I’d like to retire the myth that large credit unions are simply looking to merge with smaller ones rather than support them. If the industry focused more on gaining market share from big banks, there’s a tremendous growth opportunity for all credit unions.

After more than four decades, Deb Vollmer is calling it a career.

“I started at a really small credit union as a teller in 1982, so I’ve seen a lot of things change in 43 years,” says Vollmer, who recently retired from Langley Federal Credit Union ($5.6B, Newport News, VA).

After joining Langley in 2003, Vollmer moved her way up in the ranks, eventually becoming chief experience officer in 2017.

Here, Vollmer reflects on industry change, intentionality in leadership, member-centric strategies for growth, her plans to support the movement in retirement, and more.

What’s one belief about leading a cooperative that has changed the most over your career?

Deb Vollmer: What’s changed the most is this misconception that credit unions don’t need to make a profit. The reality is we have to balance returning value to members with maintaining financial strength. Healthy net worth gives credit unions the ability to take thoughtful risks, invest in innovation, and remain competitive.

Innovation isn’t an option, it’s essential. That’s where leadership has changed the most. We’ve got to watch everything happening around us and make sure we’re prepared for the next disruptor.

If you could replay a tough call, what would you do the same again because it proved out your mission?

DV: We made the difficult decision to consolidate some locations, some of which were on our original sponsors’ premises. That wasn’t popular with a small group of members who voiced strong opposition. That consolidation allowed us to expand our branch presence throughout a much greater geographic area, expanding our products and services to tens of thousands of additional members. I wouldn’t change that decision at all. Those were tough decisions, but they were the right decisions to make.

Looking back, what member‑first decision or program best embodies your interpretation of “people helping people?”

DV: We started the Langley For Families Foundation in December 2014, which has significantly expanded our impact in Hampton Roads [a region in Virginia]. A few years ago we took that a step further. We were always closed on Martin Luther King Day, but now instead of closing for a paid holiday, we allow our people to volunteer at day-of-service events. That turns the philanthropy into something personal. Our employees aren’t just contributing money through payroll to the foundation, they’re out there doing hands-on work with the same nonprofits we support.

What community partnership or outreach model created outsized impact relative to resources? How can smaller credit unions adapt it?

DV: To me, community partnerships can include peer-to-peer credit union collaboration. We’re good at sharing ideas that innovate the entire credit union movement and building strong networks with other credit unions of all sizes. Oftentimes, we have a shared technology or shared service that connects us and allows us to exchange ideas and lessons learned and collaborate on solutions.

Don’t stop here. Deb Vollmer was the first industry leader to participate in CreditUnions.com’s On Leadership series. Read it here.

Has collaboration between large and small credit unions changed during your time in the industry?

DV: It has. There’s less of a sense of collaboration now between large and small credit unions. Today, when a large credit union reaches out to a small credit union to offer assistance, they often immediately think, “They want to merge with me.” Sometimes it’s not that simple; it’s genuine care and concern to share information.

What about community banks? How has that relationship changed during your career?

DV: The biggest difference I see is the way we’re working together in the nonprofit space. When we go to community events, it’s the small banks and credit unions that are sponsoring those events that are helping these nonprofits. It’s a different form of people helping people, but it’s on the charity side. That’s where we can find common ground. We’re all trying to improve the lives of people in our communities. If we can work together to achieve that, then we can accomplish big things.

How has your perspective on leadership changed throughout your career?

Deb Vollmer: The biggest changes occurred as I transitioned through different tiers of leadership. If you’re a manager leading a team or a branch manager, you’re leading a younger generation. Maybe this is their first real job out of school. A lot of that is about developing people and preparing them for their career.

As you move up in the organization, it becomes a different focus. You have to look at the big picture; find the people who are going to carry on when you leave. That became particularly essential [at Langley FCU] in the past two years. We had three out of a seven-person executive team retiring and needed to find internal talent and make sure everybody was ready for that transition.

How has women’s role in the industry changed?

DV: In the early years it was mainly women working in credit unions. At my first credit union, there were no men working there at all. We had a very small staff —  just 23 or so at the height before I left — but they were all women.

We’re doing a good job lifting up women into lower leadership — branch managers, team leaders, even VPs — but when you get to the executive level, I don’t know if it’s as diverse as it could be. That means we need to be intentional with developing talent. It doesn’t mean we have to say, “I have these two candidates and I’m going to hire her because she’s female,” it just means we seek out the most diverse pool of candidates we can and then hire the right person. And when you get people in, you have to work on developing them — whether male or female — with intentionality.

Which leadership skill do you wish you’d developed a decade earlier? How would you teach it to an emerging leader today?

DV: Over the past couple of years, I’ve had a group of female vice presidents that all go to lunch quarterly and chat about things that are specific to women in leadership and how you get your voice heard. I wish I’d been doing that my whole career! Women are conditioned early in life to compete with one another, and that mindset can carry into the professional environment. The better approach is to celebrate one another’s successes and mentor engaging leaders to create great opportunities for the next generation. When we shift from competition to collaboration, everyone benefits. That’s a skill I wish I had, and I wish I had been more intentional about it 20 years ago.

What specific cultural practices — rituals, hiring standards, coaching habits — did you find most consistently translated into better member outcomes?

DV: Many organizations don’t want to be sales-focused, so who we hire has to change. We shifted in 2012 to being focused on sales, but in a way that improved members’ lives. Now we’re not necessarily hiring people who can count money or do math without a calculator. We’re looking at people who can have a conversation.

An effective sales conversation is the highest level of service we can provide. If we ask thoughtful questions and truly understand the member’s situation, we can recommend products and services that genuinely improve peoples’ lives — and that’s the goal.

How do you define “healthy growth” for a cooperative? What trade-offs are you proud you made to keep growth mission‑aligned?

DV: Healthy growth means maintaining strong financial health while delivering maximum value to members. Some credit unions focus heavily on building capital, which is important, but extremely high net worth ratios can signal we’re not returning as much value to members as we could.

In 2012, we had a high capital level. We leveraged that capital to raise our loan-to-share ratio in a quick amount of time.

Some institutions maintain a net worth ratio above 10%, but then you look at their rate on deposits and they’re way below their competitors. In some cases, those leadership teams should ask themselves if they’re truly serving members if [those members] have to go elsewhere to find competitive savings rates. The goal should be balanced: financial strength combined with meaningful value for members.

