CU Strategic Planning welcomes Brancucci to help launch CU results
New department will help credit unions to better achieve mission-driven relevancy.
TACOMA, WA (October 3, 2023) — Credit union veteran Joseph (Joe) Brancucci has joined CU Strategic Planning as executive vice president, working alongside Chief Consulting Officer Shirley Senn in the firm’s new CU Results division.
“CDFI credit unions are very relevant to the communities they serve, and for me, helping them do that more successfully by embracing the cooperative principles to leverage themselves in those communities is important,” Brancucci said. “It’s an opportunity for me to spend time not just in one credit union, but to spread what I’ve learned and my passion to many credit unions and help them be successful.”
Brancucci has enjoyed a long career in credit unions, most recently as senior vice president of lending at Financial Partners Credit Union where he led the credit union in record organic loan growth during his tenure. He’s served as the first president of the CUSO CU Rate Reset (now Finofr), president/CEO of GTE Financial, executive vice president at BECU, chairman/CEO/founder of Prime Alliance and more. He’s received significant industry recognition, such as being named 2013 CU Times CEO Trailblazer of the Year.
CU Results will work with credit unions to create relevant, mission-driven and sustainable strategies for success, focusing on:
- Meeting goals set by boards and in CDFI grants
- Significantly and safely increasing lending
- Identifying opportunities within credit unions’ communities
- Achieving financial sustainability that directly translates into improving members’ lives
CU Results is committed to empowering credit unions by providing the necessary tools, knowledge and support to effectively implement CDFI Fund awards and strategies. Deliverables will include a detailed five-year implementation roadmap, strategic plan and ongoing support.
“Helping CDFI credit unions align their practice with the communities they serve is really important to executing on their responsibilities to their CDFI certification,” Brancucci noted. “We’re dedicated to helping credit unions make being a CDFI part of who they are rather than merely something they do.”
With the launch of the new CU Results consulting division, CU Strategic Planning Co-Owner Shirley Senn has taken on the role of chief consulting officer and will work closely with Brancucci. “We’re very excited to have Joe joining our team,” Senn said. “I look forward to working with him to expand credit unions’ capacity to manage and deploy their CDFI funds more efficiently to create meaningful, sustainable impacts on the communities they serve. His experience is invaluable.”
About CU Strategic Planning
Since 2008, CU Strategic Planning has provided business planning services for credit unions, focusing on community development. The company is the No. 1 CDFI certification, grant-writing and compliance firm for credit unions in the country. Through grants, strategic and tactical planning, community summit facilitation and more, CU Strategic Planning achieves its mission to unlock opportunities for credit unions to change lives and their communities. CU Strategic Planning’s expert consulting includes securing and managing compliance for $945 million in US Treasury CDFI grants and related award funding.
