The National Credit Union Foundation said that 42 credit union executives from two countries graduated from its weeklong Credit Union Development Education training this year.
The graduates came from the U.S. and Ghana, the National Foundation said. The graduates include Latonya Allen, Government Printing Office FCU (Washington, D.C.); Taylor Carstens, Peoples Trust FCU (Texas); Angie Cayot, Southwest Bridge Corporate FCU (Oregon); Cathy Cline, Southeastern Ohio CU Inc. (Ohio); Chantea Coger, Winston-Salem Firemens CU (North Carolina); Paricia Coleman, Keesler FCU (Mississippi); Dianah Darkwah, Ghana Co-Operative Credit Union Association Ltd. (Ghana); Meghann Dawson, Credit Union National Association (Wisconsin); Betty DeWeese, Telco Plus CU (Texas); Ryan Dold, Missouri Credit Union Association (Missouri); Holly Fearing, CUNA Mutual Group (Wisconsin); Sandra Gladney, American Airlines FCU (Texas); Cassandra Grayson, League of Southeastern Credit Unions (Florida); Brianne Gutoski, Credit Union National Association (Wisconsin); Jennifer Hamrick, State ECU (North Carolina); George Hofheimer, Filene Research Institute (Wisconsin); Heidi Knudson, Altana FCU (Montana); Patrick Livingston, Coastal Federal Credit Union (North Carolina); Tim Loveless, Missouri Credit Union Association (Missouri); Lee Mabry, State ECU (North Carolina); Jeremy Martin, Navigator CU (Mississippi); Kelli Martin, Chesterfield FCU (Virginia); Brandon McAdams, Coastal Federal Credit Union (North Carolina); Amy McLard, Missouri Credit Union Association (Missouri); Mark Meyer, Filene Research Institute (Wisconsin); Tara Neiswonger, Education First CU (Ohio); Zach Poole, Singing River FCU (Mississippi); Tish Pruitt, American Airlines FCU (Texas); Alana Robertson, Mississippi Telco FCU (Mississippi); Olivia Ruiz, New Mexico Educators FCU (New Mexico); Adam Schwartz, National Cooperative Business Association (Washington, DC); Sarah Dale Simpkins, Mississippi Credit Union Association (Mississippi); Barb Stanek, Missouri Credit Union Association (Missouri); Troy Stang, Northwest Credit Union Association (Oregon); Lynn Storum, National Credit Union Administration (Virginia); Beth Troost, Michigan Credit Union League (Michigan); Vivian Valencia, Verity Credit Union (Washington); Darren Westendorf, CUNA Mutual Group (Iowa); Michelle Williams, MECU of Baltimore (Maryland); Daniel Winters, Co-Operative Credit Union (Wisconsin); Molly Wright, Guadalupe CU (New Mexico); and Willie Yao Ahli, Ghana Co-Operative Credit Union Association Ltd. (Ghana).
During the weeklong program, participants were involved in group exercises, encouraged to ask questions of visiting speakers, and were required to complete team projects proposing solutions for credit unions to help alleviate or eliminate challenging situations in any given area.
"We refresh the studies every year, incorporating challenges credit unions face today while continuing to provide critical lessons in cooperative principles and credit union philosophy," said Lois Kitsch, DE Facilitator and National Program Director for NCUF. "It is timeliness that we strive for in the entire DE training experience as participants work through critical issues that include interchange legislation, mergers and small credit unions, growth plans, financial capability plans, 2012 as the 'Year of the Cooperative,' and credit union development in Iraq."
"The DE experience has reignited my passion for working in the credit union movement," said Meghann Dawson, class attendee and Instructional Design Manager at the Credit Union National Association. "It has provided a solid foundation with cooperative principles, credit union philosophy and global development issues. I believe that having the knowledge provided by DE combined with the network of other CUDEs, I will now be able to play a more purposeful role in the current and future success of the industry."
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