MADISON, Wis. – CUES is getting a positive response with more than 32 requests so far from volunteers to join a newly formed Directors Advisory Panel, according to CUES officials. "I think that's quite good and demonstrates the interest of volunteers in helping guide educational opportunities for fellow directors," said Rose Bartolomucci, CUES' chairman, and president/CEO of Kent Credit Union in Ohio. CUES announced in January its plan to organize the advisory panel through the appointment of seven members drawn from the existing Directors Educational Forum. The panelists would then be asked to come up with suggestions or topics for CUES' educational curriculum. "We want to find out what are the most pressing needs of volunteers," said Bartolomucci. The suggestions from the advisory panel would be passed on to the CUES staff for inclusion in education seminars and programming. The advisory panel will meet twice yearly, during two director-designed events: CUES annual convention in June in San Francisco and its Directors Conference in December in Phoenix. Panel members will receive a free registration to each of these events. "Last December at CUES' Directors Conference, board members told us they value networking with colleagues and want to see education on a variety of topics," said Linda Stemper-Johnson, senior vice president and chief operating officer of CUES. Those subjects included governance and the role of the board, education for new board members, fiduciary responsibilities, and compliance issues. Creation of the advisory panel, said Bartolomucci, reflects the continuing national interest by volunteers in becoming more involved in providing more input into the direction of trade groups, both state and national. Bartolomucci acknowledged that CUES had several years ago formed a volunteer panel advising the CUES board but it was later abandoned. One member of that panel, who asked not to be identified, said the members suggested the panel be dropped "because our ideas went nowhere with the board. We were not listened to." Though she was not involved in the previous advisory, the new panel, she said, is being structured differently by gathering and directing advice among forum members and then applying it to the curriculum, she said. The advisory panel, she added, is an outgrowth of strategic planning meetings of CUES leadership last fall. The deadline for submitting requests for appointment on the advisory panel is Feb. 28. [email protected]