CUNA News Podcast

During a recent CUNA News Podcast interview at the 2019 African-American Credit Union Coalition Conference in Charlotte, N.C., NCUA Chairman Rodney Hood discussed the need for financial inclusion, small credit unions, easing credit unions’ regulatory burden, innovation, fintechs, and more.  President Donald Trump nominated Hood for the NCUA Board on Jan. 19, 2019. After confirmation, he took the o...

Faced with the changing demographics of a community coupled with a struggle to repay borrowed secondary capital from the U.S. Treasury, leadership at North Side Community Federal Credit Union knew a merger was in their future.  But they wanted to make sure the merger took place on their own terms.  “We felt our legacy was really important and we didn’t want to see that go away,” says Sarah Marshal...

Young professionals (YP) realize their role entails more than just their daily credit union duties. And they know the movement’s future depends on their involvement in advocacy. “There’s been a massive influx of interest and energy from YPs the last few years,” says Adam Engelman, CUNA’s director of federal grassroots advocacy. “They embody the credit union movement in the sense that they’re passi...

Creating a high-performing team requires, as Tracy Nelson puts it, getting the right people on the bus. That means finding those who not only have the right skills and knowledge, but who fit your credit union’s culture, says Nelson, vice president of learning and development, Center for Professional and Executive Development , at the University of Wisconsin School of Business. “Having the right cu...

The route John DiJulius took to become an authority on world-class service began in the least likely of places: a small hair salon in Cleveland. Due to his obsession with the customer experience, the establishment quickly expanded  to multiple locations, becoming one of America’s top 20 salons. Today, companies such as Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, and Starbucks come to him for insights on improving the cu...

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a top priority of CUNA leadership and its member credit unions. Earlier this year, former CUNA Board Chairman Maurice Smith, president/CEO of $2 billion asset Local Government Federal Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C., proposed adding diversity and inclusion as an eighth cooperative principle . Smith leads a Diversity and Inclusion Ad Hoc Working Grou...

In 2004, leaders of New Light Christian Church in Houston asked Harlene Johnson, a former banker who'd recently moved to the city from Louisiana, to lead the formation of a faith-based credit union. She proved to be more than qualified for the responsibility. Johnson’s banking background—and determination—allowed the credit union to navigate the chartering process. But from the beginning she...

A brand refresh involves much more than changing your logo or adding billboards. “That’s literally the last thing you do, and it takes the least amount of time,” says Anne Norman, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at UW Credit Union in Madison, Wis.  “The research, strategic choices, and internal executive team alignment are the most crucial and most time consuming to set yourself...

Rachel Scheuerman, director of engagement solutions for Harland Clarke, takes substantial pride in developing relationships as part of her everyday work. In this CUNA News Podcast episode, sponsored by Harland Clarke , she discusses customer engagement as a competitive advantage. In the face of increased competition and commoditization driven by rock-bottom pricing, customer engagement is now tabl...

Be a sponge. Have a sense of humor. Appreciate and develop your staff. Never stop learning. Network with peers. All great advice from chief financial officers (CFOs) who’ve served the credit union movement for 25 years or more. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast—recorded during the 2019 CUNA Finance Council Conference in New York City—features five long-time finance leaders who discuss the chan...

On April 14, 2018, the island of Kauai in Hawaii was deluged with a historic rain storm. As with all natural disasters, basic daily needs such as food and clean water were suddenly at a premium. Kauai Government Employees Federal Credit Union, under the leadership of CEO Monica Belz, was at the forefront of recovery efforts on the island. Belz even delivered supplies to members via jet ski. “We go...

Chief financial officers (CFO) are no longer solely number crunchers. Instead, they’re increasingly being asked to get more involved in the credit union’s strategic mission. “It helps us think a little bit differently about the kind of work we do and to be more focused on big picture work,” says Brandon Smith, CFO at $131 million asset Reliant Federal Credit Union in Casper, Wyo. “We’re naturally...

You’re having a bad day. That could affect the interactions you have with your colleagues. But if you understand your emotions and how they impact you, it might allow you to turn unpleasant interactions with others into something positive. “Emotional intelligence is a critical component to leadership development. It’s about self-awareness and self-management,” says Brandi Stankovic, chief marketin...

Jason Lindstrom has a message for all credit union marketers who want to be CEO: He’s living proof it can be done. Lindstrom started as a part-time teller during college and took on a variety of marketing, business development, and operational roles before becoming CEO at $293 million asset Evergreen Credit Union in Portland, Maine. Key to his progression was taking on responsibilities outside of...

President/CEO Mike Lee explains how KCT goes the extra mile to reduce members’ debt burden.

President/CEO Mike Lee explains how KCT goes the extra mile to reduce members’ debt burden.

When Washington state legalized the use of marijuana in 2014, O Bee Credit Union in Tumwater, Wash., initially decided not to serve marijuana-related businesses. But when members started asking for cannabis banking services, O Bee changed course and introduced deposit accounts, debit cards, and some other services for these  organizations. The credit union’s rationale: We serve the member, not the...

Board members ultimately are responsible for the security of their credit unions.

In this episode of the CUNA News podcast, Crystal Long and Diana Dykstra, winners of the National Credit Union Foundation’s Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Individual Achievement, share their feelings on winning the award and the paths they followed to earn them such a distinguished honor. Crystal Long is president/CEO of GECU in El Paso, Texas. Under her leadership, GECU has made a commitment to c...

CUNA News staff talk with credit union leaders, exhibitors while at the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference.

These four credit union leaders exemplify credit unions’ people-helping-people philosophy.

CUNA Chairman Maurice Smith believes credit unions should extend themselves beyond financial inclusion.

Latino credit union provides new hope for struggling members.

Data can level the playing field for credit unions, says consultant Kirk Kordeleski.

While social media opens many doors, it can also raise serious compliance hurdles.  In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, Kristen Tatlock, senior compliance manager for Credit Union Service Network, looks at common mistakes credit unions make when using social media, how social media risks are evolving, and some social media do’s and don’ts.