MADISON, Wis. – Forty-five credit union professionals have become Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) after completing the intensive Credit Union Development Education (DE) Training from the National Credit Union Foundation (the Foundation).
The DE training was held April 26 – May 3, 2017 at the Lowell Center here.
After attending the April DE Training, Kim Cromer, director of prepaid services at CU24 Inc in Tallahassee, Fla., said, “DE Training didn’t just give me information on credit union philosophy and principles, it provided me with experiences that will last a lifetime! DE Training had a powerful impact that fueled an even a bigger fire in me to make a difference. DE training gives us purpose and now I’m an advocate of the credit union movement forever.”
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. 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 developing countries, credit union solutions to predatory lending, the increasing issue of homelessness in America, and rejuvenating a stagnant credit union, the Foundation said.
Class Graduates
The most recent DE graduating class included credit union movement representatives from across the U.S, as well as representatives from Ghana, Scotland, Peru and Malawi. They are: Nana Agyepong, Ghana Co-Operative Credit Unions Association in Ghana; Myra Aranda, Complex Community FCU in Texas; Danielle Banks, Fairfax County FCU in Virginia; Barbara Begin, Heritage Family FCU in Vermont; Satya Bhadriraju, American Airlines FCU in Texas; Brad Buher, PSCU in Florida; Kim Cromer, CU24 Inc in Florida; Todd Cunningham, Central CU of Florida in Florida; Catherine Davenport, Capital Credit Union in the UK; Jack Davis, PSCU in Florida; Roy Echols, Suncoast CU in Florida; Victor Frasher, Educators Credit Union in Wisconsin; Lisa Johnson, Suncoast CU in Florida; Sharon Jones, Canton School Employees FCU in Ohio; Mark Joyce, Resource One CU in Texas; Drake Keller, Peach State FCU in Georgia; Morgan Kelsey, Texas People FCU in Texas; Tania Kolodziej, Streator Onized CU in Illinois; Scott Leiser, Rock Valley FCU in Illinois; Jodi Loe, Local Government FCU in North Carolina; Carrie Marek, First Family FCU in Oklahoma; Gabrielle McClure, Members Choice WV FCU in West Virginia; Sue McCue, Credit Union House in DC; Sonya McDonald, Randolph-Brooks FCU in Texas; Ron Moorehead, First Financial CU in New Mexico; Emily Moreno, Cornerstone Credit Union League in Texas; Fareeda Murrell, Guardians CU in Florida; Angel Phillips, Reliant FCU in Wyoming; Kyhle Porter, Elements Financial Federal Credit Union in Indiana; Arnold Ramirez, Thinkwise CU in California; Mara Rayner, Montana Credit Union Network in Montana; Carolyn Reeves, SchoolsFirst FCU in California; Tanya Romero, Guadalupe CU in New Mexico; Willard Ross, Coastal Federal Credit Union in North Carolina; Kristin Ryan, Credit Union National Association in Wisconsin; Francisco Sanchez, Peoples Trust FCU in Texas; Beth Schnabel, Filene Research Institute in Wisconsin; Renee Shipko, Truliant FCU in North Carolina; Paulo Tarazona Sanchez, Federacion Nacional De Cooperatives De Ahorro Y Cr in Peru; Alicia Vanness, Northern Paper Mills Credit Union in Wisconsin; Daniel Vasquez, GECU in Texas; Joan Wacker, Gesa CU in Washington; Francis Waliwa, United Civil Servants SACCO in Malawi; Matt Walusis, WyHy FCU in Wyoming; and Samantha Ziesemer, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin.
2017 DE Trainings
The Foundation will be holding four DE Trainings this year all in Madison, Wis. The June training session is sold out, but registration for the September and November session will be opening up later this year. If you are interested in participating in one of the Fall 2017 DE Trainings, visit ncuf.coop to learn more or you can email cude@ncuf.coop to be put on a notification list for when registration opens up.