Feelin’ the Love
Love. It’s not a word you hear in the financial services industry. In fact, it’s a word that may seem discordant with our lexicon of regulatory acronyms. For the Foundation, however, we’re all about the love. In fact, after a recent Foundation Credit Union Development Education (DE) Training, one graduate noted, “I’ve never been to a training session that was, in essence, all about love.”
So, as I write this close to Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d explain why love is so important to the Foundation. A huge part of the Foundation’s success is the human capital that people donate to us every year. No DE training would be successful without the 6-7 mentors who participate in the training and help trainees through the week. For many of these mentors, the time they spend at DE training is their own personal vacation time.
Why would they do such a thing, you ask. Well, love. Love of a program that celebrates and leverages the credit union difference. Love of the possibility to have credit union professionals understand the true value of a not-for-profit cooperative financial model. Love of the inspiration and power to do good that DE trainees acquire in going through the program.
In addition, the Foundation collaborated extensively with credit unions and system partners to facilitate the annual DE Workshop as well as other initiatives to spread awareness about how to leverage the credit union difference. The Foundation wants to thank the leadership and staff of SchoolsFirst FCU in California for all the help in hosting our 2016 DE Summer Workshop; to University FCU in Texas for its gracious hosting of our 2015 DE Summer Workshop; and to CUNA Mutual Group for the human capital it regularly lends to the Foundation to advance the credit union difference.
So, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we at the Foundation want to extend all of our love to the individuals and institutions who shared their passion, energy, resources and human talent with us in 2016 to improve people’s financial lives across the country. Our lovin’ shout out goes to:
Craig Atkinson, Houston Highway CU
Creighton Blackwell, Coastal FCU
Kyle Brisendine, Resource One CU
Kathy Chartier, Members CU
Nancy Croix-Stroud, First Class American CU
Scott Earl, Mountain West Credit Union Association
Jeff Hardin, Carolinas Credit Union League
Chad Helminak
Terri Hendrix, Carolina Foothills FCU
Darlene Johnson, Suncoast CU
Angela McCathran, People’s Trust FCU
Heather McKissick, University FCU
Angela Prestil, CUNA
Michael Ray, Hoya Federal Credit Union
Brent Rempe, WEOKIE CU
Wendy Richardson, COPOS Credit Union
Bob Schumacher
Kevin Shaw, Illinois Credit Union System
Gerry Singleton, CUNA Mutual Group
Josh Smith, SchoolsFirst FCU
Kirk Smith, TwinStar CU
Mary Beth Spuck, TwinStar CU
Brandi Stankovic, Mitchell Stankovic & Associates
Tracy Tormey, CUNA Mutual Group
Debbie Wege, BECU
Pat Wesenberg, Simplicity CU
Nanci Wilson, North Star Community CU
Debbie Ybarra, People’s Trust FCU
CUNA Mutual Group
Filene Research Institute
SchoolsFirst FCU
University FCU
