PALM DESERT, Calif. – The Defense Credit Union Council’s 2025 Annual Conference’s first day offered valuable networking and “mission-focused” education for credit unions serving military and veteran communities.
Morning concurrent breakout sessions delivered insights on critical issues. The following is a breakdown of what was presented:
Mergers & Acquisitions – Navigating a New Era, led by David Ritter, managing director, M&A Advisory at ALM First, addressed the growing pace of industry consolidation and shared real-world case studies to help credit unions plan for strategic success.
Post-Quantum Cryptography: Preparing Credit Unions for the Next Security Challenge featured PenFed Senior Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer, Anthony LaManna, and Eleanor Westbrook, Applied Cryptography engineer, who outlined the impending risks of quantum computing and the need for post-quantum readiness.
Democratizing Advocacy, presented by DCUC’s Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak, the session explored how every voice in the credit union movement can—and must—contribute to preserving the mission and relevance of credit unions in the face of legislative and market pressures.
General Session Highlights Mission And Leadership
The afternoon General Session began with a welcome address from DCUC President and CEO, Anthony Hernandez, who then moved to recognize both Travis Credit Union and Otero Federal Credit Union with the presentation of the 2024 Air Force Credit Unions of the Year Service Awards.
The general session continued with an introduction to this year’s Conference with a Purpose charity recipient, Fisher House Foundation, including a special video message from Tish Stropes, VP of strategic initiatives, Fisher House Foundation.
Tansley Stearns, president and CEO of Community Financial Credit Union, provided an update and overview of the CU’s mission and vision.
Following Stearn’s discussion, Mark Nutsch, Green Beret Commander Portrayed in the Movie 12 Strong, shared a powerful message of purpose, leadership, and resilience.
Afternoon Breakouts Focus On Leadership, Innovation, And Security
Attendees participated in their choice of four breakout sessions that addressed navigating CEO retirements, the ripple effect of interest rate volatility, accelerating fintech adoption and faster payments and faster fraud.
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