CUNA News Podcast

Max Michieli remembers the moment he realized the shocking amount of single-use plastic being produced, a realization that ignited his passion to develop a payment card that limited the amount of new plastic used in production. Michieli, director of new card development and sustainability products at CPI Card Group , was visiting with a supply chain partner CPI Card Group was working with on its n...

As with virtually every other area of the credit union, finance is increasingly driven by technology. CPA.com is a leader in providing technology that drives innovation within the finance space. Its RIVIO Clearinghouse has helped support the transformation of financial information exchange in the U.S. market.  Kalil Merhib is the leader of CPA.com’s sales organization. He was instrumental in leadi...

The credit union movement is currently engaged in crucial conversations about structural racism and social justice. As credit unions consider how they can better support their employees, members, and communities, many are also learning more about diversity, equity, and inclusion—or DEI—and how it can guide credit unions in their efforts. In this episode, Samira Salem, CUNA’s vice president of dive...

High employee turnover is a common and challenging problem for many credit union contact centers, often harming member service and raising operational costs. While many reasons exist for high turnover, the best way to address this issue is to focus on culture, according to Terri Panhans, vice president of contact center solutions, and Tracy Gudmundson, vice president of contact center operations,...

During a time when our country is experiencing a national health emergency, economic decline, and civil unrest, consumers and employees are feeling anxious and uncertain. Empathy is a word that we hear more often in terms of creating value for an organization’s culture. “Empathy is ultimately about stepping into somebody’s else’s shoes and understanding their emotions,” says Jayne Hitman, national...

As populations that constitute credit union members and employees become more diverse, it’s important to understand what diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, mean for the movement. In June, CUNA held a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion eSchool to explain what DEI is, why it matters for credit unions, and how DEI practices can be implemented. CUNA News editors provided coverage of the DEI eScho...

Much like the rest of the country, the credit union movement is engaged in crucial conversations about understanding structural racism, advancing social justice, and prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Leading many of these discussions is the African American Credit Union Coalition , or AACUC.  In June, the AACUC launched Commitment to Change: Credit Unions Unite Against Racism. This in...

Dan Stoltz follows a “net giver” leadership philosophy, which emphasizes that life is about giving rather than getting. That focus on serving others has provided a framework for success at SPIRE Credit Union, where Stoltz is president/CEO.  When Stoltz took over SPIRE in 2010, the credit union had lost $13 million and its future was uncertain. In Dan’s first four years as CEO, SPIRE doubled its eq...

With decisions being made that impact credit union operations as well as employee health and safety, human resources (HR) professionals know how critical their role is during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It exemplifies why HR professionals need to take a holistic approach and ensure the department continues to have a “human touch.” Nikki Badje, vice president of HR at $1.2 billion asset Tr...

Until recently, business continuity plans focused primarily on natural disasters and cyber events. That changed quickly with the onset of the coronavirus outbreak and protests over the murder of George Floyd, which require credit unions to address a host of new issues, business continuity experts say. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features a conversation with two business continuity expert...

Credit unions don’t necessarily need to offer special loan products or pride-themed debit cards in order to effectively serve LGBTQ members. It’s the little things, such as making them feel special and welcome at the branch and letting them know the credit union cares for and respects them that make the biggest impact. “That’s just another part of the secret sauce to your credit union,” says Linda...

While Pride Month has a different look this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Alternatives Federal Credit Union in Ithaca, N.Y., is maintaining its focus on strengthening community partnerships that make the LGBTQ community more financially and socially secure. “We’re focusing on collaboration and education within the community,” says Chris Cain, chief experience officer at the $115...

For many young professionals, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created uncertainty about career progression and goals. Workplaces are still in flux as credit unions and other companies adapt to the ever-changing environment. Professional relationships also continue to change, with networking and mentorship opportunities paused or moved to virtual channels to comply with social distancing. C...

Perhaps at no time is an organization’s culture more on display than during a crisis. Jayne Hitman and Paul Robert assist credit unions in shaping their cultures to shine at just these moments. Hitman is national relationship manager for CUNA Creating Member Loyalty TM (CML), a comprehensive development strategy with expert guidance focused on increasing employee engagement and the member experien...

Marco Dominguez knows firsthand why credit unions need to reach out to and educate immigrant populations about financial services. The native Venezuelan has been there. “I’ve seen the international community suffer and struggle to get banking services, to be recognized, and to trust organizations,” says Dominguez, director of community relations at $573 million asset Financial Center First Credit...

Shortly before the coronavirus pandemic took center stage, thousands of credit union leaders gathered at the 2020 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. Much of the discussion during the event centered on how credit unions make an impact on members’ lives and improve their financial well-being.   This episode, recorded during the 2020 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference, feature...

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become a mindset credit union leaders consider when forming their business plans. They address DEI when attracting, recruiting, and retaining employees, and also when listening to community members and determining how to adapt products and services to meet members’ financial needs. As organizations advance their DEI efforts, new challenges arise. “It’s an...

When social distancing guidelines went into effect across the United States, credit unions responded by closing or limiting access to lobbies and reducing the number of employees working in branches. As a result, many credit unions became digital-first entities almost overnight—encouraging members to use virtual channels to access their accounts and services. In this environment, the concept of di...

Cybersecurity continues to be a top priority for credit unions and all businesses. And the coronavirus pandemic has done nothing to change that. Ransomware, email phishing attacks, and other threats remain at all-time high levels as criminal organizations use the internet to profit though illegal activity. Also, the rise of remote work arrangements continues to stress credit union networks and inf...

Jason Lindstrom can summarize his best crisis leadership advice in one word: Listen. Lindstrom, president/CEO of $316 million asset Evergreen Credit Union in Portland, Maine, and chair of the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council , says that means putting the financials aside for a moment and focusing first on your people. In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast , Lindstrom takes us t...

The coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic has not only elevated the importance of digital services, it has made clear the limits of self-service. While sheltering at home, many members are using digital banking for first time. But even for digital natives, the pandemic has made mundane interactions meaningful. In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, sponsored by Symitar , a division of Jack Henry &a...

At first glance, an earthquake and hurricane don’t appear to have anything in common with a global public health crisis. But the lessons credit unions leaders learned from those natural disasters are ones they’ve put in place during the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Eric Bruen, president/CEO of $40 million asset Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union in Ridgecrest, Calif., and Judy...

Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, the CUNA News team has been covering the virus’s impact on credit unions. Our editors have heard stories from many credit unions about the unprecedented challenges of continuing to operate during a pandemic. But we have also heard stories from those same credit unions about rising to the challenge to protect their employees and memb...

As technology advances and data becomes increasingly important, protecting member and data privacy is vital. Data breaches occur every day, and consumers are more aware of privacy issues than ever before. But with the right privacy-enhancing technology, credit unions can balance consumer trust and the need to leverage data for better service. Greg Glawson, chief information officer at UNIFY Financ...

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues, CUNA’s economists are closely following the situation. They recently discussed the economic and credit union impact of COVID-19 during the CUNA Managing Economic and Operational Challenges COVID-19 eSchool , offered free as a CUNA member benefit. This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features some of that discussion.  CUNA Chief Economist Mike Sche...