ALWAYS LEARNING Dan Patterson Tackles Changing Environment

from Midlands Business Journal September 23, 2022

BUILDING COMMUNITY LEADERS Community Involvement Increases Leadership Potential

Always Learning

DAN PATTERSON TACKLES CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

DAN PATTERSON, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, COBALT CREDIT UNION.

While Dan Patterson says he has always been interested in math, it was a class he took his senior year of high school that opened the door to a career in finance.

“I needed one more class to fill my schedule,” he said. “There was an accounting class, and I thought it was just more balancing a checkbook and didn’t think there’d be a whole lot to it. And that was my first exposure to accounting, and I just absolutely loved it.”

In fact, he changed his major to accounting during his freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Today, Patterson is the director of finance for Cobalt Credit Union where he puts his love for numbers to work in a capacity to lead fellow employees.

Patterson grew up in Norfolk, Nebraska, and double majored in finance and accounting at UNL. After graduation, he started working at Fiserv in Lincoln.

He furthered his education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration from Bellevue University as well as becoming a licensed CPA in the state of Nebraska.

“Taking the step to invest in yourself with education I think is certainly critical for a financial role or financial position,” he said.

“Passing my CPA exam, that was something that I wanted to do, and you know, just being able to sit for the exam, you have to have at least 150 college credits, and then the exam itself is certainly not easy to pass.”

With new knowledge under his belt, Patterson went to work at what is now Cobalt Credit Union, where he has been for the last 12 years.

Doing What’s Best

produce high-quality work.

“My parents always said, ‘you got to do the right thing when nobody’s looking,’” he said. “And I think I’ve kind of got that ingrained into my work ethic, that even if my boss isn’t sitting right here, I want to make sure that I’m doing what’s best and leading by example for my employees or just other people whom I work with.”

Communication has played a key role in Patterson’s position, and he believes it’s an imperative skill for members of the financial world.

“I think no matter what stage in your career, there’s always more that you can be learning, whether it’s new things for regulations, better ways to do things, looking at numbers a different way, or being able to explain them to non-number people,” he said. “I think that’s really important in my role. I can look at numbers and interpret them … and communicate why it’s important.” Patterson also works to adapt to new changes in the banking industry and bring new, innovative techniques to his position. “I think I always just wanted to be innovative and try to look at things differently,” he said. “The way the world was five years ago is certainly not the same way that things are operating today.”

Patterson hopes to one day be CEO of a credit union. For now, he hopes to help inspire the people he works with and better the credit union.

Outside of the banking world, Patterson stays active in his community as a board member for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha and volunteering with the Nebraska Diaper Bank.

MEMBER spotlight:

It’s really nice to have a group of people I can count on and go to for feedback, help, support ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing and encouragement. They want to see me elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor succeed and I want to see them succeed. invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam

erat, sed diam voluptua. SARAH LINDEN, FOUNDER AND CEO,

GENERATION V E-CIGARETTES AND VAPE BAR

EXPANSIVE REACH

GENERATION V OFFERS ALTERNATIVE TO SMOKING

BY GABBY HELLBUSCH

Founding Generation V E-Cigarettes and Vape Bar

was a personal matter for Sarah Linden, who lost her grandmother to lung cancer and nearly lost her father to smoking-related illness. Because of this, Linden set out to offer an alternative that would help people stop smoking.

Since opening in December 2013, the business has grown significantly with multiple locations across Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa, which sell a vast selection of vape products including pod systems, vaporizers, tanks, mech mods and e-liquid. Many products help with ailments such as insomnia, epilepsy and chronic pain.

“We try to create personal experiences for guests,” Linden said. “It’s not about selling a product; it’s about positively impacting a person’s life even for a few moments.”

Culture is also very important to Linden, who aims to recruit like-minded individuals who are energetic and positive.

As a business owner, Linden has found that having a trusted support system is paramount. As an EO Nebraska member for the past five years, Linden said the organization has offered a platform to build relationships with fellow entrepreneurs.

“It’s really nice to have a group of people I can count on and go to for feedback, help, support and encouragement,” Linden said. “They want to see me succeed and I want to see them succeed.”

According to Linden, the network of business owners was especially helpful during the pandemic. The group discussed guidelines and successful ways to pivot during a trying time.

Generation V continues to expand rapidly, Linden said, which means more people in different areas will be able to access products and services.

“Something that motivates me is developing team members and watching them progress in their careers,” Linden said. “As we grow, there’s more opportunities for them to step into new roles. That’s what drives the growth — being able to offer those opportunities to people.”

Address: 327 N. 78th Street, Omaha, NE 68114 (This is the central Omaha address. There are many locations across the state.) Phone: 531-466-2667 (Central Omaha phone number) Website: www.generationv.com Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

FORE! LOOKOUT

EO NEBRASKA IS HITTING THE LINKS!

Get three of your best EO colleagues and hit the golf course in the 2nd Annual EO Golf Outing September 29th.

This a great opportunity for EO Nebraska members and Strategic Alliance Partners to spend the day enjoying one of the last days of summer on one of Nebraska’s finest golf courses, Woodland Hills Golf Course.

Start off with lunch at 11 A.M., then a shotgun start at noon. Non-handicap winners after 18 holes. Handicap shootout after 18 holes. Four-hole shootout for the best four scores.

Dinner to follow starting between 6-6:30 P.M.

Want to golf with other Nebraska entrepreneurs or be a EO Strategic Alliance Sponsor? Contact EO Nebraska Marketing & Communication Chair, Craig Gubbels, eocraiggubbels@gmail.com