Latonya Allen, Chief Lending Officer at Government Printing Office Federal Credit Union (GPOFCU), is a respected leader with over 23 years of experience in the credit union industry. She is known for her expertise in member lending services, product development, and strategic leadership. In her role, Latonya guides members toward financial success by crafting personalized solutions tailored to their goals. She also shapes the strategic direction of the credit union, driving marketing initiatives for growth and impact. Latonya’s achievements include multiple Marketing Trailblazer Awards and recognition as a 2022 Credit Union Rockstar. She embodies the philosophy of “People Helping People” and is actively involved in industry initiatives, serving as a Chapter Liaison for the African-American Credit Union Coalition and an advocate for the Underground Movement. Through her commitment to excellence and empowerment, Latonya Allen continues to make a significant impact on the credit union movement.

Jen serves as Vice President of Cybersecurity and Risk at Think|Stack, providing strategic and visionary oversight to the portfolio of security services offered to Think|Stack partners and clients. With over 24 years of experience in national defense and response, highly regulated corporate technology environments, and the nonprofit sector, Jen offers a unique and highly personalized approach to the way we think about Cybersecurity and its implications for businesses, consumers, and leaders at every level.

Prior to joining Think|Stack, Jen served as the Chief Information Officer for a 10-facility healthcare firm where she rapidly introduced best practices and processes that eliminated 7 critical audit findings and reduced the IT spending across all business lines by 27% within her first 12 months. Additionally, Jen is a 20-year veteran of the United States Air Force where she had the privilege to lead the command and control of 11,000 offensive and defensive cyberspace operators serving across the globe in support of Department of Defense requirements.

Bringing over 25 years of experience in leading digital transformation initiatives within the banking, financial services and credit union industries, Bandaru is responsible for managing the technology infrastructure and digital strategic initiatives to support Kinecta's strong financial position and longstanding commitment to its members, employees and communities.

Bandaru started his career as an Oracle database developer and an AIX system administrator and consulted with several different Fortune 500 companies prior to joining JPMorgan Chase & Co, where he worked for 14 years holding various leadership roles of increasing responsibilities managing global teams and leading several strategic initiatives, mergers, acquisitions, conversions, datacenter consolidations and offshoring initiatives.

Jason is the founder of CFS Insight. Two things that Jason enjoys most about his role with CFS include the following: First is building road maps for CFS customers to accomplish their goals. The second is recruiting and enabling CFS Insight’s team members to see the benefits of their effort in helping customers successfully navigate those road maps. Jason’s work experience includes a variety of sales and engineering roles in the software development industry. Jason is married to his very capable and beautiful wife (Louise) and has four children (Sarah, Emma, Kyle and Anna Mae). Jason recently moved to the Nashville, TN area and is enjoying exploring and discovering his new surroundings.

LaSonya Berry is an HR thought leader, author, and speaker. She is also the founder of McPherson|Berry - an industry award winning firm that provides HR consulting services, leadership development, champion diversity, equity & inclusion, and capacity building solutions to grow organizations. She leads an organization that helps businesses and individuals achieve their full potential by increasing performance, driving operational excellence, minimizing risks, and building leaders.

​LaSonya is an Enterprising Woman of the Year, WBENC Business Star, NMSDC Supplier of the Year, one of the 25 Most Powerful Minority Women in Business, and among the list of Charleston Business Journal’s Forty Under 40. McPherson|Berry made the exclusive HR industry Leadership 500 Excellence Award for leadership development and programs specifically for women and individuals in STEM areas. LaSonya is the developer of the national business development program for minority millennial CEOs and the Next Level Programs for increasing diverse leaders in the workplace and in business.

She has served on various boards including the NAAAHR, SHRM Georgia State Council, and the CVMSDC. A two-time Clemson University alumna, LaSonya holds a BS in Industrial Engineering, an MS in Human Resource Development, and ABD in Educational Leadership. She frequently writes human resources content and publications, is featured in several magazines, a sought after national speaker, and works with executives as a Performance Coach. LaSonya has authored several books including “101 Power Tips for the Workplace” and the “CEO Strategy Planner” for business owners and executives.

Greylock Federal Credit Union is honored to announce that its President/CEO John L. Bissell was elected to a three-year term on the national board of directors of the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC).

The AACUC was created to increase the strength of the global credit union community and recognizes the differences and distinctions of each individual, group, or organization that are represented in society and within the credit union movement.

“We are delighted to receive John’s talents on the AACUC Board of Directors,” states Maurice R. Smith, AACUC Board Chairman. Smith continues, “John brings a proven record of thought leadership to the Organization. The Board continually contemplates how to best serve the entire Credit Union Movement. We are excited for the contributions John already provides for our endeavors.”

Bissell was one of three elected from a pool of esteemed nominees from across the credit union industry. In response to his successful bid, Bissell said “I am passionately committed to achieving true financial inclusion. My commitment with Greylock is to overcome the impact of historic redlining practices in local communities, expose and eliminate bias within credit scoring and lending, and raise up professional leadership voices from underserved communities.”

Jennie Boden is Chief Executive Officer at Quantum Governance. She brings to the position more than 30 years of leadership and management experience in the nonprofit sector and extensive experience in credit union governance and strategic planning.

Ms. Boden leads a team of consultants including both full-time and adjunct consultants, topical specialists and other experts to meet the governance and strategic needs of the firm’s clients. Additionally, Ms. Boden directs product and services development and future alliances with strategic partners.

During her tenure at Quantum Governance, she has worked with clients as varied as Camphill Village, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Hudson Valley Credit Union, Redwood Credit Union, Rivermark Community Credit Union, Con Edison, Gerontological Society of America, Queens County Farm, Children of Faith Missions, the Credit Union Executives Society, the Friends of the National Arboretum, the Tipping Point Community and many, many more.

Previously Jennie served as Executive Director of the Severna Park Community Center, a community-based nonprofit that enhances family life and individual development. During her tenure, SPCC grew its revenues from $1.1 million to more than $1.6 million in 16+ months. Prior, she served as the ED of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, realigning its programs, developing its first strategic plan; re-building its Board; and managing nearly $1 million in state and federal grants.

Tomer Borenstein has significantly expanded BlastPoint by developing AI technology for highly regulated industries. His leadership fostered partnerships, extending the technology’s reach that currently serves over 20% of the United States. He has been named a Business Times’ “30 under 30,” has authored numerous articles and speaks regularly at conferences on the benefits of A.I. and machine learning for customer engagement and business growth. His previous work in the startup space includes an exit to Apple. Tomer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Master’s in Machine Learning and Computer Vision from Carnegie Mellon University.

By his own admission, Jim should have been dead or in jail many times over. Martial arts helped him overcome a life of crippling self-doubt and self-destruction. In his programs, Jim shares his inspiring transformation from dropout and drug addict to Black Belt and Sensei -- and how that experience made him a genuine leader. He went on to open 5 martial arts schools, helping hundreds of people achieve their Black Belt rank, and thousands more discover their best selves.

Today, Jim helps leaders around the world connect on a deeply human level to attract, engage, and lead people to their highest levels of performance and productivity.

He provides interactive keynotes and leadership programs for credit union audiences around the world. Clients include The Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions, SCCUA, CUNA, CUES, and many others.

His articles are featured in CU Insight, CU Journal, CU Times, and he appears regularly on TV and radio, including such programs as CU Broadcast, BBC Worldview and FOX News. Jim also hosts Walking The Walk, a leadership podcast highlighting compassionate, engaged leaders from all areas of business, diverse cultures and experiences.

