Coming off the long Memorial Day weekend, I realized something: The month of May is galactically significant to sports fans on Earth, particularly here in North America. My cranium typically enters sports mode in the fall and winter; however, after witnessing some recent games, events and races, I am confident that May will join my favorite times of year for athletics.
Most recently, we had the Indianapolis 500 automobile race with cars sporting 700+ horsepower engines – I may not understand the pitting and fuel strategies of which the announcers spoke, but I recognize a record-breaking photo finish when I see it! Earlier this month, we saw another feat for the ages, again involving horsepower; however, this was the power of a single horse that galloped from last place to first in the Kentucky Derby. There are also playoff games in both professional basketball and hockey, not to mention the traditional spring sports that include baseball, soccer and golf.
As I watched all these events from the comfortable confines of my spaceship, I found myself enjoying the post-game/race interviews even more than the spectacles themselves. I believe the reason for this is that while the winners were all grateful for the congratulations and accolades being sent their way, they were just as quick to pass much of the credit along to their teams behind the scenes. The coaches, trainers, colleagues, family and friends – while they all couldn’t possibly fit together in the winner’s circle, they deserve the shoutouts and recognition for making these victories possible.
I thought a fitting ending to this thrilling and exciting month of May would be to highlight a huge victory that myCUmortgage celebrated just last week during the 2026 Gem City Awards, hosted by the Dayton Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. During the awards ceremony, myCUmortgage was called to the winner’s circle not once, not twice and no, not even three times; the experts of myCUmortgage took home FOUR awards, which were more individual category awards than any other organization represented at the ceremony.
First and foremost, congratulations to all the experts at myCUmortgage who took part in making these awards come to fruition. There were MANY, to be sure, including Britton, Kevin, Bob, Tiffany, Evan, Paul, Jeremy, the entire Sales Team, Tom and our friends at The Ohlmann Group. Kudos to everyone for a job well done.
Second, I’d like to tell you about each of the comprehensive solutions that were recognized during the awards and what they mean to our partner credit unions and their members.
2025 myCUmortgage Partner Conference: The 20th Annual myCUmortgage Partner Conference welcomed representatives from partner credit unions across the country to participate in its annual showcase event. The conference featured two-and-a-half days of insights, information, education and networking delivered by mortgage industry experts, including hands-on sessions and an awards program recognizing the best in credit union mortgage lending.
myCUmortgage’s goal was to facilitate a conference that would help partners become great mortgage lenders, inviting them to embrace innovation and new opportunities in today’s mortgage landscape – all with a touch of 1920s glamour and optimism. Conference attendees entered An Era of Possibilities so that they could help more members pursue the American dream of homeownership.
Partner credit unions are encouraged to attend this year’s event, cleverly themed, Cruising Into Mortgage Success: Charting the Course for Growth, Opportunity & Smarter Lending. It’s a can’t miss event – Click Here to learn more and register at the Early Bird rate!
Direct-to-Member Marketing Program: For many years, myCUmortgage has invested in and provided solutions to our partner credit unions to assist them in marketing their mortgage businesses to their members. And for years, these solutions have not been utilized to their full extent. In early 2025, myCUmortgage determined that while new marketing solutions were needed, the only guarantee we had that our partners would use the new programs would be if we ran them ourselves on behalf of the credit unions. That’s when the Direct-to-Member Marketing Program was conceptualized.
Created to raise awareness of the credit unions and their mortgage business while educating members on the home loan process, the program is comprised of several elements, including email drip campaigns, printed collateral, video and digital materials. Over its 10-month run in 2025, the email campaigns saw an average open rate of 24 percent. Additionally, campaign materials have earned positive feedback, and we continue to receive comments like this one from participating credit unions: When informed that the initial campaign phase had ended, the PCU said, “We knew that had happened because our phones stopped ringing!” Learn more about the program by Clicking Here!
Carolinas Credit Union League Video: What started as a good opportunity turned out to be the development of a powerful brand marketing piece that could be repurposed throughout the year! In April 2025, myCUmortgage started initial preparations for the upcoming Carolinas Credit Union League Annual Meeting when we received the call that we were provided with the chance to submit a video that would be shown during the event. After some quick brainstorming with the Sales Team, the myCUmortgage Marketing Team leapt into action, working with The Ohlmann Group to build a unique and dynamic video showcasing the company and its key offerings to credit union mortgage lenders.
The video was a hit at the CCUL Annual Meeting, but that wasn’t the last time the video would be seen. It was provided in its entirety via several online sites, and segments of it were used to develop a new digital marketing campaign. Plus, it saw great exposure during a second trade show later in the year. Indeed, Mortgages ARE Big Business, and this digital masterpiece helped drive that message through the remainder of the year! Check it out for yourself!
Mort the Mortgage Mentor’s Blog: Hey, that’s me! Since myCUmortgage’s rebranding initiative and new website launch in 2018, I’ve provided this blog featuring timely and insightful posts centered around the credit union mortgage industry. As a home loan aficionado from the planet Amicitia, I cater to the blog’s primary audience consisting of mortgage specialists from our 200 partner credit unions as well as prospective partner credit unions.
Last year, the myCUmortgage Marketing Team launched an awareness and readership campaign with a primary focus on providing more relevant and impactful writing. The purpose of this campaign: To improve readership and email metrics while positioning myCUmortgage as a thought leader in credit union mortgage lending through informative and enjoyable posts.
The posts in 2025 included ways loan originators can market more effectively to members and potential borrowers; strategies for navigating uncertainty; and assisting more members with homeownership through the “credit union way of doing business.” I’ve been told the posts were fun, informative and out of this world – I hope you continue to enjoy them! Please share your thoughts in the comments section below – the best way to keep the blog strong and fresh is by hearing from you!
As this exciting month of May winds down, there’s still time for YOU to join the winner’s circle. You can do that in several different ways: register for the Partner Conference, sign your credit union up for the Direct-to-Member Marketing Program and encourage your colleagues to subscribe to this blog. And if you’re a prospective credit union partner, get excited to be a part of an award-winning family and take advantage of our spectacular comprehensive solutions! THIS is How We Mortgage!