What’s one myth about scale or competition you’d like the next generation to retire for good?

DV: I’d like to retire the myth that large credit unions are simply looking to merge with smaller ones rather than support them. If the industry focused more on gaining market share from big banks, there’s a tremendous growth opportunity for all credit unions.

There’s also an enormous opportunity for greater cooperation across the movement. Information security is a great example. Larger credit unions have sophisticated infrastructure in place; by sharing that expertise and collaborating across the industry, I think we can strengthen protections for everyone.

Do you plan to keep contributing — mentoring, teaching, policy advocacy, pro‑bono projects, etc.? What’s the single issue you want to champion from the sidelines?

DV: I plan to enjoy retirement with my husband. We have an Air Stream, so we’re going to travel and visit the people who matter most.

I’m also going to cheer the movement from the sidelines and stay connected through LinkedIn. I’m mentoring a few emerging leaders, particularly women in the industry, more on a pro-bono basis. I was fortunate to have leaders who invested in my development throughout my career, and I want to pay that forward even in retirement.

If you could gift one “starter kit” to a first‑time credit union leader (readings, dashboards, meeting cadences), what would it include and why?

DV: It depends on the level of leadership. When someone is leading individual contributors, focus heavily on their development. That means weekly team huddles to ensure they’re aligned and everyone knows the priorities. At a minimum, every employee deserves a monthly one-on-one conversation about their progress, career aspirations, and development opportunities. They deserve that candid conversation. You have to be able to give critical feedback directly and not hold back because it’s not helping anyone if you don’t do that.

As you move up, it’s important to develop that next level of leader from a strategy standpoint. If you want to succeed, hire the best people you can and don’t be intimidated that they’re going to outshine you. They’re going to lift you up, as well. Never hesitate to hire someone you feel threatened by.

What question should credit unions be asking future leaders? How would you answer it today?

DV: I would focus on the two things most important to me in a leader: employee and member experience. Future leaders should ask themselves, “Do I truly understand the challenges my employees and members are facing every day?” One thing I don’t think we focus on enough is empathy. It’s essential in a leader. If they don’t understand those experiences, how can they design products and services and benefits that meet peoples’ needs?

The post Exit Interview: Deb Vollmer appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

The Innovation Series is celebrating 2026 with a diverse slate of finalists whose breakthroughs are reshaping member experience, data and business intelligence, lending, employee engagement, fraud prevention, and digital member engagement — all with the power to help credit unions thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.  Register for the Innovations In Employee Enablement webinar on Tuesday, March 17th at 2PM EST.

Read on to learn more about this year’s finalists in employee enablement:  AgentIQ, Alogent, LemonadeLXP, Posh.

Agent IQ

Describe your innovation.

Smart Assist by Agent IQ is a generative AI-powered assistant built specifically for credit unions to support both members and staff using institution-approved knowledge only.

Smart Assist draws exclusively from a credit union’s validated policies, procedures, product information, and approved content. This ensures every response is accurate, consistent, and compliant, with no hallucinations or reliance on public or unverified sources. Credit unions maintain full control over what knowledge is available to Smart Assist, ensuring responses remain accurate, current, and aligned with institutional policies.

Staff use Smart Assist to quickly answer member questions, confirm policy details, guide conversations, and resolve routine issues without searching through manuals or internal systems. Smart Assist delivers instant, reliable guidance directly within existing workflows.

By reducing the time staff spend looking for information or handling repetitive questions, Smart Assist improves efficiency while preserving what matters most: the human connection. Routine interactions are handled faster and more confidently, giving staff more time to focus on complex needs, advisory conversations, and relationship building.

The result is a digital experience that extends the trust and personal service of the branch into digital channels, using generative AI to enhance relationships rather than replace them.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

Credit unions see the opportunity in generative AI, but many struggle with how to adopt it safely, responsibly, and in a way that aligns with their mission and regulatory environment.

The challenge is balancing the convenience and efficiency of generative AI with the need for accuracy, security, and trust. Traditional generative AI tools can introduce risk by pulling from public sources, producing inconsistent answers, or hallucinating responses that staff cannot rely on with confidence.

Smart Assist addresses this challenge by giving credit unions a practical way to deploy generative AI quickly, while maintaining full control over the information it uses. Every response is generated exclusively from institution-approved knowledge, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance. If Smart Assist does not have an approved answer, it clearly indicates that rather than making one up.

This approach allows credit unions to realize immediate efficiency gains while protecting member trust. Staff gain the speed and convenience of generative AI without sacrificing confidence in the answers they provide, enabling a safer path to innovation that strengthens relationships rather than putting them at risk.

How does it increase member value?

Smart Assist increases member value by enabling staff to serve members faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence across every interaction.

When staff have instant access to institution-approved knowledge, they can respond with confidence and clarity in the moment, eliminating delays that erode trust. Members experience fewer pauses, fewer transfers, and more consistent answers, which builds trust and reduces frustration.

By removing the burden of searching through policies, procedures, and internal documentation, Smart Assist gives staff more capacity to focus on listening, problem solving, and advising members. This leads to more thoughtful conversations and a service experience that feels personal rather than rushed or transactional.

The result is a better member experience in both branch and digital channels: efficient, informed, and grounded in the human connection that differentiates credit unions.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

Smart Assist is purpose-built for credit unions, not a general-purpose AI tool adapted for financial services.

Many institutions have access to broad enterprise AI platforms, such as Microsoft Copilot, but those tools often require significant IT configuration, ongoing management, and custom governance to make them safe and usable for frontline staff. Smart Assist is designed to be deployed in as little as two weeks, with built-in controls tailored to the operational, compliance, and staffing realities of credit unions.

Unlike generic AI assistants, Smart Assist draws exclusively from institution-approved knowledge and includes governance by design. Credit unions control exactly what content is available and can assign different levels of access based on role. Frontline staff, managers, and leadership each see information appropriate to their responsibilities, ensuring sensitive or strategic content is only available where it belongs.

Smart Assist also differs in how it supports human-centered service. It does not attempt to think or decide on behalf of staff. Instead, it delivers accurate information at the moment of need, allowing staff to remain in control of conversations and judgment.

By removing friction and complexity, Smart Assist enables staff to spend less time searching for answers and more time building trust, solving problems, and strengthening member relationships. That combination of speed, control, and relationship focus is what truly differentiates the innovation.

Alogent

Describe your innovation.

