MACU for You Newsletter

The Mid American Board of Directors has announced that Kayla Stading, currently the vice president of information systems and member experience at MACU, will succeed Brad Herzet as the next president and CEO of the credit union, effective February 2027.

Herzet, who has been leading MACU since 2017, had announced to the board in 2025, when it started succession planning, that he intended to retire in February 2027.

“Upon Brad’s notification, the board began assessing potential candidates to be the next leader,” said board chair Becky Bouska, on behalf of the Board of Directors. “We were very pleased and excited that our search, through evaluation of our identified strategic risks and opportunities, led us to some great internal candidates who have a thorough understanding of the culture, people, risks, opportunities and operations of the credit union. It has been the board’s intention from the beginning to make this decision as soon as possible to allow as much time as we could for a smooth and cohesive transition in anticipation of Brad’s stated time frame.”

To help ensure a smooth and seamless transition, Stading will work with Herzet and others until she moves into her new leadership role.

Stading, who has a master’s in organizational leadership from Fort Hays State University, first started at Mid-American as a member service representative in August 2012 and held various positions over the next decade, including serving more than five years as director of information systems and training, before joining the Kentucky-based Abound Credit Union in December 2022. She returned to Mid American in April 2024 as director of operational initiatives. In December 2024, she was promoted to her current role.

“Her knowledge of the strategic risks that face Mid American Credit Union going forward and her understanding of Mid American’s culture and operational prowess will, undoubtedly, make her a great leader for everyone on this journey,” Bouska said.

By Brad Herzet, president/CEO

For two of our branches and the members who use those locations, our 90^th year of service is turning out to be a banner year.

The renovation and improvements at our Arkansas City branch have been completed, and we are kicking off a more extensive remodel of our South Wichita branch.

The remodels represent a vast improvement in the work environment for our employees and for the members who stop by.

At the Arkansas City branch, we removed the north side of the building, completely remodeled the lobby, improved the parking lot and reconfigured the drive-through lane.

Our South Wichita branch, located at 31st and Meridian, is getting a very long overdue makeover. We opened that branch about 30 years ago, in a building that had been a gas station. Once finished, it will look like our other Wichita branch locations, with the signature curved front facade, and visiting members will find significantly better and easier accessible parking. The branch will also have a detached drive-through service island. We will still provide services during the remodel.

This year marks Mid American's 90th anniversary —nearly a century of serving Kansans and their communities. We've made steady growth in the decades since, merging with smaller credit unions in communities outside of Wichita to keep those services available and expanding opportunities for other groups to join as members. 

Plans are underway to celebrate this huge milestone throughout 2026! Our first promotion, Dream Escape Promotion, ended March 9, 2026. The prizewinner of a $5,000 travel voucher from Sunflower Travel is Erica.

The next major giveaway to celebrate our 90^th anniversary of service will take you from the backyard to the backroads. Between May 1-31, 2026, members and non-members can enter a drawing for a Kawasaki 2025 NAV® 4e Limited personal transportation vehicle, as equipped, with a verifiable retail value of $19,043.84. One entry per person. Official rules will be available on Mid American’s website, social media channels and inside lobbies.

No one wants to be the victim of fraud, and financial fraudsters will exploit that very fear to carry out their scams.

One of the top ways in which they try to gain access to your financial accounts is by posing as your financial institution to trick you into providing personal information. With an account takeover scam, once they’re in, you’re locked out.

How does it happen

It usually starts with a fake text or email claiming to be from MidAmerican Credit Union or another financial institution, with a warning about a suspicious transaction. For example, it might ask: “Did you authorize a payment in the amount of $500?” and ask you to either click on a link or send a reply.

To carry the ruse even further, they’ll call you directly, pretending to handle the unauthorized activity. They’ll ask you for additional personal information so they can complete the account takeover, such as asking for your login credentials or security code and asking you to verify your account information.

How to stay safe

It can be hard to ignore a text, email or call warning you about suspicious account activity, but that’s the first step.

Don’t take the actions requested in suspicious messages. Don’t click on links, don’t reply to text messages and don’t call the numbers listed. Legitimate, trusted financial institutions like Mid American Credit Union will never ask you to provide personal or financial information via texts, emails or even phone calls.

Here’s what else you can do to stop an account takeover:

• Contact MACU’s Member Contact Center right away at 316-722-3921 if you suspect your account is compromised or you have given out account or card information. 
• Report suspicious messages to the Federal Trade Commission (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov)
• When in doubt, don't give it out.
• Regularly review your account transactions and utilize features like notifications and Card Manager through your Mid American account dashboard.

By Debbie Stang, Home Loan Officer

As your home increases in value, the equity built up in your home can give you some financial flexibility and open doors to some different options, from making home improvements to paying down debt or even giving yourself a break.