Leigh Brady is the President and Chief Executive Officer of State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU), the first female to hold this position at the nation’s second largest credit union. Prior to being named to her current position in July 2023, she was Chief Operating Officer, providing oversight for retail operations, deposits and central functions, card services, human resources, training, marketing, communications, outreach, the Credit Union’s CUSO services, and the SECU Foundation. Having been at SECU for over 36 years, Leigh began her career as an accountant at SECU and has served in a variety of operations positions throughout the organization, helping to grow the Credit Union, which now serves nearly 2.8 million members and operates branches in all 100 North Carolina counties. Brady holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration from Meredith College. She previously held several insurance licenses and obtained the Credit Union Development Educator designation.

Sedric Brinson lives his life by the simple standard of the Golden Rule of treating others how he would like to be treated. A born leader who wants nothing more than to see others succeed and to see their goals accomplished. His passion for people is what fuels his desire of seeing communities thrive financially. Sedric’s purpose in life is simply to bring awareness to the Credit Union mantle of people helping people. He is a huge advocate for Financial Literacy and helping to meet the needs of members in the community. Sedric has served in the finance industry for 20 years. As a converted (Banker), he used those experiences as a driving force to make a difference in the Credit Union Space. Sedric received his C.U.D.E designation in the Best Class Ever of November 2017. Sedric is also a graduate of the Southwest Credit Union Management School at TCU in 2019. He currently serves as the chairman and Co- founder of L.E.A.D MS (Leaders Engaged in Action and Development), which is a young professionals group geared specifically toward the development of young, eager professionals looking to be mentored and developed in their careers. This initiative has already received national attention from other CU pioneers all over the country. He believes that young people are the driving force of this country moving forward and he wants nothing more than to be a mentor toward the excellence that they already possess. Outside of family and work, Sedric has a strong passion for music. Sedric is one of the Lead singers for the 601 Live Band. An energetic cover band that loves to bring people together in unity to have a great time. Singing all the hits from Old School Stevie Wonder to today’s top hits. Sedric believes that God, Family, and Friends are the pleasures and joys of life. Without them, there is no success.

Sharon Camper has extensive experience in human resources and administration. Sharon currently serves as the Chief People Officer at Apple Federal Credit Union since September 2019. Prior to this, they were the Managing Director of Human Resources and Administration at State Department Federal Credit Union from July 2005 to August 2019. Before that, they worked at Discovery Communications as a Human Resources Client Manager from November 1997 to October 2004. Earlier in their career, they held the position of Director of Human Resources at Hechts, May Corporation from July 1995 to December 1997.

Sharon Camper holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development and Strategic Human Resources from The Johns Hopkins University. Sharon also obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Potomac College-Washington, with a specialization in Business Administration and Management. Additionally, they have obtained a certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Building a Diverse Workforce from Cornell University in December 2022.

Results-oriented IT leader with over 20 years of experience leading IT teams across various industries, including financial, retail, insurance, and manufacturing. Championed the development and implementation of a robust business intelligence and analytics program. Successfully integrated this program into business units leading to increased efficiency and revenue, while improving operational expense, Member experience and innovative mindset.

Marquis Carroll is an accomplished Cyber Security expert that has consulted and worked for Fortune 500 companies and government agencies leading large scale security programs. His decorated career has led him to building MSC Security, a leading managed services firm that supports government agencies and businesses with their IT, Cyber Security, and Software Development initiatives.

Zach Christensen is an executive leader with both strategic and technical skills. As a digital marketer, video and virtual engagement producer and credit union fanatic, he has quickly shifted to a virtual environment driving execution of initiatives for both his organization and clients. He is the director of communications and digital marketing at Mitchell Stankovic & Associates driving change in leadership and strategic planning in this new, virtual world. He is a key contributor of thought leadership for the Underground Collisions and is a co-founder of CU Pride.

Zach has over 15 years of experience within the credit union industry in business development, client relationships, market awareness and consumer service evaluation. His expertise includes the development of candidates for key strategic positions within credit unions and high level of communication with C-Suite executives. Highlights:

Stephen M. R. Covey is a sought-after and compelling keynote speaker and advisor on trust, leadership, ethics, and high performance, he speaks to audiences around the world. He is the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The SPEED of Trust, a groundbreaking and paradigm-shifting book that challenges our age-old assumption that trust is merely a soft, social virtue and instead demonstrates that trust is a hard-edged, economic driver. The Speed of Trust has been translated into 22 languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Stephen M. R. Covey latest book is Trust & Inspire in which he lays out his vision for a new form of leadership as well as a framework and in-depth advice to guide you there.

Stephen M. R. Covey is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, which, under his stewardship, became the largest leadership development company in the world. Covey personally led the strategy that propelled his father’s book, Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to one of the most influential business books of the 20th Century, according to CEO Magazine.

Over the years, Covey has gained considerable respect and influence with executives and leaders of Fortune 500 companies.

Justin started his career as a consultant 12 years ago in Atlanta, GA with a boutique financial consulting firm named Vertical Capital Advisors. His time there was focused primarily on securing alternative financing for clients with troubled debt in the years immediately following the Great Recession. That role led to relationships with many special assets departments at community banks across the Southeast, and Vertical Capital Advisors built a practice around court appointed receiverships for defaulted commercial loans over which Justin was appointed Director.

In 2018, Justin joined the then-small advisory team at Sageworks and spent the first 5+ years helping credit unions and banks transition their allowance methodologies and align the institutions with best practices surrounding the Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL) accounting standard. Over the last 12 months, Justin transitioned to a role on the Advisory Solutions team at Abrigo and assists in developing novel reporting and analytics tools, such as Abrigo Connect and the accompanying Advisory Services curated intelligence deliverables.

Justin holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Georgia and lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife and their 3 year-old son.

Dorman is an experienced credit union professional with more than 10 years in the industry, having served as Vice President of Marketing for Rio Grande Credit Union ($518 million in assets) and most recently several positions at Suncoast Credit Union ($14 billion in assets) including Enterprise Agility Portfolio Manager, Vice President of Account Relationship Operations (formerly Deposit Operations) and Marketing Director.

In 2012, she was named “Rookie of the Year” by the Credit Union Executive Society and received Albuquerque Business First’s Woman of Influence award in 2013. She is an accomplished professional holding a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication and double major in Spanish from the University of New Mexico, along with several certifications such as Certified Diversity Equity and Inclusion from the University of South Florida and Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Nonprofit Leadership Center.

An avid learner, teacher and volunteer, Dorman has participated in Filene Research Institute’s i3 innovation program and has taught at her alma mater’s Department of Communication and Journalism. Dorman is no stranger to AACUC, having been a member since 2020 and responsible for chairing the AACUC Annual Virtual Conferences in 2020 and 2021. She serves her local community in different capacities, including the Junior League.

Pete joined SRM in March 2025 from Piper Sandler where he spent 20 years working with financial institutions on the development and execution of their merger and acquisition strategies.

Prior to Piper Sandler, he spent 11 years at the Procter and Gamble Company in sales and sales management. He also spent 12 years of his early career in roles at First Empire Securities KBW, both in New York.

For more than 30 years, Pete has been a valued contributor to leading industry publications (through numerous published articles) and continues to be a frequent speaker at financial services industry conferences.

Commenting on his role at SRM, Pete said, "I'm very happy to be joining the SRM team with the opportunity to continue to serve financial institutions across North America. SRM's 30+ years of proven excellence in delivering value to clients was very attractive to me, and I'm excited about the opportunity to work with the firm's industry-leading team as we deliver a broad range of powerful advisory services to clients."