FASTdocs, Alogent’s enterprise content management platform, unlocks a major opportunity for credit unions by transforming how institutions handle their documents and information. It replaces outdated, manual processes with a single, intelligent platform that automates routine tasks and streamlines the entire document lifecycle.

By bringing smart automation and AI-driven intelligence to everyday operations, FASTdocs automatically classifies documents, saving valuable time and reshaping how teams work, as well as how members are served. Built‑in data extraction and AI‑powered routing ensure every file is accurately identified, categorized, and delivered to the right destination. Its workflow library adds efficiency with pre‑configured, event‑triggered workflows for common credit union processes, reducing manual effort and accelerating productivity.

Features like OCR and click indexing simplify high‑volume tasks by instantly populating metadata, cutting down on errors, bottlenecks, and administrative overhead. FASTdocs also supports frontline staff with instant member verification directly from the core system, helping deliver faster, more frictionless service.

Purpose‑built for financial institutions, FASTdocs is ready to deploy out of the box but can be easily customized to meet each credit union’s unique needs. The benefits extend directly to members as well — quicker service, fewer delays, and secure, two‑way document exchange that enhances convenience and modernizes the overall experience.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

FASTdocs addresses a core challenge credit unions face: managing growing volumes of content in varying formats, member information spread across disconnected systems, manual workflows, and inefficient processes. These bottlenecks slow service, increase errors, drive up operational costs, and make it difficult for staff to access the information they need in real-time.

• Information silos across departments that make it difficult to get a complete view of a member’s relationship.
• Manual, time‑consuming processes like sorting, indexing, and routing documents.
• Inconsistent or error‑prone data handling, leading to delays and service frustration.
• Compliance risks tied to outdated retention workflows or missing documentation.
• Limited member self‑service options, requiring branch visits or secure email workarounds.

How does it increase member value?

FASTdocs increases member value by helping credit unions deliver faster, more accurate, and more convenient service. By eliminating manual, paper-heavy processes and introducing automation, credit unions can focus less on administrative tasks and more on engaging meaningfully with their members.

• Accelerated Member Service: Automated document classification, indexing, and routing ensure staff can retrieve and process member documents quickly. This speeds up approvals, reduces wait times, and improves the overall service experience.
• Fewer Errors, More Accuracy: Automated data recognition and OCR reduce manual data entry and associated mistakes. Members benefit from cleaner records, fewer delays, and more reliable interactions.
• Seamless Digital Interactions: Secure, two-way digital document exchange allows members to submit and receive documents anytime, without visiting a branch. This convenience enhances accessibility and satisfaction.
• Consistent, Reliable Compliance: Automated workflows and version control help ensure documents are accurate, current, and archived properly. Members gain confidence knowing their information is handled securely and in compliance with regulations.
• More Personalized Service: Unified digital member files give staff a comprehensive view of each member’s relationship with the credit union. This enables more informed conversations and tailored product recommendations.
• Faster Account And Loan Processes: Click indexing and pre-built workflows streamline high-volume tasks like loan applications and onboarding, helping members move through key financial steps with ease.
• Stronger Trust And Loyalty: By reducing administrative overhead and freeing staff to focus on human-centered support, credit unions deliver faster responses, fewer errors, and a modern, digital-first experience — building long-term loyalty.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

FASTdocs differentiates itself from traditional content management systems by delivering a platform purpose built for the specialized needs of financial institutions. Unlike generic ECM solutions, FASTdocs is architected around the workflows, compliance standards, and member centric processes that credit unions rely on every day.

Its cloud-native design ensures seamless scalability, high availability, and reduced IT overhead, making it easier for institutions to modernize without major infrastructure investments.

The depth of FASTdocs’ built in automation is another defining advantage. AI powered document classification, automated data extraction, and pre-configured workflows streamline the entire document lifecycle, from ingestion to routing to retention. The result is a smarter, faster, and more efficient content management experience that empowers staff, accelerates service, and delivers a level of precision and automation that truly stands out in the market.

LemonadeLXP

Describe your innovation.

LemonadeLXP is the all-in-one learning and knowledge platform for financial institutions.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

The Challenge: The Complexity Of The Modern Financial Ecosystem

Financial institutions face a dual challenge: their product portfolios, compliance requirements, and security protocols are becoming increasingly complex, while member expectations for immediate, expert support are higher than ever. Frontline staff often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information they need to know — from product details to fraud prevention — leading to a lack of confidence that negatively impacts service quality. Simultaneously, members often lack accessible resources to educate themselves on financial wellness and security, creating a gap in understanding that puts a strain on support teams.

The Opportunity: A Unified Approach To Staff Enablement And Member Education

LemonadeLXP centralizes knowledge, transforming it into a powerful engine for both employee confidence and member empowerment. It replaces fragmented training methods with an all-in-one learning and knowledge platform designed specifically for financial institutions.

How LemonadeLXP Addresses It:

• Empowering Staff With Knowledge And Confidence: LemonadeLXP tackles the staff performance challenge by enabling institutions to quickly create members-focused training. Rather than just checking compliance boxes, the platform focuses on upskilling staff to better serve and support members. By providing engaging, bite-sized learning and an easily searchable knowledge base, LemonadeLXP ensures staff have the immediate answers and deep understanding they need to handle member inquiries with total confidence.
• Educating Members Directly: Uniquely, LemonadeLXP extends this enablement beyond the branch with a dedicated Member Education Platform. This addresses the challenge of member literacy by providing a specialized hub built to help credit unions educate their members on:
• Products & Services: Ensuring members understand the full value of what the institution offers.
• Financial Wellness And Literacy: Helping members make smarter financial decisions.
• Fraud And Cybersecurity: Proactively teaching members how to protect themselves and recognize threats.
• Digital Capabilities: guiding members on how to utilize self-service tools.
• Impact On Member Experience: By combining robust staff support with direct member education, LemonadeLXP creates a better experience on both sides of the transaction. Staff are confident and knowledgeable experts, while members are better informed and protected—resulting in faster resolutions, deeper trust, and a stronger financial partnership.

How does it increase member value?

LemonadeLXP increases member value by creating an environment where members are no longer just passive account holders, but informed, empowered financial partners. It does this through a two-pronged approach that includes better staff training and support, and effective member education and support.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

LemonadeLXP differentiates itself by breaking down the silos between internal employee training and external member education. While competitors typically offer generic Learning Management Systems (LMS) strictly for internal HR compliance, or separate Digital Adoption Platforms (DAP) for software overlays, LemonadeLXP provides a holistic, all-in-one learning and knowledge ecosystem purpose-built for financial institutions.

