CROSS ROADS, Texas–A new CUSO has been formed here that says it is seeking to “transform” credit unions by focusing on CUs of less than $100 million in assets.
Called CU Evolution, it was originally organized by the $24-million Living in Fulfillment Everyday (LiFE) FCU here and has since been joined in ownership by Family 1st of Texas Federal Credit Union in Fort Worth, Texas,
By giving small credit unions the strategies and tools to provide exceptional member and employee experiences, CU Evolution said in a statement that its leadership hopes to start “a movement within the movement.”
“Great leaders and great lenders – those are the credit union people who will transform the movement,” said Deke Alexander, CEO of CU Evolution, who was chief lending officer with LIFE FCU. “Our hands-on, fully customized programs are built to help today’s credit union leaders and lenders go next-level, and fast.”
The CUSO will also include Howard Bufe, a credit union industry veteran who most recently helped small credit unions grow through his work with the Cornerstone Credit Union League.
“The financial services world, especially when it comes to the lender-borrower relationship, is undergoing intense disruption,” said Bufe. “Status quo leadership and lending will not work for most small credit unions. The time to evolve is now.”
Numerous Areas of Focus
CU Evolution said it is focused on evolving a credit union’s strategic planning, lending, leadership and marketing capabilities. It added its programs are fully customizable, allowing credit unions to choose the areas on which they want to focus.
“Those areas can be anything from board leadership, succession planning and culture development to logo design, branding guides and custom marketing campaigns,” the CUSO said. “These services for credit unions in need of lending program consultation will include strategic consultation and staff education.”
According to CU Evolution, credit unions with which it partners will be taken through a three-step process coined “Engage. Equip. Evolve.” The Engage phase signifies an assessment period, which is followed by training and consultation to Equip credit union staff with the right tools to meet its strategic objectives. The Evolve phase provides ongoing consultation and support in the form of lending program consultation, training, leadership development and marketing analytics, the CUSO said.
“Each of these experienced credit union pros understands the daily struggles that confront a small credit union,” said Dustin Fuller, LiFE FCU CEO and a CU Evolution board member. “That knowledge, combined with a contagious passion for advancing the credit union movement will be nothing short of transformational. We can’t wait to see the impact CU Evolution has on the industry.”
In addition to Alexander and Bufe, the CUSO also includes Bryan Schmidt, CU Evolution’s brand director, and Bri Barber, the CUSO’s executive administrator.