He is a graduate of Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas where he earned a B.A. in Business Management with a Minor in Marketing and flyfishes whenever he can.

As President and CEO of Curql Collective, Nick cultivates opportunities to help fintech and credit unions collaborate on breakthrough technologies that minimize threats and successfully improve, disrupt and position the industry with a best-in-class member experience.

Prior to leading Curql Collective, Nick was President of The Veridian Group, Inc. (TVG), the wholly-owned CUSO holding company of Veridian Credit Union, where he led investment strategy and direction for the $5.2B institution. Based in Waterloo, Iowa, TVG’s holdings include Veridian Insurance and Veridian Fiscal Solutions with total staff over 45 strong. During his tenure, Nick managed TVG’s more than ten direct minority investments in CUSO companies, positioning the organization with direct equity stakes in Dwolla, Alkami Technology and Moov Financial and committing approximately $10MM in six venture or seed capital funds.

Deborah Fears currently serves as President/CEO of Chicago Post Office Employees Credit Union. With more than 20 years of experience in finance, accounting and human resources management, she has spent the last several years steering the credit union to unprecedented loan and membership growth – while working to cultivate an environment of financial wellness for all.

Deborah received an MBA in Business Strategy and Decision Making, and a B.S. in Finance with minor studies in Japanese, both from DePaul University. She holds the Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designation from CUNA, and is a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE).
Deborah is involved with various credit union boards and committees within the industry. She is the current Chapter President for the Midwest Regional Chapter of the African American Credit Union Coalition and serves as a Director on the Envisant board - the CUSO of the Illinois Credit Union League. She is also the Vice Chair for America’s Credit Union’s Small Credit Union Committee.

Deborah has a strong belief in the credit union’s mission of ‘People Helping People’ and works each day to do so in the communities where she lives, works and serves.

John has been instrumental in establishing Southern Chautauqua FCU as the only Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Credit Union in Chautauqua County, which is one of the poorest counties in New York State. Under his leadership, the credit union received the following awards:
• Juntos Avanzamos designation from Inclusiv recognizing their Hispanic outreach efforts,
• The Desjardins Financial Education Award from the New York Credit Union Association,
• The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award from the New York Credit Union Association, and
• SCFCU was recognized by the National Youth Involvement Board for their Kids’ Credit Union program.

Additionally, he was recognized by The Business Teachers Association of New York State with the Hobart H. Conover Friend of Business Education Award for 2018-2019.

John lives in Lakewood, NY with his family and enjoys traveling, family time, and the occasional golf game.

Juan comes from the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, where he served as President and CEO. Juan has worked in the credit union movement for over two decades and has a strong background in Government Affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Binghamton University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Western Governors University.

Eric Fifield brings more than 30 years of automotive industry experience to EFG Companies. As the Chief Revenue Officer, he is responsible for client development and acquisition. Eric holds his team accountable for setting continuously higher standards and providing EFG’s clients with the highest level of expertise and engagement. Prior to EFG, Eric served as the Regional Sales Manager and Vice President of sales for Great American Insurance. His career began with the Penske Corporation where he worked in many capacities, including the director of training. Eric’s clients have included organizations such as AutoNation, Ford Motor Company, Honda Motor Company, Chicago Automobile Trade Association, and hundreds of agents and dealers across the country.

Nash Fung is a keynote speaker & magician who empowers his audiences through his engaging keynotes. Drawing from his 16 + years of experience as a crisis line volunteer, he now unveils the curtain on the magic of empathetic communication, teaching leaders how to lead with empathy and make others feel heard, understood, valued, and empowered.

In his keynotes, Nash uses magic, engaging stories, and interactive exercises to guide his attendees to experience the key messages. His presentations have been featured on TEDx, and he has inspired corporate audiences like Meta, Amazon, credit unions etc…People are the heartbeat of your organization, and Nash is passionate about helping your team excel in connecting & empowering each other.

With nearly three decades of multifaceted experience spanning corporate environments and association leadership, Tamra Gaines is deeply committed to nurturing the growth and advancement of individuals. Her primary focus lies in leveraging her expertise as a speaker and certified business coach to guide others on their unique journeys toward impactful leadership.
A seasoned CUDE (Credit Union Development Educator) with a decade-long tenure collaborating with credit unions at the league-level, Tamra's innovative approach and strategic acumen have delivered tailored programs catering to a diverse spectrum, ranging from young professionals to board volunteers.

Her published work, "The Pillars of Confidence" (2015), stands as a testament to her dedication, evolving from her volunteer contributions with Big Brothers-Big Sisters. This passion project offers laser-focused strategies for fostering confidence in both personal and professional spheres.

Tamra's leadership has garnered numerous accolades, underscoring her exceptional contributions. Her commitment extends beyond individual endeavors, as she has actively served on multiple boards and advisory councils, shaping and influencing various sectors.

Johnny Garlich has devoted more than four decades to fostering synergy between innovation and technology. As the Founder of The Member Closing Center in 2014, Johnny assumes the role of the principal visionary. Johnny is dedicated to empowering members to save thousands in car ownership expenses, while concurrently driving revenue growth and enhancing wallet share. Johnny's commitment to ensuring the availability of this strategic vision was underscored as he taught himself coding skills to develop an interactive, educational software. Pioneering again, Johnny spearheaded the creation of a credit union-centric remote auto loan closing process. Prior to The MCC, Johnny's entrepreneurial journey encompassed roles as Dealer Principal for dealerships in Kansas and Missouri. Transitioning into the financial services sector he founded Heart Dealer Financial Services, an aftermarket agency with a distinguished 30-year history of exceptional performance. A Stanford University alumnus, Johnny brings a wealth of knowledge, industry acumen, and innovative thinking to every venture he undertakes.

Ryan oversees the Client Success team, comprised of account management, client services, and implementations. These teams are responsible for the growth, development, and on-going support of our lending partners to ensure program success and profitability. Ryan has spent his career in financial services and was a credit union lending executive prior to joining LendKey. Ryan majored in finance at Indiana University, Bloomington, and received his Master’s in Business Administration from Ohio State University.

Billy is a Managing Director at Darling Consulting Group, working directly with financial institution executives to leverage data analytics to support strategic deposit decisions through Deposits360°®, DCG’s proprietary tool. In addition to supporting deposit strategy, he also educates DCG’s client base on validating and better understanding key deposit assumptions utilized in risk models.

Billy began his career with DCG in 2008 as a financial analyst. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in finance and management.

Emma Hayes is the chief learning and engagement officer for the Raleigh, North Carolina-based State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU). She has over 25 years of experience serving in various roles. In her current role, she oversees equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) learning and organizational development, and employee engagement. Through corporate partnership, Emma also serves as the chief diversity officer (CDO) for the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC).

As a purpose-driven, high-results CEO Ronaldo led Southwest Louisiana CU to become a certified CDFI and $950,000 CDFI Award-Winner working with CU Strategic Planning. His legacy at SWLACU is the development of an executive team capable of maintaining the phenomenal 1.22% ROA, 7% yield on average loans and more than 10% annual loan growth left in their hands.

Ronaldo is a thought leader and highly sought after speaker on Diversity Equity and Inclusion raising awareness of and knowledge about the practicum as a keynote speaker at CUNA Management School, SW CUNA Management School, Western CUNA Management Alumni Association, CUES, and the NCUA's Inaugural Diversity Summit. He is published in The Credit Union Journal, CU Times, CU Insight, Credit Union Magazine and CU Today. Dozens of peer CEOs receive his counsel annually including in recovering from, responding to and establishing new processes in the wake of the industry's most significant, headline-making racial crises in 2018 and 2019. He currently serves as the President and CEO of NACUSO, an organization focused on inspiring innovation and cultivating collaboration in the credit union industry.