Posh

Describe your innovation.

Posh Training Simulator: A high-fidelity roleplay platform that replaces static training with interactive AI voice and chat simulations. It allows staff to master real member-facing banking scenarios from complex loan explanations (HELOCs vs. personal loans) to high-stress fraud reports and overdraft disputes in a safe, judgment-free environment. The platform is designed for total flexibility, enabling credit unions to effortlessly build custom scenarios for everything from new hire screening to manager coaching.

Posh CoachQA: An automated coaching platform that analyzes member interactions across calls and chats. It evaluates conversations against a credit union’s standard operating procedures and best practices to provide consistent, actionable feedback to every agent without increasing managers’ manual workload.

Posh Knowledge Assistant: A secure, AI-powered companion providing a single, governed source of truth for institutional knowledge. It enables staff to instantly search internal policies, summarize dense documents, and reframe complex information into member-friendly language. This reduces handle times and accelerates onboarding while ensuring accurate, source-backed responses.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

Mastery Of Tough Conversations: Employees use the simulator to build “muscle memory” for high-stakes member moments, ensuring they are prepared for vulnerable-member situations and risk-heavy regulated conversations.

Faster, More Accurate Service: By accelerating “time-to-proficiency” for new hires, members interact with staff who are better prepared from day one. Posh Knowledge Assistant supports this by providing immediate access to consistent, approved answers, ensuring every member receives accurate information during live interactions.

Empathy And Quality at Scale: The platform provides instant feedback on empathy, judgment, and policy fluency, ensuring that even as the credit union grows, the quality of the member experience remains high and human-centric.

Total Oversight: Coach IQ identifies knowledge gaps before they impact members, allowing for proactive training that keeps service standards consistent across all branches and channels.

How does it increase member value?

Mastery Of Tough Conversations: Employees use the simulator to build “muscle memory” for high-stakes member moments, ensuring they are prepared for vulnerable-member situations and risk-heavy regulated conversations.

Faster, More Accurate Service: By accelerating “time-to-proficiency” for new hires, members interact with staff who are better prepared from day one.

Empathy and Quality at Scale: The platform provides instant feedback on empathy, judgment, and policy fluency, ensuring that, as the credit union grows, the member experience remains high and human-centric.

Total Oversight: Coach IQ identifies knowledge gaps before they affect members, enabling proactive training to maintain consistent service standards across all branches and channels.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

Posh’s suite is purpose-built for the unique needs of the credit union industry:

Banking-Specific Customization: Unlike generic platforms, Posh allows for simulations

100% Visibility vs. Random Sampling: While traditional QA tools typically sample only 1% of calls, Coach IQ provides full visibility and consistent coaching across every single interaction.

Versatility in Scenario Building: The platform is an “all-in-one” tool that handles the entire employee lifecycle from objective skill verification during hiring to ongoing specialist communications and leadership development.

Safe, Measured Excellence: The Simulator provides measurable, audit-ready performance data, allowing institutions to standardize quality across different regions and lines of business without relying on senior staff shadowing.

Check Out The Other Innovation Series Categories:

• Reimaging The Lending Experience
• Digital Member Engagement
• Data And Decision Intelligence
• AI-Powered Member Experience
• Fraud Prevention And Resolution 

The post Meet The Finalists For The 2026 Innovation Series: Employee Enablement appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Top-Level Takeaways

• Dated onboarding and lack of support contributed to high turnover at Community First Credit Union of Florida.
• A new program with shared ownership of onboarding pushed retention above 80%.

When teller turnover began climbing at Community First Credit Union of Florida ($2.9B, Jacksonville, FL), leaders initially chalked it up to pandemic disruption and a tight labor market. But the longer the trend continued, the clearer it became that issues ran deeper.

As the Great Resignation unfolded, annual retention for front-line employees across its 25-branch footprint dropped as low as 69%, prompting difficult but necessary conversations about responsibility, readiness, and culture, says Lori Smith, the cooperative’s chief human resources officer.

“Life had changed with the pandemic; however, we as an organization had not evolved with the shift,” Smith says. “You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results.”

Straight To The Source

Instead of guessing why employees were leaving, Community First conducted focus groups that brought together those closest to the work. That included brand-new tellers, senior tellers, and tellers who had progressed into MSR roles, as well as branch and assistant branch managers.

Many teller participants had between six months and one year of tenure, offering perspective on both the onboarding experience and what happened once the training wheels came off. The credit union reviewed exit interview data alongside those conversations to add context.

Smith, who arrived at Community First as the pandemic raged in July 2021, says the goal was simple: go to the source rather than rely on assumptions or anecdotes.

“People closest to the work usually have the best answers,” she says. “We wanted to hear directly from them about their experience.”

The feedback was strikingly consistent, especially around how quickly expectations escalated.

According to Smith: “Our newer team members would say, ‘At Starbucks, they ask me to make coffee. That’s all I do. Here, I’m doing transactions, referrals, pushing lines of credit, and more — and without enough training.’”

The comparison underscored just how complex the teller role had become and how unprepared employees felt in their critical first weeks. The focus groups made it clear that relying on legacy approaches was no longer working and in some cases was contributing directly to turnover.

Those insights inspired Community First to redesign an onboarding experience anchored in a training incubator that blends real transactions with extended support from branch team members and the training and development staff. Rather than moving from classroom simulations straight into high-volume branches, new tellers now build skills in a live-but-supported branch environment with experienced mentors looking on.

Smith says the incubator helps to reduce the anxiety new tellers experience when serving members for the first time while others are waiting and watching across the counter.

“We didn’t want them to feel baptized by fire,” Smith says. “Now we’re investing in them and giving them real experience with a lifeline.”

New hires still complete orientation and other traditional onboarding processes, then start with smaller transactions, learn in real time, and gain comfort before performing independently during peak traffic.

Support Beyond Day One

Notably, support continues after onboarding ends. Leaders conduct formal check-ins at 60 and 90 days, reinforcing engagement and a shared accountability for retention. These conversations are designed to ensure new hires feel connected, noticed, and supported during the period when turnover risk is highest, Smith says.

