PALM DESERT, Calif.–Credit union leaders here were encouraged by one person to ask more of one simple question: “What if?”
Speaking to the Defense Credit Union Council’s annual meeting, Mike Rayburn, a hall of fame speaker, artist, entrepreneur, offered a presentation that mixed a discussion on “What If” with an artistic and comedic approach to popular music renditions.
Rayburn encouraged attendees to embrace their ideas and goals despite potential challenges, uncertainties, pre-established routines, or the comfort of familiarity and, according to DCUC, he further centered the conversation around th notion that every major invention, accomplishment, and victory in human history began with a simple, “almost childlike curiosity of a ‘What if?’ question.”
Rayburn also entertained with mashups of popular songs while he shared what he said are the simple tools that took him from playing in empty bars to headlining Carnegie Hall several times.
‘Right in Front of You’
“Those possibilities, opportunities, are in front of you right now. You just need to be the one to ‘unriff’ them—and asking, ‘what if,’ is one way how,” Rayburn told the meeting. “When you come across something that seems impossible, what your members, your competition, see as impossible, that’s the time when you ask, ‘What if.’ What if we’re the ones to crack the code?”
Other Conference Highlights
The DCUC meeting featured numerous other highlights, with the CU Daily providing coverage here,here and here.
Those highlights included:
‘Lots of Positive Feedback’
“I’m very pleased with the outcome of this year’s conference,” Anthony Hernandez, DCUC president/CEO, said in a statement. “We had inspiring keynotes and guest speakers who shared valuable insights and perspectives from both the credit union industry and the financial sector as a whole.
“Throughout the week, we received a lot of positive feedback on the discussions, breakout presentations, and overall conference experience. That says a lot to me with a small team running a program this size…” he continued. “I am very proud of the DCUC staff for overcoming many challenges and rising to the occasion. Kudos to Cindy Parker, who has successfully designed and led three amazing DCUC conferences for our members right out of the gate. It fits right in with the theme for this year’s conference: collaboration. Collaborating on advocacy and membership value, new technologies, regulation, and ideas…this was our most ambitious program, and I can’t wait for what is in store as we head to Miami (in 2026) and all the events in between.”
Crashers on Hand
The DCUC Confernce also featured its seventh class of Crashers. The Crashers joined Hernandez on stage at the end of the conference for a group photo and assisted DCUC Sponsor, Risk Strategies, with the grand and guest prize drawings.
‘Conference with a Purpose’ Fundraiser
Hernandez concluded the conference by proudly announcing DCUC’s 2025 Conference with a Purpose raised over $60,000 for Fisher House Foundation, the largest fundraising total in DCUC’s conference fundraiser history.
DCUC said the week’s contributions brought the total funds raised for DCUC’s Conference with a Purpose initiative to $523,000 since 2003.
This year’s fundraiser included an online Silent Auction, the popular 50/50 drawing, and mulligan and gimme string sales during the Annual VADM Vincent Lascara Golf Tournament.
Generous contributions came from DCUC member credit unions— Fort Sill FCU, Global CU, Kirtland FCU, Scott CU, and Tinker FCU—as well as from valued sponsors, TruStage and Earnest Consulting Group (ECG). DCUC and ECG matched the full Silent Auction proceeds.
