MADISON, Wis.–Forty 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 week-long DE training took place at the Lowell Center in Madison, Wis.
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 that 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 disruption, 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 most recent DE graduating class included credit union movement representatives from across the U.S, as well as representatives from Kenya and the Philippines.
The most recent CUDEs are: Bettyrose Akinyi Okiri, Africa Confederation of Coop Savings and Credit Association in Kenya; Brandon Allison, Gesa CU in Washington; Ruby Alvarez, GECU in Texas; Nathan Ashworth, AMOCO FCU in Texas; Tom Berquist, BECU in Washington; Devin Boyd, TwinStar CU in Washington; Hannibal Brumskine, National Credit Union Foundation in Washington, D.C.; Deanna Bublik, American Airlines FCU in Texas; Laurie Craig, Enrichment FCU in Tennessee; Avalon Crawford, San Francisco FCU in California; Jose Contreras Detablan, Victo National Co-operative Federation and Development Center in the Philippines; Katie Dovalle, Gesa CU in Washington; Chris Foy, Peach State FCU in Georgia; Audrey Gurira, American Airlines FCU in Texas; Tawanna Haswell, Southwest Financial FCU in Texas; Deborah Heusi, Houston Highway CU in Texas; Bradley Hickey, American Airlines FCU in Texas; Ron Jooss, Credit Union National Association in Wisconsin; Tilman Kelly, Coastal Federal Credit Union in North Carolina; Paige Knipfer, Credit Union National Association in Wisconsin; Allison Macey, XCEL FCU in New Jersey; Jenefer Machovina, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; Sandra Merrell, Ent CU in Colorado; Katherine Mitchell, SC Telco FCU in South Carolina; Emma Norman, Local Government FCU in North Carolina; Mary O’Rourke, Randolph-Brooks FCU in Texas; Donya Parrish, Montana Credit Union League in Montana; Keith Parwulski, The Summit FCU in New York; Sam Plester, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; Matt Reber, CFCU in Colorado; Bonnie Rosenmeier, Dane County Credit Union in Wisconsin; Robert Shibutse, Mwalimu National Sacco in Kenya; Kim Stewart, Ohio Credit Union League in Ohio; Michael Summers, PSCU in Florida; Jacque Valdez, GECU in Texas; Sheri Vick, Guardians CU in Florida; Kirby Wenger, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; David Whiting, CME Federal Credit Union in Ohio; Joe Woods, CU24 Inc in Florida; and Sarah Zemke, Christian Financial Credit Union in Michigan.
The Foundation said four DE trainings are scheduled for 2017. For more info: www.ncuf.coop