Within three months of implementing the new onboarding model, teller turnover began to decline. Six months in, Community First revisited the focus groups to assess what was working and where adjustments were still needed. It learned training changes alone were not enough, so it also formalized peer groups among the new team members and leadership check-ins to reinforce connection after onboarding ends.

Branch managers and other leaders now play a defined role in welcoming team members, including the check-ins and sharing accountability for retention beyond HR. Smith says those peer connections matter because early relationships shape whether team members feel noticed and supported.

“Retention stopped being just an HR responsibility,” Smith says. “All leaders play a critical role in creating the environment our team members work in every day.”

Perspective And Opportunity

Community First also expanded onboarding to give new team members a clearer view of the entire credit union, addressing another gap uncovered through feedback. Short presentations from departments across the organization now help new team members understand how all teams support members.

“We wanted to move away from siloed thinking,” Smith says. “We wanted our team members to understand it’s an entire system supporting them and members and see how they fit into that bigger picture.”

That broader context helps front-line employees see long-term opportunity at the credit union rather than a single role.

Results That Changed The Conversation

By the end of 2025, overall retention reached 82% at Community First. Just as important, leaders now view retention as a collective responsibility reinforced through data, relationships, and early engagement.

For Smith, the lesson is clear.

“We should have acted sooner to stop the bleeding earlier rather than waiting until things reached a crisis,” she says. “The evidence was clear. Examining the numbers made it obvious.”

Now, training prioritizes preparation over pressure and sets up employees to succeed.

The post How A Florida Credit Union Rebuilt Retention After The Great Resignation appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Wisner-Frank joined Community Choice in 2001 as an accounting manager after working in the automotive industry, where she focused on traditional accounting and financial reporting.

“Transitioning to the credit union space required a shift in mindset, learning which key performance indicators truly matter, understanding the importance of member service, and appreciating how financial decisions impact tens of thousands of members,” she says. “That early exposure to both the financial and service sides of the organization shaped my leadership approach and ultimately led to my current role.”

Although she’s been an essential part of the Michigan cooperative’s executive team for many years as chief financial officer, last year her role rebranded slightly to chief efficiency officer.

What’s the story behind your title?

Kelli Wisner-Frank: Our strategic plan is built around several key strategic initiatives, including efficiency, growth, convenience and access, and engagement. Last year, we intentionally restructured our leadership model to more clearly support each pillar of the plan.

As part of that shift, my role evolved from chief financial officer to chief efficiency officer. The title reflects a broader mandate — not just overseeing financial performance but actively driving organizational efficiency as a core strategic priority.

How would you describe your primary responsibilities and focus under the new role?

KWF: I remain accountable for the financial accuracy, stability, and overall fiscal health of the credit union. However, the role now goes beyond traditional bottom-line results. My focus is on ensuring that we deploy the dollars we spend wisely and maximize returns through not only margin but also smarter ways of working. That includes leveraging process automation and AI tools to streamline workflows, reduce friction, and limit the need for incremental staffing as we grow.

Financial leadership can no longer focus solely on reporting and margin management. To continue delivering strong bottom-line results, credit unions must aggressively manage costs, and the most sustainable way to do that is through efficiency.

What is the No. 1 skill you need to do your job well?

KWF: Strong financial acumen remains essential, but a close second is a continuous-improvement mindset. The ability to constantly question how work is done and how it could be done better is critical to driving sustainable efficiency across the organization.

What part of your role energizes you? Conversely, what part challenges you the most?

KWF: What energizes me most is seeing tangible progress toward greater efficiency. This year, efficiency is our most important organizational goal, with a strong emphasis on saving time by rethinking how we work. We implemented a tracking system that allows team members to capture time saved by improving, redesigning, or even eliminating processes that no longer add value. Seeing those incremental wins add up is incredibly motivating.

The biggest challenge is ensuring that efficiency gains in one area don’t unintentionally create inefficiencies elsewhere. It requires strong cross-functional collaboration and a systems-thinking approach to make sure improvements benefit the organization as a whole.

How does your role and your team contribute to the success of the credit union in ways people might not think of?

KWF: The teams I lead serve as internal problem-solvers and efficiency-enablers. We have subject matter experts who partner with other departments to resolve operational challenges, address complex member issues, and develop creative solutions to long-standing problems. Although much of this work happens behind the scenes, it has a direct impact on both member experience and employee effectiveness.

How do you define success in your role?

KWF: I define success through productivity and efficiency key performance indicators. Many of those KPIs are derived from the budget and performance targets I help establish. When we achieve those goals while maintaining service quality and financial strength, I consider that a job well done.

Why do credit unions need this role?

KWF: In today’s environment of AI, robotic process automation, shrinking margins, and increasing regulatory pressure on fee income, the traditional CFO role must evolve. Financial leadership can no longer focus solely on reporting and margin management.

To continue delivering strong bottom-line results, credit unions must aggressively manage costs, and the most sustainable way to do that is through efficiency. A role dedicated to driving efficiency ensures that innovation, automation, and smarter processes intentionally align with financial strategy.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Job titles say as much about the organization as they do the person. “What’s In A Name” on CreditUnions.com dives into notable, important, interesting, or just plain fun roles to find out what’s happening at the ground level and across the industry. Read the series today.

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Leaders don’t build credibility by being perfect. They build it by being willing to acknowledge when something didn’t work, mourn it, and move on.

It’s been a busy 12 months for Adventure Credit Union ($627.6M, Grand Rapids, MI).

January 1, 2025, marked legal day one for a merger with Astera Credit Union, the first step in a long path toward operational day one. What followed was, among other things, a core conversion, a digital banking change, a new loan origination system, and the establishment of a new brand identity. The whole thing took the Michigan cooperative exactly 11months.

At the helm sits CEO Amanda Garabedian, an industry veteran of 20 years and no stranger to big organizational changes. Garabedian joined Adventure as COO in 2019. At the time, the credit union had a new executive management team and an interim CEO. The appointed permanent CEO became sick soon after starting, and the next CEO decided to pursue a different opportunity. After serving as interim CEO, Garabedian officially took over in February 2023, essentially becoming the fifth CEO in four years at the credit union.

As a new chapter unfolds for her organization, Garabedian reflects on lessons from 2025 and hopes for what’s in store in 2026.

What experience from early in your career has shaped your leadership style today?

Amanda Garabedian: There is no one defining moment. It’s a collection of small ones, how people made me feel and not just the actions they took — the meetings where someone took the time to listen, the moments when a leader had my back, or even when I was overlooked or not heard. All of those things quietly shaped the leader I became or am still becoming.

