The DE Difference: Mark Volz

Name: Mark Volz

Organization: CU Strategic Planning

Title: Director of Business Development

When did you attend DE Training: November 2019, The Best Class Ever

Why did you decide to attend DE training? Because Pat Wesenberg said, it was a good idea. Funny story: when my ask finally got to my CEO to approve, Pat was Hiking the Hill with him, and Christopher Morris (who ended up facilitating my CUDE), and my former CEO asked both, “Do you know what this CUDE is?” And the rest is history.

What were your thoughts about DE training before you arrived/attended? I thought I knew everything about credit unions, and I was there to network and have a good time.  And was I wrong about that.

How did DE change you? DE changed my life so much I’ll stick to two examples:

• First, it gave me a network of like-minded people who want to leave this world as a better place. And I specifically want to thank a core group of my network, my tablemates, the Plastics. Still, some of my best friends, seven years later.
• Two, it taught me more about why people struggle and gave me a new vantage point that I did not see before, specifically, how housing insecurity is a challenge in the US and worldwide.

What were your top three takeaways from DE training?

• Meet people where they are, and don’t “Should” on them.
• Listening is more important than being the loudest or most intelligent person in the room.
• None of us is as strong as ALL OF US.

How did you incorporate what you learned at DE into your job? At CU Strategic Planning, we help credit unions get grant funds to low-income and disadvantaged communities. So, everything I learned in DE, we can usually write a grant around a development issue and help get the capital needed to either start or advance the work on that development issue in their community.

What is your DE project? 

My life is basically a DE project at this point, but the one I am specifically working on is leading a trip to El Salvador for Habitat for Humanity on March 21st. We will be helping build two homes, and I will get to share more about what we do on the community development side here in the US.

Last October, I spoke with some people from El Salvador Habitat for Humanity employees. I told them we do, and they were interested to hear more. So, we will discuss how financial institutions and non-profits work together in America to help solve more than just affordable housing, food insecurity, workplace development, or education.