In our second year of the CU Times LUMINARIES Awards, we have created a stellar way to recognize the leaders, organizations and supporters of the credit union industry.
Besides the recognition program's innovative approach to awards and celebrating the industry we love, lies a very important aspect to its success: the judges.
This year, we are very proud at CU Times to highlight an incredible panel of judges to assist us in selecting the 2023 LUMINARIES Awards winners. These six individuals encompass the principals, heart, brains and drive needed to become leaders in the credit union space.
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Without further delay, I'm happy to introduce you to the CU Times 2023 LUMINARIES Awards judges.
Caroline Willard: President/CEO of Cornerstone League
Caroline Willard Caroline Willard leads one of the largest and most influential trade associations in the United States. She took the helm of the association – which represents credit unions in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas – and its subsidiaries, Cornerstone Resources and Cornerstone Foundation in April 2017. As president/CEO of Cornerstone, she is responsible for growing both the for-profit and not-for-profit sides of the association and strengthening its value proposition through relevant services and support at the state level and in Washington, D.C.
James Schenck: President/CEO of Pentagon Federal Credit Union
James Schenck Since April 2014, when James Schenck began his tenure as president/CEO of the country's second-largest federal credit union, he has more than doubled the credit union's membership from 1.3 million to 2.9 million. His strategic growth leadership has also doubled PenFed's assets from $17.6 billion to $35.3 billion, as well as increasing the organization's net worth by more than $1.5 billion. Under his leadership, PenFed has been recognized as a Top 50 employer for veterans and Latinas as well as having received the National Military Family Association's Champion Award for supporting military spouses' job creation and military children's education.
Sharee Adkins: Chief Impact Officer of GoWest Credit Union Association
Sharee Adkins Sharee Adkins is considered a visionary leader as CIO with GoWest Credit Union Association. She spearheads initiatives that empower credit unions to make a meaningful difference in the communities they serve. Adkins firmly believes in the power of financial inclusion and works tirelessly alongside credit union partners to create opportunities for underserved populations. Adkins has successfully developed and implemented impactful programs that address pressing societal challenges. She is known in the credit union industry as a connector, teacher and strategist who believes in the power of mission-driven organizations.
Jama Campbell: Executive Director of SECU Foundation
Jama Campbell Jama Campbell's role as executive director for SECU Foundation, since 2015, has brought together her decades of experience working inside North Carolina's largest credit union, State Employees' Credit Union, into a position that combines her member service expertise with her passion for caring for her native state. Campbell put it best, as she said, "SECU Foundation strives to address community issues by funding high impact projects in the areas of education, healthcare, housing and human services in communities all over North Carolina. Our member funded Foundation serves as a reminder of what we can achieve when we collectively pool our resources to improve the quality of life for all North Carolinians."
Jay Johnson: Chief Collaboration Officer at Callahan & Associates
Jay Johnson As Chief Collaboration Officer, Jay Johnson's career spanning more than 20 years at Callahan & Associates has been integral to its success, relevance and longevity inside the credit union world. Johnson manages the firm's relationships with CUSOs, the CUFSLP Partnership, and the Trust for Credit Unions, for which he serves as president and treasurer. Among the countless items Johnson is involved in inside and outside of Callahan & Associates, he facilitates strategic planning sessions with credit unions around the country and "is still struck by the efforts credit unions make to positively impact their communities and amplify the strength of the movement for maximum member benefit."
Jason Stiles: Vice President of Loan Participation at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union
Jason Stiles Jason Stiles is a lending executive with over 25 years of leadership experience within lending divisions for banks and credit unions throughout the US. Currently, Jason serves educators and their families as the vice president of Loan Participations for SchoolsFirst FCU, one of the largest credit unions in the country, where he is a member of the Finance Team and serves on the ALCO and Finance committees, as well as chairs the Participations committee. Jason also serves as member of the Board of Governors for the Sacramento Valley Credit Union Network, part of the California and Nevada Credit Union League, and serves on the Advisory Board for the Financial Technology firm Happy Money.
Natasha Chilingerian: Executive Editor with CU Times
Natasha Chilingerian Natasha Chilingerian has worked in the credit union space for over a decade. She joined CU Times as managing editor in 2015 and was promoted to executive editor in 2019. Before that, she served as a communications specialist for Kinecta Federal Credit Union in Los Angeles from 2013-2015, and as a CU Times freelancer from 2011-2013.
She has been a professional writer and editor for more than 17 years, specializing in news and lifestyle journalism as well as marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space.
Michael Ogden: Editor-in-Chief with CU Times
Michael Ogden Michael Ogden has led the CU Times editorial team since 2016 and has been involved in the credit union industry for more than a decade. Prior to his work at CU Times, he was a credit union and cooperative consultant. He also served as digital media manager at CUNA Mutual Group, now TruStage, and similar positions at music and entertainment industry organizations.
His decades in journalism include years as a radio and television news anchor in Ohio and Wisconsin.
A reminder that nominations for the CU Times LUMINARIES Awards are due by June 20.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