When you’re making a tough call, where do you seek perspective? How do you prefer to approach those decisions?

AG: I like to see the data. I like to see the trends. I want to understand the numbers and understand what the risks are. But I also know we’re in the business of people, so it’s about finding that balance. I think trusting your gut is also important.

It takes a village. I have an executive coach and a mentor that is a big part of my growth and journey as a CEO, so I will bounce things off of them. Similarly, our executive team here at the credit union is so talented, and they have such a vast amount of knowledge. We talk together about balancing the financial stability and the future of the credit union versus the human impact.

It has been a busy period of transformation at Adventure. What advice do you have for a credit union leader embarking on a similar journey?

AG: Be honest about how hard transformation really is. One thing we’ve learned along the way is to establish clarity early. People don’t resist change; they resist confusion. I think they also resist things when they don’t understand the why.

We had what we thought was a great communication plan, but employee feedback showed us it wasn’t working. We needed to establish a mutual understanding of what communication means to different people. So, we started having town halls. More information was going out. We started talking about details and expectations differently. Was it perfect? No, because people learn things differently, but that was a huge part of last year. Together we were able to work together and close the feedback loop. 

Also — you’re going to make mistakes. We certainly have. Some of them are big, but what matters is how quickly you listen and learn and adjust. Leaders don’t build credibility by being perfect. They build it by being willing to acknowledge when something didn’t work, mourn it, and move on.

What are Adventure’s biggest goals or strategic priorities in 2026?

AG: A lot happened in 2025, and 2026 will have a different type of fast pace. We’ve talked about the transition between milestones and truly gaining momentum. How do you transition from being reactive to proactive? We’ve got to create an environment where there’s consistent growth, where there’s stronger member relationships, and where we’re building that value for the members.

We also need to have a scalable model. Now that we’ve merged credit unions, it’s not as simple as 1 + 1 = 2 because, in the end, we want 1 + 1 to equal four or five. We recently changed our mission, vision, and core behaviors. That is going to help differentiate us and build culture internally. The consistency in core behaviors that we’re living every day is what we can use to push forward.

Are you watching anything in the industry closely heading into this year?

AG: In this industry, I don’t think we can ever slow down or think things are OK. Things are constantly evolving. Technology is moving forward at a pace where it’s really important not to chase everything. We’ve got to identify what our priorities are and understand how they fit within our ecosystem.

Banking services as a whole aren’t special. You can drive down the road or go online and have a new checking account in 42 seconds. We’re creating an environment that people want to be a part of. I think that is exciting from my perspective for Adventure Credit Union.

What excites you the most about reporting to work in the morning?

AG: I’m biased. I think our team is amazing. The group of people we have here has the ability to do extraordinary things, and I’m excited about where they can to take us.

I also love how this industry continues to be collaborative in a lot of ways. I can lean on my network of peers and experts and get advice. I can call someone and say, “Hey, this sounds crazy, what do you think?” or “We haven’t done this, how do we get there?” It’s a special trademark of this industry.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

“On Leadership” spotlights notable leaders across the credit union landscape by discovering how they joined the movement, learning what makes them tick, uncovering career lessons and successes, and more. Read the series today.

The post Amanda Garabedian On Leadership appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Growing up, Jim Morrell always wanted to be in banking. His grandfather was a community banker and, “probably would’ve been a really good credit union person,” says Morrell, who today is president and CEO of Peninsula Community Federal Credit Union ($303.3M, Shelton, WA).

By the time he hit graduate school, Morrell planned to go into oil distribution, but an accounting professor steered him toward financial analysis work, which led to a credit union career. He’s worked with cooperatives across the Pacific Northwest since 1993, spending the past 13 years at Peninsula.

In this Q&A, Morrell looks back on his career, the lessons he’s learned, and how he works to ensure his personal values shine through with the organizations he leads.

On how the industry has changed in the past 30 years …

Jim Morrell: I was around when we issued software and modems to members to encourage them to consider online banking. Downloading an app is the new version of that. People are used to technology and used to a ubiquitous financial environment, yet even today there are people who are uncomfortable to varying degrees with the use of technology.

One might look at financial cooperatives and say banking is dead. I don’t think so; I think there’s always going to be a need. It’s far too expensive for people not to have a relationship with a financial institution that looks after their wellbeing and doesn’t charge them exorbitant fees.

On the hardest feedback he’s ever received and how it shaped him …

JM: It was people thinking I didn’t care or maybe some combination of I wasn’t listening and other people didn’t want to hear what I was sharing. It gets interpreted in this mental and emotional collision. I really hope I care a lot more than I don’t.

As a leader, you have to learn to take not only criticism but also critical feedback. If I make an error, I recognize and acknowledge it. If it’s an interaction with another person, I’m candid and open and honest with that individual.

One of the things I did for almost as long as I’ve been in the credit union industry was officiate basketball, including 14 years as a D1 women’s official. People yelled at me from time to time — usually about half of whoever was in the arena. I remember on more than one occasion a coach yelling at me and thinking, “You know, we probably agree much more than we disagree, but right now your message is being lost in the delivery.”

If I’m not communicating well, let me know so I can try again.

On lessons from the basketball court …

There was a number thrown out when I was officiating basketball that you have to see the same move that led to a traveling violation 1,000 times before your response becomes reactionary. Giving yourself more repetitions of experiences, of challenges, of opportunities to try to explain things to different audiences is huge. Being engaging and courageous enough to put your voice out there is really important — so is having the friend that will say, “Yeah, your voice is out there too much.”

On receiving the Maurice R. Smith Leadership Award from the African-American Credit Union Coalition …

JM: It took me a while to wrap my head around why somebody should be recognized for doing what I think we should do every day, which is treat one another with care and kindness and love and consideration. One of the things I don’t think has changed over the years is people’s internal desire to be liked, to be heard, and in many senses to be cared for. Somewhere along the way that was summarized in a word like “inclusion.”

Our mission statement has not changed since I got here 13.5 years ago: We listen, we serve, we educate, and we care always. Our team does an amazing job of that every day with our members, and we’ve worked hard to develop an internal culture where we treat one another in the same way: by listening, serving, educating, and caring.

On why DEI still matters for credit unions …

JM: One of the things we’ve done over the past three years is quarterly DEI education for all of our staff. That hasn’t slowed down. It helps support the culture we’re striving to have inside our organization. If we’re accomplishing that, then we do a much better job when we’re outward facing and serving members who have a different socioeconomic or cultural background.