Ronaldo received holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Masters of Science in Human Resource Education with a concentration in Leadership Development. He is an alumnus of the Urban Leadership Development Institute and CUES CEO Institute at the Wharton School of Business.

Tim Harrington started working with banks and credit unions in 1988. Tim and TEAM Resources have a long history of helping financial institutions move forward with greater confidence, profitability and integrity, to serve their market or field of membership better. His leadership topics and board governance training have taken him beyond the financial services industry.

While there are many “speakers,” Tim “talks.” He talks from the heart. More importantly, he talks to the heart. It is the heart where each of us truly lives. Inspiring people in an organization requires first, touching their hearts. Helping them to feel and see what a group is attempting to accomplish is the key. Everyone wants to do their best – for themselves, their family, their co-workers, their customers. When their “heart is in it” their best can emerge.

In Tim’s talks, Eisenhower on Enlightened Leadership and A Higher Purpose, he inspires people to live their highest dreams and their highest ideals. He encourages individuals and organizations to live “on purpose.” To do something so someone else’s life can be better. Tim reminds people that if they help other’s achieve their dreams, they will achieve and even surpass their own.

Emily Hollis has served as a principal of ALM First Financial Advisors since the company was established in 1995. As CEO, Emily’s mantra of always putting clients’ best interests first along with her open-door management style has developed a strong and capable team of trusted, unbiased advisors. Under her leadership, the company has steadily grown to more than $50 billion of investments under management, with a client base of more than 300 financial institutions representing more than $425 billion in assets. Emily’s advice on complex issues, such as derivatives use, is sought-after by industry leaders and regulators alike.

A well-known figure in the investment community and a renowned expert in asset liability management, Emily is a popular speaker at industry functions. Speaking engagements have included sessions for the Financial Managers Society and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as well a number of bank and credit union trade associations. Emily is also a loyal contributor to bank and credit union publications such as CU Business, CU Times, CUNA Councils, Bank ALM, Western Banker Magazine and more.

Prior to ALM First, Emily was vice president for Kidder Peabody Asset Management; chief investment officer for a large financial institution; and an investment trader for a New York Stock Exchange Company, responsible for executing trades for the firm’s fixed-income and foreign receivable portfolios. Her experience includes managing a $6 billion fixed-income investment portfolio and investing in derivatives.

Emily holds a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Texas Christian University. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

I am a hard-working hands-on leader who strives to execute and deliver quality products and services to support internal and external customers achieve success. I'm accustomed to operating in high-stress, high-tempo environments on complex projects with high visibility. I enjoy facilitating discussions and negotiations with business and technical stakeholders and strive to promote different perspectives within an organization. I have experience in various levels of an organization in both the public and private sector.

I graduated from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science and also completed a Masters Degree from Loyola University Chicago in Management Information Systems. I also served in the Army National Guard for eight years. With the mix of education, military and working experience, I am driven to understand and solve problems, create innovative solutions that challenge the "status quo" and promote teamwork to help achieve common goals and objectives.

Rob is a passionate servant-leader who thrives on finding innovative ways to solve problems. Having led technology teams for more than 25 years, he is currently the Chief Information Officer at Vantage West Credit Union. As the CIO, he has ultimate accountability for Technology, Digital Banking, Decision Intelligence, Information Security, and the Project Management Office. He is known as a collaborative leader and enjoys working across the credit union to improve the lives of Members and staff alike.

Rob’s background in technology leadership spans several verticals including municipal government; cognitive psychology, large-scale visualization, and medical imaging research at the university level; healthcare; and facilities management. He has excelled at developing and implementing transformative technologies in each of these arenas. He joined the Credit Union movement in 2018, bringing with him a unique viewpoint based on the variety of his experience and has enjoyed applying those lessons to contribute to the success of Credit Unions.

Ms. Huling currently serves as President and CEO of Baylor Health Care System Credit Union in Dallas, Texas. With over 20 years of operational and transformational leadership in the financial industry she has a proven track record of building diverse teams and leading coalitions to drive organizational peak performance. Delana’s passion for people fuels her commitment to identify, coach and develop emerging leaders.

Delana earned her bachelor’s degree from Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas. She is an alumnus of the Best Southwest Leadership program (TX) and earned a certified diversity professional designation from Cornell University (NY). She recently earned the Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) designation.

Delana is the Texas Regional Chapter President for the African American Credit Union Coalition and incoming AACUC national Board Director. She is a member of Credit Union Women Leadership Alliance, Credit Union National Association CEO and Operations Councils, Global Women’s Leadership Network, Healthcare Credit Union Association, and North TX Sister Society.

Baylor Health Care System Credit Union was founded on July 11, 1957 by 11 health care professionals who deposited a total of $572.75 in an effort to help each other with loans and savings opportunities. Today the Credit Union has over 5,400 members and $91 million in assets. Over the course of our 60+ year history, the Credit Union has grown to be a full service financial institution, serving the diverse needs of members and their families for lifetimes and generations.

For more than 30 years, Milton Hunt has lived all that he teaches and speaks in his Employee Training, Motivational Speaking, and Employee Coaching services and programs. Hunt is a Native American, a member of the Lumbee tribe. Having embraced his heritage, the principles, methods, and messages he utilizes and shares with clients and audiences are a blend of both professional expertise and personal experience.

Hunt recognizes vulnerabilities among populations and unifies cultural and generational differences among individuals and groups of all ages. Those who engage with Hunt easily identify with him and they sense, “He understands me.” And he does. Hunt has trained and coached in the corporate, government and private sectors. He also is a keynote and motivational speaker, an “edu-tainer,” known for delivering powerful and proven ideas in informative, captivating, and exciting ways. In all endeavors, Hunt performs with high energy and immense dedication.

Jackson has over thirteen years of experience in the credit union industry and has in-depth experience providing analysis of cash management and asset-liability management modeling. Jackson joins the executive management team and is responsible for leading comprehensive financial programs and initiatives across all businesses and products at an enterprise level.

Jackson has a Master’s of Science in Financial Management from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Morgan State University. Additionally, she is certified as one of CUNA’s Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors (CCUFC) and has held that certification for seven years.

Jackson shows her devotion to service by volunteering her time to the credit union industry. She has served as a President for the Financial Managers Society Maryland Chapter, Internship Program Manager for the African American Credit Union Coalition, Board Member of the CUNA CCUFC Advisory Board, and an Advisory Board Member for the Maryland District of Columbia Credit Union Association’s Young Professional Network. Jackson is currently serving as a Board Member for the African American Credit Union Coalition.

Janclaes has spent more than 30 years in the credit union industry, starting in 1989 as an executive vice president and chief business development officer at Logix Federal Credit Union. In 2004 he took the helm as president and CEO of Partners FCU, the credit union chartered to serve Disney employees and their families. In his time at Partners, Janclaes oversaw five-fold asset growth, and the credit union today holds more than $2.1 billion of assets.

Nymbus, a firm providing technology solutions for banks and credit unions, has launched its own credit union service organization and selected John Janclaes as the first president of Nymbus CUSO. The firm is intended to help credit unions grow by connecting them with fintechs that can help grow revenue while improving relationships with members.