To determine your home’s equity, take the current market or appraised value of your home and minus what you owe on your home mortgage; what remains is your home equity. That equity can be converted into either a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit (a HELOC), providing you with a source of funds to use toward other financial goals.

A home equity loan is often called a second mortgage and is paid out in one lump sum. As a line of credit, a HELOC can give you more flexibility if you’d like to have funds to draw from over time.

Two popular uses for home equity loans and HELOCs are making upgrades or renovations to your home or consolidating higher-interest debt.

HELOCs can be a more attractive option if you’re financing projects that may be spread out, such as home improvements. If you want to better manage your debt by consolidating several high-interest loans or credit card debts into a single, lower-interest loan, a home equity loan is a better option. Home equity loans have some of the lowest rates among personal loans, and at Mid American, you can borrow as much as 90% of your home’s equity.

Here is how you can calculate what you can borrow with a home equity loan or HELOC:

• Appraised value of home (per property tax appraisals): $250,000
• 90% of that equals: $225,000
• Minus current mortgage balance: $75,000
• Available equity: $150,000

Here’s a comparison of the two ways you can access your home’s equity.

Traditional Second Mortgage / Home Equity Loan

• Receive a lump sum of money once approved
• Competitive, fixed interest rates
• Make equal monthly payments until the loan is paid off
• Can be used for any purpose, including consolidating higher interest debt
• Home equity interest charges may be tax deductible. Consult your financial advisor for more information.

Home Equity Line of Credit

• Get a line of credit you can tap into as often as you like for pretty much any reason
• Access funds with an Equity Access Visa card, through cash advances or a bank/cashier’s check or transfers via online or mobile banking
• Pay interest only on the amount of money in use
• As you repay funds to the credit line, they can be used again for other purposes
• Variable interest rate, tied to the Wall Street Journal 

 To view loan rates or start your mortgage loan application process, visit midamerican.coop/home-equity-loan-application.

If you’d like to discuss any of Mid American’s mortgage products, please call 316-722-3921 and ask for either me or LeeAnn Marker in mortgages, or email debbies@midamerican.coop or leeannm@midamerican.coop.

Semiretirement is a transitional phase between full-time work and complete retirement, allowing individuals to reduce their work hours or shift to less demanding roles while still earning an income. It’s an increasingly popular option for those who aren’t quite ready (or financially able) to stop working entirely but want more flexibility and time for personal pursuits.

Semiretirement can take various forms, depending on an individual’s goals and financial needs. Some people scale back hours at their current job while others transition to part-time roles, freelance work, consulting or even starting a small business. Key advantages of semiretirement include:

• Financial security. Provides a continued income, which helps preserve savings and delay drawing down retirement accounts.
• Mental and physical well-being. Promotes well-being by maintaining a routine and sense of purpose through part-time work.
• Flexibility. Allows for more personal time without fully giving up the benefits of working.
• Gradual transition. Eases the psychological shift from a career-focused life to full retirement.

A Six-Step Plan for Achieving Semiretirement

Successful semiretirement requires careful financial and lifestyle planning, including:

1. Financial assessment. Evaluate your current savings, retirement accounts and income needs. Calculate how much you need to supplement your retirement savings with part-time work.
2. Flexible income streams: Identify potential income sources, such as consulting, part-time employment or nonretirement investment accounts, to ensure you’re financially secure.
3. Healthcare coverage. Consider how you’ll maintain health insurance, especially if you leave a full-time job with benefits. Options might include Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA), spousal coverage or private insurance.
4. Social Security strategy. Delaying Social Security benefits can increase your monthly amount later. Decide whether to claim early or wait.
5. Skill assessment and career pivot. If you’re planning to shift industries or take on freelance work, upskill or retrain as needed before scaling back.
6. Lifestyle adjustments. Practice living on a semiretirement budget to see if it’s sustainable.

By planning, you can create a flexible, fulfilling lifestyle that bridges the gap between full-time work and complete retirement.

At Mid American, LPL Financial Advisor Jessica Brokaw is available to assist you with investment, retirement and legacy planning. Contact her at Jessica.Brokaw@LPL.com or 316-779-0800.

 Informational Sources: Fidelity: “Guide to Working Less and Living More” (November 18, 2024); Smart Asset: “What Is Semi-Retirement and How Do You Do It? (May 29, 2024).

LPL Financial and its advisors are only offering educational services and cannot offer participants investment advice specific to their particular needs. If you are seeking investment advice specific to your needs, such advisory services must be obtained on your own separate from this educational material.

©2025 Kmotion, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is a publication of Kmotion, Inc., whose role is solely that of publisher. The articles and opinions in this newsletter are those of Kmotion. The articles and opinions are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Nothing in this publication shall be construed as providing investment counseling or directing employees to participate in any investment program in any way. Please consult your financial advisor or other appropriate professional for further assistance with regard to your individual situation.