That award flows full circle, and I take it as a reflection of what we’ve done together here as a team at Peninsula as much as about me.

On leadership styles and what makes him stand out …

JM: My hope is that people feel like they have a lot of latitude. I might get frustrated sometimes because I process things fairly quickly and have a lot of questions, but I wouldn’t have the opportunities I do and the organization wouldn’t be where it is if I was micromanaging every decision every hour of every day.

Do I sometimes push or pull? Yes.

Do I sometimes react too quickly? Probably, yes.

But I hope they realize I know they’re experts and wise about what we do, and I entrust them with doing what we’re asked to do and how we’re asked to serve here.

On the most surprising lesson learned from leadership …

JM: I need to listen more and slow down my reactions. I have a pretty quick ability to process information and think about things from different angles and perspectives. Sometimes that can come off like me not listening or not hearing. There’s a whole lot of information that needs to be heard, whether it’s from the credit union, the movement, or national or international leadership — there are a lot of very valid opinions.

On leadership decisions that changed the trajectory of an organization …

JM: After being here a year and a half and understanding who we are and meeting people in the five distinct communities we’re part of, which are all economically distressed, I made a decision to focus on community development, and our board supported that.

As a CDFI, we started partnering with United Way and adopted ALICE data. All team members have a certification in financial literacy so when we go to domestic violence shelters or meet with people through the YMCA or Kitsap Immigration Assistance Centers or places like that, we sit down with them outside of a desk in our branch lobby and they begin to develop trust in us.

I always come back to empathy, including people, listening to people. That’s critically important.

It’s far too expensive for people not to have a relationship with a financial institution that looks after their wellbeing and doesn’t charge them exorbitant fees.

On ensuring leadership reflects organizational values …

JM: We’ve done empathy mapping and about 10 years ago we created a persona called Alice Pearl. That persona is a litmus test when we get stuck on a decision: What would be most beneficial for Alice Pearl, a single mom with a couple of kids in her mid-30s who’s working two jobs and doesn’t have time to do her banking until 10:30 at night when the kids are in bed and she’s exhausted? How are we helping her?

We’ve done the same thing with empathy mapping through focus groups and the data we’ve obtained through our work with Coopera on Hispanics.

On the leadership advice he’d give to his younger self …

JM: Don’t expect to find a precedent for every decision you’re going to need to make. I still sometimes reach on the shelf for the proverbial CEO manual I think should be there, but it’s not. You have to rely on the fact that, based on your experience, you know you’re doing the right thing. Frankly, it takes having a bit of an ego to know you’re moving in the right direction but not so much ego to ignore when you’re leading people the wrong way.

On the books, podcasts, or experiences that have influenced his approach to leadership …

JM: I shared this with a high school student recently during a financial reality fair. He’s a senior who’s really involved and his leadership skills are very much like mine — he wants to do everything. I encouraged him to err like I have and do more than he thinks he can do because he will grow from it. It’s experiences that I’ve learned from more than listening to podcasts or reading books.

On unconventional leadership habits …

JM: I like getting out on a boat away from all the noise, where it’s just me, the boat, and the water, floating around and staring at the awesome scenery we have so much of here in the Puget Sound.

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

“On Leadership” spotlights notable leaders across the credit union landscape by discovering how they joined the movement, learning what makes them tick, uncovering career lessons and successes, and more. Read the series today.

The post Jim Morrell On Leadership appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

HR executives tasked with guiding both culture and execution now find themselves helping employees understand how to use these tools confidently and responsibly while assuaging fears that these same tools will render them irrelevant in the workplace.

But a sweet spot is emerging, one that relies on messaging as much as machines. When employees participate in pilots, observe the real pain points addressed, and hear clearly that people — not technology — remain the focus, apprehension tends to give way to comfort and even experimentation.

HR leaders are navigating this revolution in real time. They explain where AI is already embedded in their organizations and how they’re preparing their teams to survive and thrive as these tools grow more capable and more common.

Foster Curiosity To Alleviate Fear

Laurie Butz joined Capital Credit Union ($2.7B, Green Bay, WI) as president and CEO in November 2021. She has been a SHRM Certified Senior Professional in HR since 1995.

Butz says her credit union uses generative AI as an efficiency play, automating routine tasks, improving search accuracy, and supporting faster decision-making. Its tools learn from employee behavior to deliver better procedures, create stronger first drafts for training materials, and automate workflow without impacting IT resources.

Capital also uses AI to analyze feedback from exit surveys to highlight trends and help leaders act on real concerns. In marketing, tools like Jasper support brand consistency, speed up content creation, and provide ready-to-use templates for campaigns and website updates.

How is your organization addressing employee fears and resistance around AI adoption?

Laurie Butz: Employees develop proficiency through hands-on tool usages. Our team members have trained on AI technologies, specifically Microsoft Copilot, under the guidance of a Microsoft-certified AI engineer.

At Capital, we foster a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement, therefore we haven’t encountered a lot of fear and resistance around AI in the workforce. For us, automation and support aren’t a threat to job security, so it hasn’t been perceived as something to be feared.

How important are education and open discussion in addressing barriers? How do you incorporate those strategies?

LB: We had Microsoft come on site and lead AI training for all our leaders. Now, we actively encourage leveraging AI to advance our objectives. We expect our senior leadership team to continuously seek opportunities to integrate AI into our processes and team strategies.

What strategies or tools are effective for upskilling employees and bridging the AI skills gap?

LB: Capital ran workshops to teach team members how to use Copilot for business tasks. The sessions familiarized participants with the tool, including creating AI-generated images. The aim was to show how AI can support their daily work and idea generation.

How are you leveraging AI in HR functions — like recruiting, performance management, or succession planning — while maintaining fairness and compliance?

LB:  We’ve enabled BryteAI, an AI module for our HR system designed to help leaders draft job descriptions. We process HR transactions via a conversational bot, and we write performance reviews with AI support.

There Is No AI Skills Gap

Ken Gardner has been with Greater Texas Federal Credit Union ($957.3M, Austin, TX) for 13 years, the past four in his current role as assistant vice president for HR.

Gardner has been helping the HR team adopt AI for daily operations such as drafting communications, improving processes, and strengthening the employee experience across the enterprise and its subsidiary, Aggieland Credit Union, in College Station.

