40 credit union professionals become certified Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs)
Foundation’s transformational CU training held in Madison
Forty credit union professionals became Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) after being guided by dedicated program facilitators and mentors through the intensive Credit Union Development Education (DE) Training from the National Credit Union Foundation (the Foundation). The DE training was held November 2-9, 2016 at the Lowell Center in Madison, Wis.
After attending the November DE Training, Bonnie Rosenmeier, VP Marketing and Member Service at Dane County Credit Union, said, “I have been around credit unions my entire life and thought I knew it all! The DE program has given me an eye-opening experience into the true meaning of the purpose of our industry. It has filled my heart and given me a new spark.”
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 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.
Class Graduates
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. They 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.
2017 DE Trainings
The November DE Training was the last training of 2016 and four are scheduled for 2017 in Madison, Wis. If you are interested in participating in one of the 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.
More November DE Training Testimonials
“DE Training was so inspiring,” said Katie Mitchell, Electronic Services Manager at SC Telco FCU. “It rejuvenated me and confirmed why working in the credit union movement is so important to me. It is not just a job because I have the power to change lives!”
Avalon Crawford, Consumer Lending Supervisor at San Francisco FCU said, “DE Training is the reason why I will continue to stay in the credit union movement, now understanding our valuable principles are bigger than myself!”
“I came into DE Training loving my credit union and I came out having a renewed passion for the credit union movement and all it stands for,” said Keith Parwulski, Director of Regional Branch Services at The Summit FCU. “This was truly a life-changing experience for me. It’s all about ‘people helping people.’”
About the DE Program
The mission of the Credit Union Development Education (DE) program is to promote credit unions’ social responsibility and domestic and international development through interactive adult education and professional networking. By linking credit unions’ past and present, the DE program brings renewed relevance to credit unions’ seven cooperative principles and the philosophy of “People Helping People.”
Since 1982, more than 1,600 credit union advocates from over 35 countries have graduated from DE Training to become Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs). Once they earn their CUDE designation, people return to their jobs with a sense of personal enrichment and renewed energy to share what they have learned. This growing corps of credit union advocates devotes professional and volunteer time to spreading the credit union message to audiences throughout the country. For more information on the DE program, visit
www.ncuf.coop under “
How We Help”.
