Nine CU leaders from Cornerstone region graduate from DE program

Nine visionary credit union leaders were designated as Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) after completing the National Credit Union Foundation’s virtual Credit Union Development Education (DE) Training.

October graduates are:

• Stacy Burgett, American Airlines Federal Credit Union in Texas
• Mike Shockley, True Sky Credit Union in Oklahoma
• Jon Skelly, True Sky Credit Union in Oklahoma
• Terry Louvin, Southwest 66 Credit Union in Texas

Pictured are the October graduates of the DE program.

November graduates are:

• Colleen Cooper, Truity Credit Union in Oklahoma
• Alex Michaud, True Sky Credit Union in Oklahoma
• Shelisa Goates, American Airlines Federal Credit Union in Texas
• Diana Salinas, Border Federal Credit Union in Texas
• Max Villaronga, El Paso Area Teachers FCU (TFCU) in Texas

Pictured are the leaders who graduated in November.

Both classes completed DE Training in the new, virtual learning environment and included employees and volunteers from credit unions and system partners across the U.S. credit union movement.

DE Training provides a unique experiential learning program that provides lessons in credit union structure, purpose, and the “why” that differentiates credit unions from other financial institutions. During the Foundation’s signature program, participants engage in small and large group exercises and interactive speaker sessions focused on the credit union difference, development issues, and empathy. Each lesson provides insights into how credit unions can leverage their unique business model to help their members and communities overcome the financial and developmental issues they face.

Hear what some of our graduates had to say about their experience:
“The Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) Program allowed me to step away from my daily role, in order to dive deep into why credit unions were formed in the first place. I was able to learn new community development perspectives that will help our organization and help our community further. Excellent program!” ~ Max Villaronga, president and chief executive officer, TFCU

“While the virtual DE experience was very different than the experiences of my True Sky colleagues, it was still a fantastic reminder of the history and purpose behind the credit union movement and the ‘why’ that drives the decisions we make in service of our members. I’m proud to be part of the first-ever virtual DE graduating class!” ~ Mike Shockley, VP of consumer lending, True Sky CU

“CUDE has given me the opportunity to connect with like-minded credit union enthusiasts. We were able to share and collaborate current practices and new ideas with regard to helping all of our members reach their financial dreams. Credit unions are a driving force in our communities’ success.” ~ Colleen Cooper, SVP, regional manager of branching, Truity CU

“It was a pleasure to be a part of the first virtual DE experience. In trusting the process, I was richly rewarded with an experiential training experience inspired by our ‘why’—the things that make credit unions markedly different from other financial institutions. By the end of the four weeks, I felt empowered and well-equipped to lead initiatives for positive and innovative changes in our credit union communities.” ~ Stacy Burgett, business technology analyst, American Airlines FCU

“As someone new to credit unions, the entire DE experience was an amazing array of gifted speakers, meaningful stories, and deep dives into the development issues that credit unions address every day. It was an incredible opportunity to network with other credit union professionals from a wide range of roles and regions, and I can easily say we were the best class ever.” ~ Jon Skelly, VP of marketing, True Sky CU