CUNA News Podcast

The importance of diversity with Adrian Johnson

September 06, 2019 14:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MB

The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) wants to be considered a preferred diversity, equity, and inclusion partner for the credit union system, says Adrian Johnson, chief financial officer at $1.2 billion asset MECU Credit Union in Baltimore and AACUC chairman. In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, recorded during AACUC’s 21st annual conference in Charlotte, N.C., Johnson discusses the organization’s unique role within the credit union system, opportunities that await AACU...

A discussion with NCUA Chairman Rodney Hood

August 22, 2019 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MB

During a recent CUNA News Podcast interview at the 2019 African-American Credit Union Coalition Conference in Charlotte, N.C., NCUA Chairman Rodney Hood discussed the need for financial inclusion, small credit unions, easing credit unions’ regulatory burden, innovation, fintechs, and more. President Donald Trump nominated Hood for the NCUA Board on Jan. 19, 2019. After confirmation, he took the oath of office on April 8, 2019, and President Trump designated him as the agency’s 11th chairma...

A proactive approach to change with Sarah Marshall

August 15, 2019 18:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MB

Faced with the changing demographics of a community coupled with a struggle to repay borrowed secondary capital from the U.S. Treasury, leadership at North Side Community Federal Credit Union knew a merger was in their future. But they wanted to make sure the merger took place on their own terms. “We felt our legacy was really important and we didn’t want to see that go away,” says Sarah Marshall, former CEO of the $9 million asset credit union. “We wanted to make sure we were proactive ...

Adam Engelman on young professionals and advocacy

August 08, 2019 21:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MB

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

Tracy Nelson on creating high-performing teams

August 01, 2019 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MB

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

Author John DiJulius on providing world-class service

July 25, 2019 20:35 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MB

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

How to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion on the board

July 19, 2019 14:26 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MB

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

2019 Credit Union Hero of the Year Harlene Johnson

July 11, 2019 19:45 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MB

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

Anne Norman on UW Credit Union’s brand refresh

June 27, 2019 20:40 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MB

A brand refresh involves much more than changing your logo or adding billboards. “That’s literally the last thing you do, and it takes the least amount of time,” says Anne Norman, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at UW Credit Union in Madison, Wis. “The research, strategic choices, and internal executive team alignment are the most crucial and most time consuming to set yourself up to do the fun, sexy stuff everybody gets to see.” The $2.8 billion asset credit union recen...

Driving member engagement with Rachel Scheuerman

June 19, 2019 13:35 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MB

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

25 years of finance leadership

June 13, 2019 21:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MB

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

Exceeding Expectations with Monica Belz

June 06, 2019 20:30 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

On April 14, 2018, the island of Kauai in Hawaii was deluged with a historic rain storm. As with all natural disasters, basic daily needs such as food and clean water were suddenly at a premium. Kauai Government Employees Federal Credit Union, under the leadership of CEO Monica Belz, was at the forefront of recovery efforts on the island. Belz even delivered supplies to members via jet ski. “We got the board of directors together and asked, ‘What is our role as a credit union? What can we...

The changing role of the CFO with Brandon Smith

May 23, 2019 19:19 - 27 minutes - 19 MB

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

Understanding emotional intelligence with Brandi Stankovic

May 16, 2019 19:38 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MB

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

The path to CEO with Evergreen CU’s Jason Lindstrom

May 10, 2019 15:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MB

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

Board best practices with John Sackett & Phil Browarsky

May 02, 2019 16:30 - 11 minutes - 8.23 MB

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

How KCT Credit Union puts members first

April 18, 2019 21:30 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MB

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

The risks and rewards of cannabis banking

April 11, 2019 16:30 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MB

When Washington state legalized the use of marijuana in 2014, O Bee Credit Union in Tumwater, Wash., initially decided not to serve marijuana-related businesses. But when members started asking for cannabis banking services, O Bee changed course and introduced deposit accounts, debit cards, and some other services for these organizations. The credit union’s rationale: We serve the member, not the business. In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, recorded at the 2019 CUNA Governmental ...

Cybersecurity and the board with David Reed

April 04, 2019 17:10 - 29 minutes - 20 MB

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

Celebrating Greatness with Crystal Long & Diana Dykstra

March 28, 2019 20:20 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MB

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

Conversations at the 2019 CUNA GAC

March 22, 2019 15:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MB

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

Meet the 2019 Credit Union Heroes

March 08, 2019 19:40 - 53 minutes - 36.7 MB

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

Maurice Smith on diversity and inclusion

February 28, 2019 20:45 - 26 minutes - 18 MB

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

Sue Cuevas on starting a new credit union

February 21, 2019 17:30 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MB

Latino credit union provides new hope for struggling members.

The importance of big data with Kirk Kordeleski

February 13, 2019 22:35 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MB

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

Social media compliance with Kristen Tatlock

February 07, 2019 19:40

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

REPLAY: Social media compliance with Kristen Tatlock

February 07, 2019 19:40 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MB

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

The power of innovation With Vermont FCU’s Doug Robinson

January 31, 2019 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MB

Everyone can be an innovator, says Vermont Federal Credit Union’s Doug Robinson.

