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47 credit union professionals become certified CU Development Educators (CUDEs)
Forty-seven 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 May 18-25, 2016 at the Lowell Center in Madison, Wis.
After attending the May DE Training, Cindy Beauregard, CEO of Heart of LA FCU in Pineville, La., said, “DE Training helps you bridge the gap between who you are and who you dream of being.”
Team Projects
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 class’ final case studies, participants worked through and presented solutions to critical issues that included student loan debt, board development and recruiting including the debate over compensation, 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 the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, The Gambia, Kenya, and St. Michael. They are: Candice Bain, Bahamas Co-operative League Ltd in the Bahamas; Amanda Basel, Christian Financial CU in Michigan; Cindy Beauregard, Heart of LA FCU in Louisiana; Jim Brisendine, Resource One CU in Texas; Timothy Cannon, Alliance CU in Florida; Valerie Curtis, Coastal FCU in North Carolina; Jamie Dedmon, Northwest CU Association in Washington; John Douglas, COPOS CU Co-Operative Society Limited in Trinidad and Tobago; Diana Dykstra, California/Nevada CU Leagues in California; Bryce Farmer, Unity One CU in Texas; Leah Friedenberg, Pima FCU in Arizona; John Graham, Kentucky Employees CU in Kentucky; Rachael Graham, Bayer Heritage FCU in West Virginia; Jennifer Grinder, Resource One CU in Texas; Lisa Grossman, GTE Financial in Florida; Brenda Halverson, CUNA Strategic Services in Wisconsin; Michael Hartman, Suncoast CU in Florida; Tammie Harvey, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; Hally Haynes, Barbados Police Co-op CU Ltd in Barbados; Lynette Hazelton, Heart of LA FCU in Louisiana; Bill Herring, retired from Cincinnati Central CU in Ohio; James Hossfeld, SchoolsFirst FCU in California; Stephanie Jackson, Peach State FCU in Georgia; Elizabeth Jasper, PSCU in Florida; Baboucarr Jeng, National Association of Cooperative CU of The Gambia in The Gambia; Darlyne Keller, Central City CU in Wisconsin; Paul Kirkbride, Ent CU in Colorado; Tommy Lenhart, Fairfax CU in Virginia; Carol Luebke, Cornerstone CU League in Texas; Brandon Luetkenhaus, Nebraska CU League in Nebraska; David Mategwa, Kenya Police Sacco in Nairobi; Michelle Merkley, Keystone FCU in Pennsylvania; Pamela Miley, Pyramid FCU in Arizona; Nathan Moenck, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; Patricia Neighbors, Community CU in California; Antoinette Olivas, Guadalupe CU in New Mexico; Tom Olney, PSCU in Florida; Michelle Randall, Metropolitan District ECU Inc in Connecticut; Crystal Rocchio, Long Reach FCU in West Virginia; Jason Ruiz, Resource One CU in Texas; Christie Smith, Neighborhood Housing Services of Richmond, Inc in Virginia; Jessica Smith, Peoples Trust FCU in Texas; Dana Stillwell, SOCU in Illinois; Patsy Van Ouwerkerk, retired from Travis CU in California; Lesley Vaughan, Coastal FCU in North Carolina; Megan Veech, CUNA in Wisconsin; Mario Vega, Guadalupe CU in New Mexico.
September and November Sessions Sold Out
Due to increased demand, the Foundation added a fourth DE Training session this year to take place in November. Additionally, the September 14-21 and November 2-9 sessions, both occurring in Madison, are already sold out. If you are interested in 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 May DE Training Testimonials
“DE Training was life altering,” said Tom Olney, VP Learning Process & Architecture at PSCU in St. Petersburg, Fla. “I was asked before I went, ‘Are you going to drink the Kool-Aid?’ When I got there I found out there is no Kool-Aid, only caring people who believe in a movement that seeks to lift people up. What better calling is there? Thank you for fanning the flames of possibility and challenging us to do better with what we’ve got.”
“I’ve worked in credit unions for over 15 years, but this experience truly changed my perspective on our role,” said Leah Friedenberg, Director of Payment Services at Pima FCU in Tucson, Ariz. “My empathy for what our members experience has grown, and I feel renewed to find ways in which I can make a difference! Absolutely one of the best training experiences of my career!”
“DE taught me the concise difference between credit union ‘essentials’ and credit union ‘purpose’,” said
Michelle Merkley, EVP at Keystone Federal Credit Union in West Chester, Pa. “My spirit is renewed and I am ready to change the world–starting with one member at a time!”
More 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 1,500 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”.