Carolyn Jordan leads the growth areas of the credit union, including the online and mobile digital channel, data analytics, special projects, product development, marketing, and advocacy. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M-Commerce with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She also holds a Graduate Marketing Certificate from SMU’s Cox School of Business. In 2021, she earned her Master of Science in Business Analytics from Texas A&M University-Commerce. With over four decades of industry experience, Carolyn is well respected by her peers on the local, state, and national levels. Carolyn currently serves on the Consumer Depository Institutions Advisory Council for the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, the Credit Union National Association Political and Grassroots Network, and the executive committee of the Texas Regional Chapter of the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC). She is a past Chair and current member of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Operations and Member Experience Council, a nationwide forum for credit union leaders.

Born in 1962, in East St. Louis, Illinois, Jackie Joyner Kersee came from very humble beginnings. To this day, she is still humble and loves to give back to the community despite having been dubbed ‘The Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century’ by Sports Illustrated.

Jackie’s athletic accomplishments are world-renowned and are literally second to none. By the conclusion of her career in the heptathlon and long jump events she had amassed 6 Olympic medals and 4 World Champion titles. Jackie was the first woman in history to earn more than 7,000 points in the heptathlon, and today, over 20 years later, she still holds the world heptathlon record of 7,291 points. She continues to hold the Olympic and national records in the long jump, and her 1994 performance in the long jump remains the second-longest in history. In addition to heptathlon and long jump, Jackie was a world-class 100m and 200m runner and, after a decorated All-American career in basketball at UCLA, she eventually played professional basketball for a short time.Less well known, however, are Jackie’s tireless efforts and remarkable accomplishments off the field as a philanthropist and an advocate for children’s education, health issues (in particular asthma from which she has suffered throughout her life), racial equality, social reform, and women’s rights. Never one to be classified as merely an athlete, Jackie says, “I strive to be a Jackie of all trades.”

Jackie Joyner Kersee has received many prestigious awards, including the St. Louis Ambassadors Sportswoman of the Year, Sporting News Athlete of the Year Award (the first woman to receive either of these awards), the Sullivan Award, and consecutively winning the Jesse Owens Memorial Award. She is available for speaking engagements, personal appearances, and autograph signings.

Nancy Kappler-Foster has been a member of Hudson Valley Credit Union for over 30 years, and a committed volunteer for two thirds of that time. She began serving in 2002 as a member of the Supervisory Committee, chairing the committee in 2010/2011. During her tenure on the Board of Directors from 2012 - June of 2024, she held positions including Assistant Treasurer, Treasurer, and Chair of the Board. She chaired the most recent CEO Search Task Force and served on many committees including Policy and Governance, Compensation and Benefits, and Asset Liability Management. In addition, she served on two task forces, which worked to streamline board/management communications through use of an online portal. Mrs. Kappler-Foster brings a wealth of accounting experience to her volunteer role, serving in staff and management positions with IBM. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies from Syracuse University, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from SUNY New Paltz. A continuous learner, she has completed several courses, seminars, and conferences on credit union and Supervisory Committee related topics.

Maria Kell advises businesses on qualified and non-qualified benefits, as well as Corporate-Owned Life Insurance (COLI). Her expertise in mergers and acquisitions, audit, lending, credit, accounting, and banking enables her to provide innovative solutions to fit her clients’ needs.

Maria has over 25 years of experience designing and implementing executive compensation plans for a diverse group of businesses and organizations. As an executive at a $1.3 billion dollar organization, she created and managed sales and incentive compensation.

When Maria is not helping clients maximize their compensation plans, she enjoys spending time with her four children and 12 grandchildren.

Joe is a Managing Director at Darling Consulting Group, where he works directly with senior management teams on building customized balance sheet strategies to improve earnings and manage risk. Joe strives to be an expert in overall Asset Liability Management and educates ALCOs in the inevitable balance of financial performance and regulatory appeasement. Joe speaks at numerous industry associations reaching thousands of bankers every year. He is an expert at helping bring clarity to the complex and delivers a high level of energy to his ALM presentations.

Joe has been with DCG since 2005, where he has benefited from working with nearly a thousand ALCOs throughout the country on ALM and strategic initiatives. He lives in Boxford, MA with his wife and two daughters and has been an active member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Joe is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in finance.

C.J. Klump leads the U.S. Consumer Credit Strategy & Solutions team at Visa. In this role, C.J. manages a team that helps financial institutions launch new Visa credit products, services, capabilities, and benefits. Prior to joining Visa in 2012, C.J. spent five years at Citi working with retail clients on optimizing their private label and co-brand product marketing programs and growing their sales finance businesses.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business.

Gabriel Krajicek empowers community financial institutions with disruptive innovations and champions them in their fight for market dominance against megabanks and new industry players. Gabe is captain of Kasasa®. CEO since 2005, he has provided more than 900 community banks and credit unions with banking technology and marketing services, including the nationally branded Kasasa product suite. If all Kasasa financial institutions were a single bank, they'd be the fourth largest bank in the country, based on number of branches.

Inc. Magazine heralded the company's advances under Gabe's guidance, naming it the 23rd fastest-growing private company in America in 2009. That year, Gabe unveiled Kasasa, a national brand of highly profitable consumer-centric financial products offered exclusively at select community financial institutions. In 2018 Gabe was named to Glassdoor’s Employee’s Choice List of the Top CEOs at Small and Medium Companies. Kasasa’s accolades include two American Banker Best Places to Work in Fintech awards, three “Best of Show” Finovate awards, seven Austin Business Journal Best Places to Work awards, a FinTech Breakthrough Award for Best Consumer Lending Platform, and a FinTech Breakthrough “Banking Innovation” award for ORB Marketing.

Gabe won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Central Texas 2011 Award in his third consecutive year nominated as a finalist. In 2019, he was invited to join the elite Young Entrepreneur Council. He also serves as a Community Board Member at the Center for Child Protection.

Prior to Kasasa, Gabe was President and CEO of DealerSkins, an automotive web solutions provider that served 1,200 auto dealers. Gabe took the helm in 2001, spearheading a five-year plan to drive the company into profitable territory. In 2005, Trader Publishing (parent company of Auto Trader magazine) acquired DealerSkins.

Gabe earned his MBA from Vanderbilt's Owens Graduate School of Management and his BS from Louisiana State University. He graduated both as valedictorian.

Anne Legg is the founder of THRIVE Strategic Services. She is an award-winning, internationally recognized credit union industry leader who is leading change via the development of data transformation strategies for Credit Unions. She is an author, educator and marketplace presenter who holds an MBA thesis on the credit union business model as well as two internationally published whitepapers on credit union business strategy. She has worked with nearly 600 credit union senior leaders to help them leverage their data for exponential growth.

 Juli Lewis currently works as the VP of Community Engagement for the USF Federal Credit Union and as Chief Relationship Officer for Michael Walters Advertising, a journey she began in early 2021. Prior to that, Juli worked in the credit union industry for more than 25 years, starting her career with Suncoast Credit Union and then joining the League of Southeastern Credit Unions in 2014, serving as Director of the Southeastern Credit Union Foundation where her main focuses were financial capability, community development, disaster relief and professional development. She has served on the Executive Committee of the National Youth Involvement Board since 2008 and as Chair from 2014-2016, and is currently a Board member for the FPP Coalition and Florida & Alabama Jump$tart.

Juli graduated from the University of South Florida in 1998 with a Bachelor’s in Social Work. She has also earned the Credit Union Development Educators (CUDE), the Certified Credit Union Financial Planning (CCUFP) and Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designations, and HR and Marketing certifications. Juli was also a member of the Pilot/BETA Cohort of the Certified Practitioner in Financial Capability, having earned her Master level CMPFinCap in February 2020.

