TULSA, Okla.–People arrive at credit unions after following a variety of paths. For Dan Bowling, a bust in the oil industry played more than three decades ago.
Below, Mr. Bowling, who is retiring as CIO at the $1.8-billion TTCU Federal Credit Union, shares the insights and lessons learned he has accumulated during his career.
CUToday.info: How did you come to be involved in credit unions?
Bowling: I became involved with TTCU in April of 1984. I started my career in data processing in 1975 one year out of high school. I was fortunate enough to be offered a job learning to be a computer operator. I rapidly had opportunities to advance in my career. I was working for a large company that manufactured oil well drilling rigs. I was responsible for a conversion from one computer platform to another running software specifically designed for manufacturing. In 1984, the oil bust took place in Oklahoma. I found myself being transferred to Odessa, Texas and decided that was not in my best interest. It just so happened that there was a job opening in the newspaper that Tulsa Teacher Credit Union was in search of a Data Processing Supervisor. I knew that TTCU was processing on a hardware platform that I was intimately familiar with. I called some local contacts, got an interview and was offered the position. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined a 34-year career in the industry.
CUToday.info: What have you learned in effectively driving and then managing growth?
Bowling: When I first started TTCU, we were like many other credit unions at that time. The teller lines would extend out the doors and onto the sidewalk. No one seemed to mind and it was like a social gathering on Friday paydays. The loan officers were in cubicles and privacy was non-existent. In 1986 TTCU expanded into a new, 35,000-square-foot building with 17 teller stations. I believe we were at $150 million in assets.
In 1992, we decided it was time to expand our footprint. A promise had been made many a year ago that if and when we built a branch that it would be located it in Tahlequah, Okla., home of North Eastern State University. One of our long-time board members was the president of the university. Since that time, we have grown to 15 branch locations and plan on expanding to a larger geographic area in 2018.
I was a staff of one when I started in 1984. We now have a staff of 12 in IT and another five in the imaging department that report to IT. During this time, I was able to convince the management and the board that computer upgrades were a necessity to support the growth of TTCU. We actually did five mainframe upgrades up to 1994 when we elected to convert to Ultradata. TTCU has continued to update the hardware platform and have moved to VMWare and SANS technology over the years. Managing the growth has been based on demonstrated volumes and service level criteria that is crucial in the IT area and across the organization.
CUToday.info: What have you learned about managing people and has that evolved or changed?
Bowling: Very early on in my career I decided that being a manager was something I had inspirations for; to climb the corporate ladder and be involved in something where I could make a difference. I did attend quite a few courses on the art of managing people. I had a couple of really great mentors both before I started TTCU and after coming to TTCU.
I have found over the years that being a good manager is a lot of work. I have seen good people that make terrible managers, so it is not for everyone. The structure of managing people has become more intentional now that we have a formal training program. Succession planning starts early and is precise in the execution. TTCU has a qualified staff of trainers that has grown in expertise over the last six years.
CUToday.info: If you could go back and talk to yourself on day 1 as CIO, or share advice with a new CU CEO, what would it be?
Bowling: I would talk about why the credit union movement has been so successful. The business model, if executed properly, works. The concept of the generations of savers helping the younger generation of borrowers has always made sense to me. I have seen my own life transition from borrowing for cars, homes, children’s education etc. move to the position of saving for retirement and being fortunate to receive a SERP from TTCU to ensure my wife and I have a chance at a comfortable retirement. The credit union philosophy at its best!
CUToday.info: What is your view on the future of credit unions, if there is to be one?
Bowling: In my opinion, there are really two sides to the story. I have been fortunate to experience a credit union success story. TTCU continues to honor the mission of being the trusted source for financial solutions. I have been part of a dedicated team of professionals with very high standards and the motto of doing what is right is part of every equation of strategic thinking.
I do see a widening of the gap between large and small credit unions. In this case it appears the larger credit unions continue to prosper and grow; the smaller credit unions are under extreme pressure to figure out a way to survive. I believe technology will play a key role in the future of credit unions. If we adapt and partner with strong technology providers we will share success. If we fail to do this we could find the credit union in the same position as many other industries that did not realize the importance of the technology.