marketing manager, attended the CrossState Credit Union Association’s Evoke Marketing Conference in Lancaster, Pa., on July 23-24, 2024. Vizo Financial was a sponsor of the event and had a small display table. During the event, Jaime also participated as a panelist for an in-depth discussion on credit union marketing.

Pittsburgh Chapter Golf Outing

Fore! Jaime Agostino, VP of sales, marketing and education, manned the beverage cart at the Pittsburgh Chapter’s annual golf outing on July 29, 2024. Good job keeping the golfers hydrated, Jaime!

CU Leadership Convention

Viva Las Vegas! Robyn Cooper, corporate account manager, and Jaime Agostino attended the dual CU Leadership Convention and African American Credit Union Coalition event on July 30 – August 2, 2024. We were happy to have so many visitors at the Vizo Financial booth, and we’d like to give a special shout out to Megan Manning, AVP of lending at Harvesters CU in Florida, who won the $250 Amazon gift card prize giveaway. Congrats again, Megan!

Defense Credit Union Council 2024 Annual Conference

Jaime Agostino and Joe Reiner took the Defense Credit Union Council’s 2024 Annual Conference by storm in St. Petersburg, Fla., on August 12-16, 2024. While at the conference, they got to spend time with exotic animals at the Wild Kingdom exhibit and even gave away a gift basket at the silent auction. Congratulations to Derinda Derr, board vice chair of Infuze CU, on winning the Vizo Financial basket! In addition, Jaime had the pleasure of highlighting Vizo Financial’s participation as a conference sponsor and introducing the next conference speaker from NCUA. It was, indeed, an honor to be part of this wonderful event!

CrossState Chapter Leaders’ Summit

It was business and pleasure, as Vizo Financial’s VP of sales, marketing and education, Jaime Agostino, attended the CrossState Chapter Leaders’ Summit reception on August 20-21, 2024, in Lancaster, Pa. She even got to play a few rounds of skee-ball with attendees at the events’ totally rad Silverball Retro Arcade!

Lancaster & Harrisburg Chapter Baseball Event

Our very own sports guru and corporate account manager, Ty Snavely, was part of the co-hosted Lancaster & Harrisburg chapters baseball night on August 25, 2024, at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pa. It was an appreciation event for credit unions that featured a game between the Lancaster Stormers and Long Island Ducks, dinner and lots of fun.

South Central Chapter Meet & Greet

Jaime Agostino headed to Mount Laurel, N.J., on August 28, 2024, for the South Central Chapter Meet and Greet. It was her first time attending a New Jersey chapter meeting since her time as a corporate account manager many years ago, so she was thrilled to be back and getting to know fellow credit union professionals!

Fall Leadership Conference

Ty Snavely, corporate account manager; Ashley Aubele, core solutions account manager; and Erin Doan, VP of administration, all attended the CrossState Credit Union Association’s Fall Leadership Conference at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Seven Springs, Pa., from September 5-7, 2024. We had a great time connecting with credit union professionals during the “speed dating” event and showing off our skills during cornhole!

Expand Expo 2024

On September 8-12, 2024, corporate account managers, Robyn Cooper and Ty Snavely, represented Vizo Financial at Horizon Federal Credit Union’s Expand Expo in Hershey, Pa. We appreciate everyone who came to our booth and played Vizo Financial trivia! And with that, we’re pleased to announce Bethany Boutwell, branch manager at All In CU, as the winner of the trivia game. Thanks for playing, Bethany!

MD|DC Credit Union Association Tech Summit

Technology took center stage at the MD|DC Credit Union Association’s Tech Summit at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., on September 10-11, 2024. Luckily, our very own Joe Reiner, corporate account manager, and Mark Wasilewski, application development manager were there to represent Vizo Financial. Looking good, guys!

Small CU Collaborate Meeting

Ashley Aubele, core solutions account manager, attended the virtual Small CU Collaborate meeting held by the CrossState Credit Union Association on September 11, 2024.

Financial Conference

Vizo Financial held our highly-anticipated Financial Conference at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, N.C., on September 11-13, 2024. The conference provided useful and relevant financial education for credit unions as presented by experts from the Federal Home Loan Bank, Raymond James, FHN Financial and more, as well as plenty of networking opportunities. This was one of our biggest years for the conference and we look forward to next year’s event! Feel free to save the date for next year’s Financial Conference on September 10-12, 2025, at the Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C.

MD|DC Foundation Friend-Raiser

On September 12, Joe Reiner, corporate account manager, and Erin Doan, VP of administration, attended the Credit Union Foundation of MD|DC’s Friend-Raiser event in support of scholarships, grants and financial literacy at the Guinness brewery in Halethorpe, Md. Vizo Financial was a sponsor of the event, which was made incredibly unique by seeing our logo on each glass of Guinness…how neat is that?

