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Shelli McCoy’s distinguished career embodies the cooperative spirit so characteristic of the credit union movement: collaboration, equality, social justice, service, and investing in people, to name just some. For this Development Educator project
award winner, it’s all intentional. No wonder Credit Union Magazine named McCoy a Credit Union Rock Star in 2019.
With 18 years of credit union and branch operations experience, McCoy is vice president of operations of Tarrant County’s Credit Union in Fort Worth, Texas, where she’s been since 2014. She began her career at Corps of Engineers Federal Credit
Union in 2002 and rose from executive assistant to the president to branch manager, director of human resources, director of operations, and vice president/chief operating officer.
One aspiration of many credit union trailblazers is acquiring their DE designation. DE can propel a person’s credit union career to greater heights, and it can deepen a person’s commitment to the credit union movement and investing in people,
ideals McCoy takes great pride in. She became a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) in January 2015, served as a CUDE Mentor in 2018, and served on the DE Advisory Council for the National Credit Union Foundation 2019–2020.
Of significance, McCoy won the 2018 Joe Biden Award for Development Educator of the year from North America for her 2017 DE project.
Key Insights
Cornerstone: When you think about the work you do for credit unions, what’s the most important aspect of the work that those who follow in your footsteps must understand?
McCoy: “Those of us who have been in the industry for some time probably worry most that our vision will be lost. Credit unions, now more than ever, should get back to our roots. Credit unions have always been about the people,
service, social justice, and equality. The world we live in now can easily get caught up in making a profit, but credit unions must stay focused on serving the underserved.”
Cornerstone: Aside from the people and relationships you’ve made over the years, what facets of your career have brought you deep satisfaction?
McCoy: “For me, in the last 10 years of my career, I spent a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror of what did and did not work, what had a lasting effect, what really made a difference—and out of all of those what
brought me the most satisfaction. I focus on that because I want to be intentional—doing more of ‘that’ in the time I have left in this industry.
“For me it has been about people helping people, whether that be helping our employees, helping other credit unions, or helping our members. When my career is over, I know what I will remember the most is our cooperative spirit and the collaboration. That
is something you won’t find in every career.”
Cornerstone: What personal and professional experiences have informed your approach to managing people?
McCoy: “I had people invest in me early on, inside and outside of the credit union industry. I remember all of them, even the bad ones who still taught me something. I am thankful for every person’s investment (I remember
all of them), those who paved the path for me and probably saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself.
“With that, investing in people has become my greatest accomplishment. I’ve had crucial conversations that were not well received, while some conversations took that person to the next level. Out of every conversation, I know that person felt
I was invested. In my opinion, the best managers are servant leaders who develop their people to go to the next level in the credit union or lovingly set them free.”
Cornerstone: What are the three top things you would attribute your success?
McCoy: “People, passion, and discipline.”
Additional Service in the Credit Union Movement
McCoy’s servant’s heart has her serving as vice-chair of the Cornerstone Foundation. She also serves on the board as an advisory director for Fort Worth Chapter of Credit Unions. She was instrumental in the Fort Worth Chapter starting their
Leadership Academy, partnering with the Cornerstone League, and serving as a dean in 2018 and on the CLA committee in 2019.
McCoy has served as a mentor at Cornerstone’s Leveraging the Credit Union Difference (Principles and Philosophy) Conference and for the Cornerstone Leadership Academy. McCoy serves as chair of Cornerstone’s Innovation, Collaboration, and
Engagement Committee and chair of Cornerstone’s Payments and Operations Council. She serves on CUNA’s Awards Committee and is a member of CUNA’s Operations and Member Experience Council. She is also a member of Global Women’s
Leadership Network.
