Annual Meeting
Join us in-person or via live-stream video on February 19, 2025 for our 72nd Annual Meeting.
Join us in-person or virtually!
The annual meeting will be held in person on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 with a virtual option for those who want to attend from home or another location. During the meeting, you will hear progress reports and exciting plans for 2025. In addition, we will have our traditional cash drawing for all participants attending in-person or virtually.
The meeting will be held at the Volm Theatre inside the Antigo High School, 1900 West 10th Ave., Antigo.
Registration starts at 6 pm. You can register when you arrive, or preregister prior to the meeting.
Pre-register by Fri., Feb. 14, 2025 to receive an email on Mon., Feb. 17 with instructions and a link to the virtual meeting. The email will come from from email@email.covantagecu.org.
You can also attend the virtual meeting without registering in advance by using the link that will be added to this page the day of the meeting.
Once you successfully enter the virtual meeting, your name will be included in the prize drawing. All participants will be muted during the meeting.
We sponsor buses from the following areas: Rib Mountain, Stevens Point, Shawano, Rhinelander, Elcho, Crandon, Iron River, Crystal Falls, Menominee, and Appleton to bring members to the Annual Meeting. The buses depart from branch parking lots; departure times vary.
To reserve your seat, register online or call call 800-398-2667.
Board of Directors Election
The nominating committee is presenting three individuals for the open seats in this year's election to the board of directors. Qualifications of these nominees are provided below. Other eligible members may be nominated by means of petition provided the requirements presented below are met. If no additional nominees are advanced by petition, the members present at the annual meeting will be asked to cast a unanimous ballot for the committee's selections. Directors will serve a term of three years.
Board Nominations by Petition
Any member who wishes to be placed in nomination for a board opening may do so by submitting a written petition. Nominees must have been a member for one year prior to December 31, 2024, and must be eligible to vote. Said petition should include a signed and dated statement of willingness to serve, along with qualifications. The petition must be signed by at least 50 CoVantage members who are eligible to vote. The deadline for petitions is January 24, 2025. Send petitions to: CoVantage Credit Union, ATTN: Chairman, PO Box 107, Antigo, WI 54409.
Election
If there are individuals nominated by petition, members may vote in one of two ways:
- By ballot in person at the annual meeting, February 19.
- By voting on online beginning on February 3 with the last day of voting on February 14. For more information, watch your email, visit this page, or look for an announcement in our lobby.
Director Candidates
Julie Berndt
Julie is the current Secretary of the CoVantage Board of Directors and has served on the CoVantage Board for three years. Julie has been a CoVantage member for 33 years. She is the Owner and President of Johnson Electric Coil Company and is responsible for the overall operations of the business. She also is a member of the company's board of directors.
Julie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a Master of Science degree in Operations and Supply Chain Management. She is currently a board member of the NTC Foundation and past member of the Antigo/Langlade County Chamber of Commerce.
Julie believes that her education and work experience has taught her to think strategically, be proactive, and adapt to ever-changing conditions, while staying true to her organization's mission and values, which will benefit CoVantage Credit Union, its board and our community.
Julie and her husband have two children and three grandchildren.
Dennis Haltinner
Dennis is currently chairman of the CoVantage Board of Directors and has served on the CoVantage board for six years. Dennis has previously held the position of Treasurer and Vice Chair. He served on the CentralAlliance Credit Union board prior to the merger with CoVantage in 2019. He has been a member for 42 years.
Dennis is a retired technology professional. He previously worked at Blyth, Inc. as a VP Chief Information Officer, where he was responsible for all aspects of global information technology and managed development and infrastructure teams in Europe and North America. He was also employed at Kimberly-Clark in numerous management positions. Dennis earned a bachelor's degree from Lawrence University-Appleton, a master's degree from University of Kentucky-Lexington, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Dennis is currently Treasurer of the Kimberly Community Band and from 2016 to 2022 was a volunteer tax preparer for low income individuals and families through the IRS VITA program. In the past, he was a member of the Computer Science Advisory Board at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, the Economics and Management Information Systems Advisory Board at UW-Oshkosh, the Executive Advisory Board with Junction Solutions, and the Appleton School District Technology Advisory Committee.
Dennis’ grandfather was the president of a small credit union and he instilled in Dennis a passion for the special nature and mission of credit unions.
Dennis and his wife, have three children and two grandchildren.
Eugene Shawano
Eugene has been a CoVantage member for 30 years and has served on the board for ten years. He previously held the position of secretary. Currently, Eugene is the Administrator for the Forest County Potawatomi Education Division and is responsible for three area school districts to guide students to success and the operational activities.
Previously he owned a consulting business, which helped youth and young adults dealing with addictions. He has dedicated his time with Midwest Indian Mission working to assist homeless clients get back on their feet. Eugene was past administrator for the Forest County Potawatomi Community where he worked for 18 years dealing with many aspects of business, budgets, and program management.
Eugene believes his experience will contribute to his success as a director because he works for the people and has spent his entire life trying to make a difference in the lives of both the youth and adults in his community. Eugene states “Family means the world to me like all families should. I believe I can do a great job for CoVantage members, because I have a deep faith that will guide me to do what is best for all.”
Eugene and his wife, reside in Argonne.