Homebase CU Charity Golf Outing

On September 13, 2024, corporate account manager, Joe Reiner, showed Vizo Financial’s support for Homebase Credit Union’s charity by participating in their golf outing at Fort Gregg-Adams Army base in Petersburg, Va. Thanks for letting us be part of this event for a great cause!

Run to Victory

Jaime Agostino and Robyn Cooper spent some time at Victory Junction, a camp for children with illnesses and disabilities, in Randleman, N.C., for their annual Run to Victory event. On September 13, Jaime and Robyn attended the delicious spaghetti dinner, followed by the 5k Run/Walk and Fun Run event on September 14. Vizo Financial was a Victory Lane sponsor for the event, which raised more than $116,000. We are proud to have been part of this wonderful event that supports kids in need!

PSECU Charity Golf Outing

Chief engagement officer, Rodney May, and corporate account manager, Steve Houser, hit the links along with Kevin Linden, First Capital FCU, and Matt White, Blue Chip FCU, during the PSECU charity golf outing on September 13, 2024.

CrossState Credit Union Association South Jersey Chapter Dinner

One of our economic experts (and our very own portfolio strategist), Roger Heidlebaugh – along with VP of sales, marketing and education, Jaime Agostino and Ty Snavely, corporate account manager – attended the South Jersey Chapter dinner on September 18 and gave an informative economic update. We also gave away a coffee gift basket at the event to our very special winner, Daniel Murphy from First Harvest CU. Congratulations, Daniel!

DefenseStorm Readiness 2024

John Cuneo, VP of information security, and Grant Hagenberger, networking engineer, attended our partner, DefenseStorm’s, Readiness 2024 event and accepted a 2024 Community of Trust Award for Championing the Cause. Thank you for this honor, DefenseStorm!

MACUMA Leadership Conference

On September 16-18, Vizo Financial’s Joe Reiner, along with Jaime Agostino, attended the Metropolitan Area Credit Union Management Association (MACUMA) 66^th annual Leadership Conference at The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pa. They enjoyed seeing all the friendly faces at the Chocolate Town Welcome Reception. Thanks to everyone who stopped at the Vizo Financial table and got a chance to talk with our social butterfly, Joe!

Kathleen Fey Leadership Program Golf Tournament

Jaime Agostino, VP of sales, marketing and education; Tim Sustak, SVP/chief treasury officer; Bill Coleman, securities safekeeping specialist; Steve Houser, corporate account manager; and Anthony Greco, product manager of payments and consumer technology, had a blast at the annual Kathleen Fay Leadership Program Golf Tournament held on September 20, 2024. The tournament raised $18,000 for The Leadership Program. Such a fun event!

People First Golf Classic

Can you tell we like to golf? Ty Snavely, corporate account manager, joined in the fun at People First FCU’s annual Golf Classic at the Woodstone Country Club in Danielsville, Pa., on September 23, 2024. The tournament raised money to support Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley and Battle Borne. Thanks FORE the great time, People First!

VACUL CEO Summit

Our well-traveled VP of sales, marketing and education, Jaime Agostino, attended the Virginia Credit Union League’s CEO Summit in Hot Springs, Va., on September 25-27, 2024. The group had a great time networking during the wine tasting.

Chartway Promise Foundation Swings for Smiles

Joe Reiner, corporate account manager, participated in the Chartway Promise Foundation’s Swings for Smiles charity golf event on September 30, 2024, at the Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club in Virginia Beach, Va. The tournament was held to raise money and “make wishes and dreams come to life for medically fragile children and their families.”

Where will we be next, you ask? You can find us at:

InnoVAte Conference

October 9-11, 2024 in Virginia Beach, Va.
Who to Look For: Jaime Agostino

APEX 2024

October 16-18, 2024 in Uncasville, Conn.
Who to Look For: Jaime Agostino, Rodney May & Scott Wood

CrossState CU Reality Check

October 28-30, 2024 in Atlantic City, N.J.
Who to Look For: Ty Snavely & Steve Houser

Payments Conference

November 5-6, 2024 – Virtual

A Capital Affair Gala

November 7, 2024 in Washington D.C.
Who to Look For: Jaime Agostino

Night of Miracles Gala

November 13, 2024 in Tampa, Fl.
Who to Look For: Jaime Agostino & Robyn Cooper

INSPIRE Conference

November 13-15, 2024 in Tampa, Fl.
Who to Look For: Jaime Agostino & Robyn Cooper

CEO Summit

December 10-13, 2024 in Key West, Fla.
Who to Look For: Fred Eisel, Jaime Agostino & Steve Houser