CUNA News Podcast

As public relations manager at $2 billion asset Texas Trust Credit Union in Arlington, Texas, Toni Nichols loves highlighting the work the credit union does on behalf of members through storytelling, social media, and creative campaigns that ingrain Texas Trust into people’s consciousness. Case in point: a credit union space within a 6,000-seat theater that looks like a record shop, complete with...

Finding the right fintech partner can allow credit unions to maximize growth and fuel innovation, according to Ben Maxim, chief operating officer at Reseda Group, a credit union service organization formed by Michigan State University Federal Credit Union in East Lansing.

Anatoli Murha’s Ukrainian heritage plays a key role in his life. Murha is a member of the 11th class of Credit Union Rock Stars, a group of 25 innovative, creative credit union professionals who excel and make the movement a better place. Read Murha’s profile and about the other 2023 Credit Union Rock Stars at news.cuna.org/rockstar . In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast , Murha spoke about hi...

Everyone knows that technology is advancing at a rapid pace. But how can credit unions use this technology and analyze data in a way that improves the member experience and allows them to compete with fintechs? Hear Maxim and CUNA Digital Media Design Specialist Yeekeng Yang discuss why consumers desire personalized financial solutions, how technology can drive those solutions, how fintechs and cr...

Matt McCombs has no problem experimenting. The evidence is clear to those walking through the doors of Vibrant Coffeehouse and Kitchen in Moline, Ill. The coffee shop, which opened in late 2022, sits next to the headquarters of $1 billion asset Vibrant Credit Union , where McCombs serves as president/CEO. It roasts its own coffee and offers breakfast, sandwiches, soups, salads, ice cream, and more...

There are countless ways to connect with consumers in 2023. There are also countless competitors seeking to make those connections.  Co-op Solutions President/CEO Todd Clark joins the CUNA News Podcast to discuss how credit unions can navigate the fintech-heavy landscape by engaging members every day. Clark and CUNA Digital Media Design Specialist Yeekeng Yang also discuss the payments technology...

Pending legislation, the Credit Card Competition Act of 2023, would not only reduce credit unions’ interchange income, it would threaten consumer data security, privacy, and access to credit. The bill could also harm credit unions’ ability to give back to their communities. Sharing their insights are Jason Stverak, CUNA’s deputy chief advocacy officer; Mike Lee, president/CEO at KCT Credit Union i...

After helping a formerly incarcerated individual raise his credit score, Marine Credit Union’s Zach Hancock “wanted to find a way to help.” He joins this episode of the CUNA News Podcast to share how he made it happen by teaching a financial empowerment course at the La Crosse County Jail in Wisconsin.

While they’ve achieved the top leadership spot at their organization, CEOs know they must still take advantage of every opportunity to learn. Three credit union CEOs—all with varying lengths of time in the top spot—joined the CUNA News Podcast to discuss their career journeys and what they’ve learned along the way. Joining the podcast are: Doug Fagan, president/CEO at $695 million asset Partner Co...

New voices continue to shape conversations and strategy within the CUNA-League system as several new league presidents have assumed leadership roles within the past several months. Mara Humphrey , president/CEO at the Minnesota Credit Union Network . Tim Sullivan , president at the Alaska Credit Union League . Melia Heimbuck , president/CEO at Credit Union Association of New Mexico . Gerry Singlet...

When Martin Carter launched the EmpowerMe! financial wellness program at Astera Credit Union , he wanted to improve members’ financial lives. He was also well aware that the program’s participants would qualify for more of the credit union’s products and services. In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast , Carter describes why financial well-being is not only about education, but turning knowledge...

As technology continues to drive both innovation and operational efficiency, it’s vital that the best solutions not only improve workflow but also empower as many end users as possible.  In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, Andie Dovgan, chief growth officer at Creatio , describes how the company’s no-code platform automates workflows and improves member engagement.  

Jessica Sharon believes credit unions deserve a bigger stage. “We don’t toot our own horn enough,” says the assistant vice president of financial outreach at $677 million asset Pelican State Credit Union in Baton Rouge, La. Pelican State shares its good news on “ Opportunity Knock$ ,” a PBS reality show that follows six families as they work with financial experts and local credit unions to take c...

The African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) will hold its 25th Anniversary Annual Conference July 16- July 20 at the Atlanta Evergreen Resort. The theme of the silver anniversary event is legacy, which reflects the unique path the organization and its partners have curated over the past quarter century.  This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features Renee Sattiewhite, AACUC president/CEO,...

As traditional phishing attacks become less effective due to organizations’ stronger internal controls, cybercriminals are turning to targeted business email compromise attacks. For these criminals, it’s all about securing credentials, according to John Moeller and Randy Romes, both cybersecurity principals at CliftonLarsonAllen . In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast , recorded during the 2023...

New York University Federal Credit Union CEO Mira Ness takes a hands-on approach to service. 

What’s happening in credit union lending? What do CUNA’s economists forecast for the rest of 2023? How could economic uncertainty and a potential recession change the lending outlook? As we near the midway point of 2023, CUNA Chief Economist/Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer Mike Schenk shares what he's seeing on this episode of the CUNA News Podcast . 

Be kind, compassionate, and empathetic. It sounds simple enough, but Andy Reed says a societal effort to be good human beings would go a long way to improve life for minorities. Reed, president/CEO at $482 million asset Security First Credit Union in Edinburg, Texas, joins associate editor Brock Fritz on this episode of the CUNA News Podcast . He discusses how his career path didn’t have some of t...

The economy and pressures on liquidity and noninterest income dominated discussions at the 2023 CUNA Finance Council Conference in Anaheim, Calif. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features conversations from that event. It features: Christine Messer, chief finance officer (CFO) and senior vice president at $729 million asset Heritage Family Credit Union in Rutland, Vt., and CUNA Finance Counc...

Before long, remote work won’t exist. It will simply be “work.” “Virtual-first work,” as remote work expert Laurel Ferrar calls it, will become so normalized that it won’t even require discussion. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features Ferrar, who’s head of TeamOps at GitLab and has worked remotely for 17 years. She explains how virtual-first work arrangements will evolve in the future, ne...

The founders of National JACL Credit Union , members of the Japanese American Citizens League, felt compelled to help members of their community who were moved to internment camps in 1942 following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Eighty years later, the $39 million asset credit union in Salt Lake City continues to serve. National JACL Credit Union President/CEO Dean Hirabayashi joined the CUNA News P...

The CUNA HR & Organizational Development Council Conference is a unique event. It offers an opportunity for human resource and organizational development professionals to gather in person and focus on topics specific to their roles in the credit union industry.  In this series of interviews, we share some of the many voices that contributed to the 2023 CUNA HR & Organizational Development...

Venmo. PayPal. Zelle. Instant peer-to-peer payments have played a large role in the rapidly changing payment landscape.  How can credit unions adapt to the current structure and benefit from modernized payment platforms? PCBB Senior Vice President of Operations Allen Sztukowski answered that question and more on this episode of the CUNA News Podcast . Sztukowski and CUNA Digital Media Design Speci...

Consumers’ financial health declined in 2022 for the first time in the five years the Financial Health Network began tracking this measure—making credit unions’ efforts to improve members’ financial well-being especially important. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast explores how credit unions aim to change that, from credit counseling and financial literacy initiatives to increasing access to a...

We continue our conversations from the 2023 CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council Conference by examining the power of creativity, digital marketing, podcasting, and fintech partnerships with Meow Wolf co-founder Vince Kadlubek, Janelle Herrera, vice president of marketing and business development at On Tap Credit Union in Golden, Colo.,  Tiffany Mutchler, marketing manager at Voyage F...