MADISON, Wis. – Forty-six credit union professionals became Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) after completing the Credit Union Development Education (DE) Training from the National Credit Union Foundation.
According to the Foundation, DE training provides critical lessons in cooperative principles, credit union philosophy and international development issues while incorporating challenges credit unions face today. During the recent week-long program, participants were involved in group exercises, field trips, discussions with speakers from around the credit union system, and are required to complete team projects proposing solutions for credit unions to help alleviate or eliminate challenging situations in any given area, the Foundation said.
For this training’s final case studies, participants worked through and presented solutions to critical issues that included financial stability among young adults and families, credit union board development, building microfinance programs in the Philippines, credit union solutions to predatory lending, the increasing issue of homelessness in America, and rejuvenating a stagnant credit union, the Foundation explained.
The most recent DE graduating class included credit union movement representatives from across the U.S, as well as a representative from Zimbabwe. They are: Cindy Abrams, Ent CU in Colorado; Lacinda Athen, CUNA Councils in Wisconsin; Benjamin Bauer, Simplicity Credit Union in Wisconsin; Kanika Boutte, Energy Capital CU in Texas; Aaron Bresko, BECU in Washington; Cory Cigler, Fairfax County FCU in Virginia; Lloyd Cockerham, Ascension CU in Louisiana; Patrick Conway, Pennsylvania Credit Union Association in Pennsylvania; Ben Corby, CULIANCE in Florida; Melissa Cozart, Duke University FCU in North Carolina; Kyle Craigen, Gesa CU in Washington; Wendy Dawson, Coastal Federal Credit Union in North Carolina; Jamie Deno, SchoolsFirst FCU in California; Stephanie Dreiling, Heartland Credit Union in Kansas; Colleen Eastman, Sisseton-Wahpeton FCU in South Dakota; Sara Ferguson, Filer CU in Michigan; Ginny Flanagan, PSCU in Michigan; JoAnne Funk, League of Southeastern Credit Unions in Alabama; Amanda Habansky, Peoples Advantage FCU in Virginia; Jennifer Hallman, Tuscaloosa Credit Union in Alabama; Lindy Hancock, United Equity Credit Union in Illinois; Stacey Hand, Chattahoochee FCU in Alabama; Ashkan Jafari, Unitus Community CU in Oregon; Ken Kelly, Red Canoe CU in Washington; Hazel Kennedy-Ledesma, GECU in Texas; Brooke Laszewski, CUNA Mutual Group in Minnesota; Steve McCathran, Texas; Tim Merwin, Advia Credit Union in Michigan; Farai Mtawa, ACCOSCA, NACSCUZ and Municipality of Harare SACCO in Zimbabwe; Nina Myers, Fitzsimons FCU in Colorado; Marsha Needham, MemberSource Credit Union in Texas; Suzanne Peterson, Resource One CU in Texas; Zully Prieto, OAS Staff FCU in D.C.; Caitlyn Ramseier, Credit Union National Association in Wisconsin; Caroline Redmann, Blackhawk Community Credit Union in Wisconsin; Kristel Renn, STAR Credit Union in Wisconsin; Erika Romenesko, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; Meegan Siegwarth, Interra Credit Union in Indiana; Pamela Stelly, Maple Federal Credit Union in Louisiana; Amanda Stevens, TwinStar CU in Washington; Kathleen Sullivan, Local Government FCU in North Carolina; Melissa Thometz, Capital Educators FCU in Idaho; Jenny Torres, Suncoast CU in Florida; Scott Weaver, Carolina Foothills FCU in South Carolina; Victor Williams, Randolph-Brooks FCU in Texas; Ed Williams, Discovery FCU in Pennsylvania.
The Foundation said it will be holding four DE Trainings in 2018, all taking place in Madison, Wis. Anyone interested in participating in one of the 2018 DE Trainings can visit ncuf.coop to learn more or they can email cude@ncuf.coop to be put on a notification list for when registration opens up.