Thanks, Dan

As a finance expert, Dan Bower knows numbers inside and out.

But as a member of Adirondack Regional FCU’s board of directors, our members often tell him the thing they value most about us can’t be measured on a balance sheet:

The relationship they have with our people.

As Bower plans to step down from the board in July after over 12 years of service, he says he’s come to realize how much people appreciate banking at an institution where tellers can bring up their accounts before they even get to the window. “People in our community—and communities like ours—really love that individual touch,” he says. 

And that connection with community really sets the credit union apart, Bower says.

“Look at the things from the donations that we make, working with Kiwanis on an Easter egg hunt, the college scholarships we give out every June to kids and all throughout the year,” says Bower, who is stepping down at the same time he retires as the Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES’ assistant superintendent for district finance and operations. “I just love the idea of making loans in the same communities where people deposit their money. That’s community, right? And that’s how it should be, in my opinion.”

That service-oriented mindset was most evident during COVID, Bower says. At a deeply uncertain time, the credit union was able to secure loans that helped many businesses survive. In fact, he says, navigating that ordeal is the proudest memory he has of his tenure. 

“We not only weathered the storms, but we helped others through the storm,” he says. “We didn’t panic. We didn’t wring our hands. We helped local businesses and others handle what was coming.” 

Members will have the opportunity to elect two members to the credit union's board at this year’s annual meeting on Monday, May 13, at 6 p.m. at The Clubhouse at Tupper Lake Golf Club. Light appetizers will be served; RSVP by May 3. Get more information.