Dan Engelhard was recently named 2021 Professional of the Year by the Heartland Credit Union Association (HCUA). Engelhard is chief lending officer (CLO) at $874.2 million asset Mazuma Credit Union in Overland Park, Kan.
Credit Union Magazine recently spoke with Engelhard about his interests inside and outside of his credit union.
Credit Union Magazine: What’s your role at Mazuma?
Dan Engelhard: While my title is CLO and my main mantra is “lotsa loans,” my role is to build relationships and protect our purpose, supporting and serving our team to accomplish our purpose.
Q: What are your favorite aspects of that role?
A: Helping members with their lending needs, especially when they believe there is nothing we can do to help. Supporting and watching our team develop, learn, and grow to further help our members and the communities we serve.
Q: What’s the goal of Mazuma’s Financial Wellness Committee and CU Change Program?
A: The goal is simply to help members, team members, and the community succeed financially. But it’s not that simple. We strive to provide the financial knowledge, instruments, and specific actions that set up financial security, reduce financial stress, and provide freedom to reach financial goals.
The CU Change program is a specific action program aimed at addressing the need for an emergency savings account, currently offered to team members.
Q: How has the pandemic affected your financial wellness efforts?
A: There have been more opportunities to help members, whether through skip-a-pay, forbearance, 0% share-secured loans, or Paycheck Protection Program loans.
We have kicked around whether to continue with a skip-a-pay program as a general offering. But we quickly realized negative amortization scenarios could come in to play which are not great financial wellness situations for members.
