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47 credit union professionals become Certified CU Development Educators (CUDEs)
MADISON, WI (February 3, 2014) — A record forty-seven credit union professionals became Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) last week after being guided by eight dedicated program facilitators and mentors through the intensive Credit Union Development Education (DE) Training from the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF). The January 22-29, 2014 training was held at the Rizzo Conference Center, which is by the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“DE training was hands-down the most educational, inspirational, and emotional training or conference I’ve ever been fortunate enough to be a part of,” said Michael Waylett, President of Vision Financial FCU in Durham, N.C. “I learned of the principles on which credit unions were founded and how these principles should remain at the heart of every decision that we make today. It is not possible to attend this training and not, as a human being, be changed significantly.”
Team Projects
DE Training provides critical lessons in cooperative principles and credit union philosophy while incorporating challenges credit unions face today. During the recent week-long program, participants were involved in group exercises, field trips, issue 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 the class’ final case studies, participants worked through and presented solutions to critical issues that included credit union regulations, board development and recruiting including the debate over compensation, credit union solutions to payday lending, microfinance to women in the Philippines, credit union taxation, and a small credit union merger dilemma.
Class Graduates
The Winter 2014 graduating class included credit union movement representatives from across the U.S., Malawi and Kenya. They are: Benjamin Allbee, Virginia CU in Virginia; Ashley Bigg, VyStar CU in Florida; Lisa Brown, Tallahassee-Leon FCU in Florida; Robert Carter, VyStar CU in Florida; Christine Cheney in District of Columbia; Dorshey Coleman, Virginia CU League in Virginia; LaTasha Cooper, Carolinas CU League in South Carolina; Amy Coughenour, National Cooperative Business Association in District of Columbia; Amanda Crawford, Carolina Foothills FCU in South Carolina; Mark Curran, Lion’s Share FCU in North Carolina; Kate Czarnecki, Focal Point FCU in New York; Frances Davis, Neighbors FCU in Louisiana; Toni Davisson, SC Telco FCU in South Carolina; Melissa Donlin, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; Donna Dyer, CUNA Mutual Group in Wisconsin; Sheri Eaton, Suncoast CU in Florida; Tim Eisel, ElecTel Cooperative FCU in North Carolina; Tamra Fairbrother, Cornerstone Credit Union League in Texas; Anthony Fletcher, American Airlines in Texas; Bijal Gami, Local Government FCU in North Carolina; Jennifer Gleason, Local Government FCU in North Carolina; Brent Glover, State ECU in North Carolina; Tanya Haskett, Mountain CU in North Carolina; Brenda Hooks, Coastal FCU in North Carolina; Darlene Johnson, Suncoast CU in Florida; Sylvester Kadzola, Malawi Union of Savings & Credit Cooperatives in Malawi; Raymond Lancaster, Pyramid FCU in Arizona; John McGrail, Carolinas Credit Union Foundation in North Carolina; Deb McLean, Carolina Postal CU in North Carolina; Jana Mearns, Peoples Trust FCU in Texas; Vickey Morris, Cornerstone Credit Union League in Texas; Bryan Munson, National Cooperative Business Association in District of Columbia; Winona Nava, Guadalupe CU in New Mexico; Aleicia O’Neal, DC FCU in District of Columbia, Elkanah Odembo, World Council of Credit Unions in Kenya; George Ombado, African Confederation of Cooperative Savings & Credit Associations in Kenya; Darlene Parker, Tarrant County CU in Texas; Deborah Perkins-Futch, Duke University FCU in North Carolina; Trisha Prilleux, Neighbors FCU in Louisiana; Bob Rehm, Credit Union Resources in Texas; Marcus Schinkel, Virginia CU in Virginia; Toretta Snipes, State ECU in North Carolina; Tyler Valentine, Laramie Plains Community FCU in Wyoming; Michael Waylett, Vision Financial FCU in North Carolina; and Nathalie Williams, PortAlliance FCU in Virginia.
2014 Spring & Fall DE Trainings
Registration is still open for the next two 2014 DE trainings, which will be held April 23-30, 2014 and September 10-17, 2014 at the Lowell Center in Madison, Wis. Registration and more information can be found on the NCUF website by clicking the “Register for DE Training” button on the homepage or anywhere on the website under “Foundation Programs>Development Education>Register for 2014 DE Trainings” at the top of every page.
“DE training is a positive intervention into all things credit union that you knew, thought you knew, and things you had no idea on,” said Brent Glover, Senior Vice President at State ECU in Raleigh, N.C. “The training lays down a foundation to allow you to constructively step out of your own walls and bring about change in every life you touch.”