Cory Madden is a Product Manager for Modern Campus, an educational technology company that builds solutions for institutions all over North America. He’s a Board Member for the Ventura County Credit Union as he provides strategic oversight of the technical initiatives that impact members. Between his professional career and serving on the credit union board, I enjoy seeing how my decisions can make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Travis Markley is the President and CEO of Hoosier Hills Credit Union where he leads the organization in its mission to a make a positive difference in the financial lives of members and in the communities Hoosier Hills serves. Travis has dedicated his professional career to the development of people-first, service-oriented cultures, transparent and engaged leadership, and driving innovation to facilitate excellent member experiences.

The success experienced by Hoosier Hills Credit Union since Travis became President and CEO serves as a testament to his vision and leadership. Since 2020, Hoosier Hills Credit Union has grown by 50% to over $900MM in assets, established itself philanthropically as the first credit union in the United States to join the Pledge 1% program, completed a merger with Dearborn County Federal Credit Union, and is currently engaged in a merger agreement with Centra Credit Union – the largest credit union merger in Indiana's history.

Paul Marston serves as Chief Operating Officer of HR Performance Solutions, LLC, an HR SaaS company. For the past 7 years he has consulted with credit unions to align best practices and talent management trends with best in class software solutions. Paul oversees the introduction of forward-looking functionality to the HRPS suite of products. In addition to managing operations Paul has spoken at a number of League sponsored Lunch and Learns, virtual national CU webinars and The Michigan Credit Union League's HR&R summer event.

Matthews joined LGFCU in 2012 as the Senior Vice President of Legal and Compliance and was named Chief Legal Officer in 2021. Prior to joining LGFCU, Matthews was a partner in the Raleigh law firm of Bailey & Dixon LLP.

As Chief Legal Officer, she oversees all legal, compliance and risk functions, including supervising vendor and enterprise risk management programs, assessing bond and insurance policy needs, and providing guidance to Executive Management and the Board of Directors on matters related to corporate governance.

Matthews graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and obtained her Juris Doctorate from Duke University School of Law. She has served on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Credit Union Advisory Council and currently serves as a member of the Credit Union National Association’s Credit Union Powers Subcommittee. A past recipient of Triangle Business Journal’s Corporate Counsel of the Year Award, Matthews was recently selected for inclusion into the National Top 100 Black Lawyers.

Currently, she serves as President-elect of the 10th Judicial District Bar and as Chair of the Board of Directors of EarthShare North Carolina. She is a past President of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and its Political Action Committee; former Board member and Grievance Committee Chair of the Wake County Bar Association; past President of the Capital City Lawyers’ Association; and former Board member of Movement of Youth, a Durham-based nonprofit with the mission to prepare diverse youth to lead and succeed in the 21st century.

Founding Chair of the Global Women’s Leadership Network, & National CU Foundation’s Herb Wegner Outstanding Individual Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Susan Mitchell is a passionate believer in making a difference! As the CEO of Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates, a consulting firm that has provided over 5,000 credit unions innovative consulting services, including strategic planning, board governance, and online education. She is a successful entrepreneur who started two companies and forged strategic alliances with Fortune 500 companies nationwide.

Susan was CEO and co-owner of O’Rourke, Mitchell, advancing leadership development and executive transitions. Mitchell facilitates the Global Future Forum, an international CU think tank and created the Underground Collision to engage thought leaders in authentic dialogue regarding industry disruption, innovation and impactful business practices. Susan is on the Board for the Worldwide Foundation and is the founding Chair of Global Women’s Leadership Network, with 2,600 members from 78 countries, 100 Sister Societies and 57 scholarships to advance women in society.

​In 2017 GWLN received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given globally for credit union service. Susan was nominated by CUTimes for the Final Four Most Influential People in the last 25 years, and received the inaugural Diversity and Visionary Award from the CA/NV CU League. In February 2018, Mitchell was recognized for her outstanding industry contribution with the prestigious National CU Foundation’s Herb Wegner Outstanding Individual Lifetime Achievement Award.

Barbara started her financial industry career in 2014 but did not discover her passion until 2017 when she started as an account manager at Coastal Credit Union. She quickly realized the difference between a bank and a credit union. Barbara states that she finally merged her value system with her employment and has not looked back since.

During her time at Coastal Credit Union, she was able to participate in the Protégé Program Competition that is hosted by the Carolina Credit Union League. Barbara found that she could bring her knowledge of what it meant to tap into DACA/TPS/ITIN lending for credit unions. With much research and the help of other credit union professionals, she was able to win the competition both internally and at a state level. Since then, Barbara has made it her mission to educate people on immigration policies and how they tie into fair lending.

As the new Executive Director of NLCUP, Barbara is committed to advocating for the underserved communities of America because she realizes the impact it can have on people’s lives. Barbara is excited to share her passion and the vision of NLCUP with everyone she has met along the way and those that she will meet. She hopes that she can take NLCUP to the next level and create a safe space for all Latinx folks in the credit union industry.

Tyler Moore has worked for 22 years in the financial industry primarily as a financial advisor. His expertise is working with business owners and financial institutions, which gives him a broad, holistic perspective that enables him to provide innovative solutions to his clients’ needs.

A graduate of Texas Tech University, Tyler holds a Bachelor of Administration in Finance, and he has spent the last 7 years working for a diverse group of businesses and organizations designing and implementing Sales and Executive Incentive Compensation plans. Tyler advises companies on business transition planning, key-person retention, qualified and non-qualified benefits, and he also works to integrate these plans into personal plans for owners and partners.

John has been serving the needs of credit unions and their members since 1999. His career in the movement began with CUNA Mutual Group as a face-to-face financial advisor. Following that start in the Credit Union industry, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin to work with Members Capital Advisors in the institutional client service, marketing and sales.

After his time at MCA, he re-joined CUNA Mutual Group as a specialist in non-qualified deferred compensation plans and non-703 investments. After leading his division in client acquisition and service for 4 consecutive years, John joined Meyer-Chatfield to bring truly innovative institutional investment and insurance solutions from the large bank market and insurance market to credit unions.

Contact John at jmoreno@newcleus.com.

Tyrone E. Muse serves on the Board of Directors of TruStage, a leading provider of insurance and financial services to credit unions, their members and valued customers worldwide. He joined the board in November 2019.

As President and CEO of Endicott, NY-based Visions Federal Credit Union, Muse oversees 650 employees serving 203,000+ members online and across 51 branches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Over his first four years as CEO, he and his leadership team grew Visions’ assets by $1 billion.

Prior to joining Visions in 2013, Muse served in a variety of progressive roles at institutions including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs’ Archon Group, and GE Asset Management. He most recently served as CFO at Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union.

Active in the industry and community, Muse serves on the boards of Excellus Lifetime Care, Filene, and is the vice chairman of the board for the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on both the New York and national Federal Reserve Board Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council, acting as regional chair. Locally, he is active with many causes and organizations including the Binghamton Bearcats Athletic Association, Binghamton University, Community Foundation for South Central New York, United Way, among others.

Honored for his service, Muse is a recipient of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce 2019 Civic Leader of the Year Award and the Broome County 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Muse attended Northeastern University in Boston, MA where he attained his undergraduate degree, master’s in accounting, and his MBA. He and his wife reside in Vestal, NY with their daughters.