Advocacy in action with CUNA’s Ryan Donovan

January 22, 2019 16:40 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MB

As CUNA’s Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Donovan tells it, advocacy is a process. Donovan says 2018’s advocacy results validated CUNA's 360-degree advocacy approach—a grassroots strategy that fosters engagement from system players at all levels from every direction. In 2019, America’s credit unions will build on a process that brought them nearly unprecedented success in 2018. CUNA stood tall for America’s credit unions in 2018 with the passage of S. 2155, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Re...

Building leadership skills with Coastal FCU’s Phil Kadzielawski

January 10, 2019 22:45 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MB

The Emerging Leader Award winner says participation, networking, and professional development build leadership skills.

The value of community service with Franklin First Federal CU CEO Michelle Dwyer

December 13, 2018 22:19 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MB

While Michelle Dwyer says she “fell into her job” at $63 million asset Franklin First Federal Credit Union in Greenfield, Mass., there’s more to it than that. Dwyer started as a temporary teller in 2006, and by 2016 she’d ascended to CEO. “From the beginning the job here just fit,” says Dwyer, referring to her lifelong orientation toward community service. She has broadened community awareness of Franklin First by participating in various community activities such as Rotary Club, the 1...

Fintech partnerships with Alliant CU’s Jeremy Pinard

December 07, 2018 14:51 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MB

As fintechs continue to increase their presence in the financial services industry, credit unions must decide to either form partnerships with these potential disruptors or compete against them. The first step in making this decision is to identify your niche—what you’re good at—and determining where to go from there, says Jeremy Pinard, vice president of consumer lending at $10.6 billion asset Alliant Credit Union in Chicago. “Credit unions have to get comfortable finding that niche and...

The benefits of mortgage subservicing with Midwest Loan Services’ Peter Sorce

November 29, 2018 21:26 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MB

Mortgage subservicing can save money and create efficiencies, says Midwest Loan Services’ Peter Sorce.

Success in Silicon Valley with Technology CU’s Todd Harris

November 21, 2018 14:25 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MB

Technology CU CEO Todd Harris on what it takes to succeed in a competitive market.

The importance of volunteerism with Aberdeen FCU’s Jean Peterson

November 15, 2018 16:20 - 26 minutes - 18 MB

Aberdeen FCU Board Member Jean Peterson knows the value of hard work.

Serving the on-the-go member with Sharmon Lenth

November 08, 2018 16:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MB

Catering to members who log long hours in trucks traveling across the country, Sharmon Lenth, president/CEO of $20 million asset Coast2Coast Financial Credit Union in Tampa, Fla., understands members must be able to access their accounts from anywhere at any time.

The future of cybersecurity with CO-OP’s Todd Clark

November 01, 2018 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MB

Todd Clark, president/CEO of CO-OP Financial Services, discusses the future of cybersecurity at credit unions and CO-OP’s new COOPER platform which is designed to detect and fight fraud. COOPER uses machine learning and artificial intelligence technology.

Fearless marketing with Partners FCU’s Royce Ngiam

October 25, 2018 15:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MB

Royce Ngiam, VP of marketing at Partners Federal Credit Union in Burbank, Calif., embraces the magical world of Partner’s single sponsor, The Walt Disney Co. Ngiam was named a 2018 Credit Union Rock Star by Credit Union Magazine.

Poverty awareness with WESTconsin CU’s Kyrah Klika

October 18, 2018 15:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MB

Kyrah Klika’s family went through financial hardships when she was in high school and she later struggled to work her way through college. Now, the Chippewa Falls Vice President at WESTconsin CU is working to help those who face similar challenges.

Anatomy of a credit union turnaround with Jennifer Borowy

October 11, 2018 15:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MB

Before Jennifer Borowy became president/CEO of Buckeye State Credit Union in 2016, it had lost $3.5 million in three years and its net worth had dipped 6%. Borowy helped lead an impressive turnaround.

Fintech chat with John Best, Glen Sarvady, Lance Noggle

September 27, 2018 15:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MB

John Best, Best Innovation Group, Glen Sarvady, 154 Advisors, and Lance Noggle, CUNA, discuss recent developments in the fintech and financial services space.

Data analytics with Anne Legg

September 20, 2018 15:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MB

Anne Legg, director of Market/Client Strategy with AdvantEdge Analytics, discusses data analytics and credit unions.

Blockchain with Royal CU’s Pete Nohelty

September 13, 2018 15:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MB

Royal CU CTO Pete Nohelty ‘peers around the corner’ to see where blockchain technology is heading and how it will impact credit unions.

Grassroots advocacy with CUNA’s Adam Engelman

September 06, 2018 15:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MB

Adam Engelman, CUNA’s director of federal grassroots and programs, works on the organization’s Membership Activation Program, engaging credit union members in advocacy. He’s also been pivotal in launching CUNA’s advocacy training for young professionals.

Episodes