Sign at Filene headquarters in Madison, Wis.
Credit/Romulo Ueda
On May 31, 1989 the Madison, Wis.-based Filene Research Institute took its first steps into the financial cooperative industry with a mission to become an innovative and research-driven organization to create positive change for the credit union system as a whole. Thirty-five years and hundreds of research and innovative ideas later, Filene Research has held true to its mission.
According to information provided by Filene, in the past 35 years the organization has achieved the following:
- Produced 613 research reports. Its first report, "Field of Membership: An Evolving Concept," was attributed to helping the passage of the Credit Union Membership Access Act which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1998.
- Launched 208 ideas and concepts through its i3 program involving more than 350 credit union professionals.
- Created a community of multiple credit unions, leagues and other credit union system partners. There are 77 credit union/credit union-focused organizations that have been part of Filene's membership community.
Of the 35th anniversary, Filene Research Institute's CEO Mark Meyer said, "As we celebrate this significant milestone, we reflect on the journey that has brought us here and the future we are building together. Our success is a testament to the collaborative spirit of our members and the dedication of our staff. I am humbled by the lasting impact we have made together in the financial lives of millions of people."
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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.