Scott Olsen, Chief Data Officer at CoastHills Federal Credit Union, has over 25 years of experience in data and analytics. He leads initiatives to build a data-driven culture, creating dynamic dashboards and reports that align departmental goals with corporate strategy. A PMP-certified Project Manager and experienced software engineer, Scott has developed around 160 data-driven applications. Using tools like Power BI and SSRS, he delivers user-friendly interfaces for effective decision-making through analytics. Scott excels in explaining complex issues to diverse audiences and is passionate about empowering the credit union’s departments in harnessing the power of data for informed decision-making.

George Ombado is Development Economist with a keen interest in strategic management and discourse that helps developing countries attain financial inclusion and access. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business, master’s degree in Economics of Development from Erasmus University in the Netherlands, and a Master of Science in Management from Strathclyde Business School, UK.

He has 17 years of experience supporting financial inclusion and access initiatives. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Association (ACCOSCA), an institution that supports the development of cooperative financial institutions in Africa. In this role, he has spearheaded strategic planning for a number of financial cooperatives in Africa.

George serves on the boards of the Africa Co-operative Development Foundation (ACDF) and The CADASTA Foundation. He is also the Director of Africa Development Educators Program and holds an I-CUDE designation. He is a part of the executive team providing leadership on a project funded by IFAD in Tanzania, Malawi and Ethiopia known as “Improving Rural Financial Inclusion through Financial Co-operatives” in partnership with the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada and the Irish League of Credit Unions Foundation. George has contributed to numerous financial publications, including The Capital Conundrum for Cooperatives, published in 2015 by the International Cooperative Alliance.

Stan is a Forbes Contributor, TEDx Speaker, IBM Futurist, Certified Speaking Professional®, and best-selling author of the Goldfish Series. He is also an Instructor for the ANA School of Marketing and Rutgers Business School.

A show and tell speaker, Stan empowers audiences to take action that delivers bottom-line impact. He strives to change the paradigm of marketing by encouraging audiences to focus on experiences as the ultimate competitive differentiator. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

A masterful storyteller who quickly connects with audiences, Stan has delivered keynotes and workshops for Fortune 100 brands including IBM, Target, and more. He works directly with you to customize content that matches your audience and your goals to create a memorable and meaningful experience every time. Count on Stan to show up early, arrive prepared, and disrupt the all-work-and- no-play methodology with his sharp wit and trademark showmanship. He makes it his mission to exceed expectations and inspire audiences in ways they just can’t help but talk about — and won’t soon forget.

Sam Plester CUDE is the CEO and Founder of Mission Brands Consulting, a brand and marketing partner for financial cooperatives. He has more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience across the UK and USA.

Sam has held national leadership roles within the U.S. credit union movement, focusing on brand strategy, affinity marketing, and content strategy and development. Prior to working in the credit union system, Sam held a series of marketing roles in the public sector, working across social housing, youth services and employment departments.

Esperanza Poblano "Espy", is the Training Manager for the African-American Credit Union Coalition and has developed strong ties with AACUC members. Espy is responsible for delivering our flagship offering, which the DEI Leadership Academy for Financial Professionals. Espy leverages both her knowledge and personal perspectives, having been in the financial industry for 9 years with 4 of those years being in training and development, to create empathy
and understanding of the needs of our members. She has developed strong relationships and ties to numerous organizations and is widely considered as a cultural Ambassador. After Crashing the GAC and crashing the AACUC Commitment To Change in 2020, Espy found that her passion was not only being an advocate of the credit union movement but being a DEI advocate at AACUC. Espy has inspired and nurtured many participants in the AACUC DEI Leadership Academy for Financial Professionals. Her inspiration to continue working towards building more awareness around DEI is her personal experience. As a second generation Mexican-American she has experienced racism throughout her life and is ready to make a move in the right direction for generations to come. Espy has demonstrated outstanding leadership, passion, and integrity and she also has served as an important role model and leader young professionals in the credit union industry.

Dr. James Pogue is the president and CEO of JP Enterprises. For more than 15 years he has worked with organizations across industries and the globe to help leaders reach peak performance, sharpen strategic initiatives all with the intention of leaving organizations with a healthier culture. A critical tool in this work has been the Inclusive Leadership Assessment (ILA)™. The ILA™ results in a snapshot of where an organization’s culture is and where it wants to be. Dr. Pogue is also the creator of The No Nonsense Experience™, a series of discussions in cohort model using emergent and best practices to keep participants ‘The RIGHT Kind of Uncomfortable’™. The No Nonsense Experience™ has been used by thousands of professionals to build comfort, confidence, and the muscles necessary to help leaders address challenges.

Jim Pond is the co-founder of JXM, a brand consultancy and digital agency located in Massachusetts. Jim has worked with dozens of credit unions ranging from less than one hundred million in assets, to multi-billion dollar.

Liz began her career as a teller for First City Bank in Fort Walton Beach Florida. Her twenty-year financial resume speaks to many leadership positions which include Wells Fargo and Regions Bank. Her Credit Union journey began as Vice President of Redstone Federal Credit union, a $5 Billion organization in Huntsville, Alabama.

Liz ignites positive change in the credit union movement by empowering people to have courage to do what is right and bring their diverse perspectives to the table to better serve the community.” As an Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Officer for SRP, she gives great focus to the service of the member, and to the well-being and development of her employees, while placing emphasis on positively impacting her community by creating opportunities for people to grow and thrive.

Having earned her B.A. degree from Alabama State University, as well as obtaining her Certified Credit Union Executive Designation, Liz embraces the Credit Union Movement as one of her best life decisions. “People Helping People” is congruent with her values and beliefs.

Liz applies the eight cooperative principles, which are part of the credit union mantra, to bring positive and innovative change to the Credit Union space.

As the Chief Revenue Officer at Open Lending, Matt oversees all aspects of the customer partnership model by providing high quality consultation, training, and deployment strategies for the Lenders Protection product.

Matt has been with Open Lending since 2007, serving a variety of crucial roles within the company across more than ten years. Matt works cross-functionally with Marketing, Implementation, Operations, Finance, and IT systems within the organization to collaborate with sales leaders and meet target growth.
Matt actively reviews sales and account management strategies at Open Lending and consistently identifies opportunities to increase productivity, efficiency, and enable growth. His extensive experience as both a National Account Manager and Marketing Manager within the company provides sufficient knowledge for Matt to create and oversee cutting edge marketing strategies and implementation.

Matt possesses unique skills as a system and product analyst and has experience acting as a technical contact for clients during the implementation phase. He’s also provided direction and guidance for project teams to ensure product compliance and timely execution in the areas of project management.
Matt holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He and his wife reside in Austin, Texas with their four children.

Ms. Sattiewhite is credited for giving organizations a “new look” in the areas of customer satisfaction, employee relations, marketing materials and training materials. Ms. Sattiewhite also serves as an executive coach, mentoring trainer and assists organizations with marketing campaigns.

She is a former instructor for Spelman College’s Continuing Education Department, and a graduate of Oglethorpe University with a B.A. in Communications. Ms. Sattiewhite has presented keynote addresses at conferences held by Clemson University, the Georgia Lottery, the North Carolina Education Lottery, the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the National Credit Union Administration, Trinidad/Tobago Credit Union League, the Combined Council of Automotive Credit Unions and the AACUC. She is the past Director of the AACUC Reaching Toward the Future Internship Program. She is currently the Executive Director of the AACUC.

Coming soon.

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Debbie Smith joined Georgia United Credit Union in 2002, serving in several roles before being appointed CEO in 2013. Debbie brings over 30 years of experience in organizational, people and cultural development, strategy and policy development, cost reduction and a storied history in civic and community work. Debbie has been an advocate of the credit union philosophy for many years, beginning in 1984 as a Credit Union Advisory Board member.

Coming soon...

Lynette Smith is the DIrector of Engagement at Quantum Governance, L3C — a limited-liability, low-profit consulting group dedicated to the public good. They work exclusively with credit union and nonprofit Boards and C-suite-level executives to develop exceptional leadership.

Lynette is a renowned credit union leader and was recognized by NAFCU (National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions) in 2011 receiving its CEO of the Year Award. She recently retired as the President/CEO of TruEnergy Federal Credit Union in the Washington D.C. Metro area. Prior to serving as CEO of TruEnergy, she enjoyed a long career at Treasury Department Federal Credit Union where she served for 19 years as the Vice President/ Finance and Administration, Vice President/ CFO, Vice President/COO and Acting CEO. Lynette is a 25+ year CUES member and in March of 2021, she was inducted into the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) Hall of Fame. Lynette currently serves on the Board of the AACUC and has also served as Chairman of that Board

Maurice Smith is the retired CEO of Local Government Federal Credit Union and Civic FCU. Both are financial cooperatives serving the financial needs of employees, appointed officials, elected officeholders and volunteers of local governments in North Carolina.

Smith began his career in financial services as a loan officer for State Employees’ Credit Union. Smith served in several capacities including vice-president/city executive and vice-president of marketing/training. Smith joined LGFCU in 1992 as the Executive Vice- President and was promoted to President in 1999 and later CEO. Civic was chartered in 2017.

Smith received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and earned a Juris Doctorate from the NC Central University School of Law. Smith is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, the District of Columbia and before the United States Supreme Court. Smith is also a North Carolina Certified Superior Court Mediator.

Smith achieved a NC Real Estate Brokers License, Certified Credit Union Executive Designation and attended several management and marketing schools.

Smith and his wife have two children and live in Cary, North. Carolina. He is a Deacon at Wake Chapel Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and participates in several community and civic activities.

Smith is a self-proclaimed cooperative nerd. He believes that a business model that empowers its members to engage in democratic, self-help, classless principles is superior to other business types. As a fan of credit union ideals, Smith is avid about his beliefs.

Dr. Brandi Stankovic, Ed.D., is an organizational change expert, motivational speaker, artist and mommy who inspires firms globally with her models of leadership, engagement, and award-winning education. Dr. Stankovic is a trusted advisor and strategic planning facilitator who guides CEOs and Boards on risk appetite, organizational health, profitability and growth. Dr. Stankovic is the coauthor of The Strategic MVP, a book of 52 growth and leadership tools and the host of the energizing podcast, The Strategic Hotbox, designed to help executives reach their greatest potential. Dr. Stankovic is a director and cofounder of CU Pride, industry organization serving LGBTQ+ community and allies. She also serves on the CMN Hospitals Credit Unions for Kids advisory group, HRD Network Board, and is a Development Educator CUDE and I-CUDE. Dr. Stankovic volunteers for the World Young Credit Union Professionals Affiliates Council and the Global Women's Leadership Network, World Council of Credit Unions, helping advance young executives and women in leadership across the globe. Dr. Stankovic received her Bachelors in Finance and Economics at University of Nevada, TESOL and Teaching Practice Certificate from the College of Teachers in the United Kingdom, Masters of Business Administration from the University of San Diego and Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University.

A lifelong sports fan, I am motivated by a strong competitive drive and the thrill of taking on new challenges. I am fascinated by the concept of synergy and I strongly believe that a cohesive team can accomplish more together than the sum of the individual contributions of team members. As the Chief Operations Officer at PixelSpoke, I utilize my strong analytical and organizational skills and my talents around process improvement to help our team and clients achieve big and small wins!

I have a diverse professional background that includes roles in sales, operations, and finance. I have a B.A. in English from UCLA and an M.B.A. from West Texas A&M University. I have a strong natural curiosity and a love of learning that drives me towards continual improvement.

At PixelSpoke, I love that I get to work alongside passionate, smart, and dedicated colleagues who embody teamwork and pursue creative Everybody Wins solutions!

Ranked among the top women speakers in business, Shawna Suckow uses her 20 years of expertise as a million-dollar B2B Buyer to help sales professionals and business leaders better engage today’s evolving customer. Suckow has worked with audiences across 5 continents to sharpen their networking skills, update their sales tactics, and modernize their marketing approaches.

A Certified Meeting Professional, Suckow’s relevant takeaways and vibrant presentation style have earned her a place among Successful Meetings Magazine’s “25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry” for three consecutive years. She is one of Meeting & Conventions Magazine’s Planners’ Favorite Speakers of 2014 and 2015, sharing a list with household names like Bill Clinton, Patrick Stewart, and Anderson Cooper.

Suckow is a four-time author. Her first two books put planners and suppliers in each other’s shoes, imparting insights on what each party looks for in the other as well as what they staunchly avoid and why. Her other book Don’t Become Extinct: Join the Sales Evolution! looks at how the buying process has changed, what works today in sales, and what doesn’t.

Kerala Taylor is also a PixelSpoke co-owner and serves as its Senior Marketing Manager. She has over 20 years of digital marketing experience for a wide range of mission-driven organizations, starting with a nonprofit storytelling website she co-founded that merged with National Geographic. She is also a co-host of PixelSpoke’s Remarkable Credit Union podcast.

Tom Tobin is a technologist and a financial industry veteran who has been building analytic decision platforms in the credit and fraud risk space for over 30 years. In 2015, he founded Modelshop with a vision of democratizing access to AI model automation and decision engines for financial institutions, regardless of their size. Modelshop’s no-code, AI platform has been used by clients to design, deploy and monitor AI engines that add intelligent automation to existing tech-stacks. Prior to Modelshop, Tom served in technology and business leadership roles at FICO, HP, Oracle and Fiserv delivering solutions that have produced over a billion in revenue for those organizations. Today, under Tom's leadership, Modelshop proudly powers AI model automation and decision-making solutions.

Maryellen Valaitis is a business-focused Human Resources Executive with special expertise developing and supporting businesses in transformation as a member of the Executive Team. A valued strategist and problem-solver, she is able to organize, plan and execute solutions in complex situations. Maryellen is an Adjunct Instructor for the South Carolina State College System and has a small practice, Edge Consulting.

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Maryellen led a complete reorganization of McGraw-Hill Education as it separated from The McGraw-Hill Companies into a new, independent entity. This resulted in $50 million annualized savings. She led the Human Resources function for more than 5,000 employees and more than $2.2 billion in revenue, and directed the design and implementation of new incentive plans and benefit programs. She launched the global Learning and Development initiative to provide online and instructor-led programs.

Adam Wright was hired as the Managing Director of CUDX Operations in July 2023 making him the first CUDX employee. He has a rich background in data science, decision science and data strategy across the financial services, with an increasing focus on credit unions in recent years. Adam brought extensive operations research and leadership experience to the private sector from a twenty-two-year Army career. He is passionate about providing a high level of service and expertise to enable the Credit Union Movement. Through CUDX, he is helping credit unions compete with large banks by sharing data and cooperatively innovating with analytics.

Scott P. Young oversees the Innovation and Emerging Services Team at Velera. With over twenty-five years of experience in payments, Scott started his career at First Data in Omaha before moving to Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) and more recently, Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union before joining PSCU (now Velera) in late 2019. A passionate advocate for the credit union movement, Scott is also a leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts at Velera and across the industry. Scott is a graduate of the University of Nebraska.