His team is testing 11 custom GPT Assistants from OpenAI for launch in 2026. The assistants will guide employees and managers through policies, benefits, reviews, and core HR processes.

How is your organization addressing employee fears and resistance around AI adoption?

Ken Gardner: We envision AI as augmenting human work much like computers did in the 1980s and 1990s. Just as that technological shift transformed how people worked, AI will do the same. It’s clear that AI will replace some jobs, particularly within large organizations.

For credit unions of our size, we see AI as an opportunity, not a threat. It will help us manage headcount growth as we scale, allowing our teams to focus on higher-value work that requires creativity, empathy, and judgment. That’s why we’re placing greater emphasis on hiring employees who are adaptable and bring strong human skills to the table, skills that technology cannot replicate.

How important are education and open discussion in addressing barriers? How do you incorporate those strategies?

KG: For adoption, it comes down to showing people how AI can make their work better. Demos help, but what truly builds buy-in is giving people tools that solve real, repetitive, and often frustrating problems. Once they experience those benefits firsthand, the hesitation about AI tends to fade and curiosity takes over.

What strategies or tools are effective for upskilling employees and bridging the AI skills gap?

KG: For most employees, there really isn’t an AI skills gap. What they need is exposure to practical use cases. Whether it’s ChatGPT or Copilot, these platforms use plain language prompts that anyone can learn. That accessibility alone eliminates most of the perceived gap. The real challenge isn’t a lack of skill, it’s fear or resistance to change.

When it comes to developing AI internally, design thinking matters far more than coding skills. The real differentiator is thoughtful design: defining a clear use case, creating effective starter prompts, and making smart decisions on the back end to prevent errors and guide users.

For example, in the handbook assistant we recently built, we added clickable starter prompts to help employees begin a conversation. They include, “I’m new to the company, what should I know?” “What should I know about our benefits?” “What are our PTO policies?” and “I want to know more about FMLA.” This kind of design lowers the learning curve and helps employees feel more confident using AI.

As AI takes over more manual and repetitive work, it will naturally create more opportunities for employees to grow their soft skills such as adaptability, problem-solving, and communication. Those are the skills that will matter most in the future, and we are being intentional about hiring and developing people with these skills.

How are you leveraging AI in HR functions — like recruiting, performance management, or succession planning — while maintaining fairness and compliance?

KG: We’ve decided to limit AI in recruiting. Hiring is one of the most human parts of HR, and we want to preserve that personal connection. We are leveraging AI assistants to help create job descriptions, recruiting ads, and interview questions. These tools save time and ensure our materials are clear, consistent, and aligned with our standards.

In performance management, we’re developing an AI assistant that helps employees and managers complete performance reviews. It guides the employee through a series of methodical questions to build their self-review, then uses that input to prompt the manager with targeted questions that weave in relevant themes and feedback.

I’m particularly excited about this because it will significantly reduce the time spent writing reviews and shift the focus toward the actual performance conversation, one that is developmental and engaging rather than just checking the box.

Ultimately, fairness and compliance come from thoughtful design and human oversight. We use AI to streamline processes, not to make final decisions. Our goal is to enhance objectivity and efficiency while keeping people and our core values at the center of every HR process.

Employee Input For Better Output

Ami Iceman-Haueter has been with Michigan State University Federal Credit Union ($8.2B, East Lansing, MI) for seven years and for the past two and half has been chief research and digital experience officer.

Iceman-Haueter says MSUFCU is already using AI in several ways, most notably via virtual assistants Fran and Gene, who respectively support members and employees, enhancing the service experience for both groups.

How is your organization addressing employee fears and resistance around AI adoption?

Ami Iceman-Haueter: MSUFCU has been working with AI partners for several years, and we’ve included our employees in the process every step of the way. Our teams have been involved in everything from designing how our AI systems work to testing them before they’re launched to our members or broader employee base.

We place a strong focus on communication before introducing any new AI-related products or services, helping employees understand how these tools enhance efficiency while emphasizing the importance of keeping humans at the center of our approach.

Involving employees throughout this journey has allowed us to scale several projects, including virtual agents. Sharing the results and impact of these initiatives has been one of our greatest successes.

How important are education and open discussion in addressing barriers? How do you incorporate those strategies?

AIH: Education has been an effective tool, but it alone cannot create change within the organization. That change comes from our leadership team, our employees, and our shared commitment to understanding that AI is part of our toolbox, not a replacement for human talent.

We’ve spent significant time helping employees and managers see AI as a partner in their work while reinforcing that it’s not perfect and we remain responsible for the information it produces. Transparency has been key. Being open about our intent, strategy, and goals for AI has helped our employees feel more comfortable. They understand why we’re embracing AI, how we plan to use it, and exactly where they fit into that strategy.

What strategies or tools are effective for upskilling employees and bridging the AI skills gap?

AIH: We have made AI education a standard part of our training package. We’re also rolling out department-specific use cases and piloting ways to understand what information is most valuable for our managers, leaders, employees, and even interns.

This helps us bridge gaps thoughtfully and tailor AI tools to each access point. Different departments will use AI in different ways, some for automated decision-making and others in service capacities.

The most important part is identifying use cases that support our team’s everyday work. At the same time, we continue to invest in all other areas of training to keep skills and competencies strong across the organization. Our goal is to maintain a healthy balance between problem-solving with AI and problem-solving independently while helping every employee build the skills they need to grow in their careers.

How are you leveraging AI in HR functions — like recruiting, performance management, or succession planning — while maintaining fairness and compliance?

AIH: We’re not currently using AI in recruiting beyond helping to draft job postings. AI supported the development of our performance management program, and some managers might use it as a tool to help complete parts of the process. AI also played a role in creating our succession planning program, and we use it in several of our payroll processes as well.

Fight Fear With Fun

Rachel Schaming is a longtime executive coach and organizational consultant who has served We Florida Financial Credit Union ($719.5M, Pembroke Pines, FL) as its chief human resources officer for the past five years.

Schaming says the Florida shop uses gen AI to streamline loan applications, call center work, and deposit processes. For example, AI cuts loan decisioning time by 50%, speeding up member service and reducing manual review.

In HR, AI tools help create and update job descriptions, craft postings, screen resumes, draft policies, and write newsletter content, saving an estimated 30% of the time spent on these essential HR tasks. The credit union’s Innovation Team has also built two AI apps that give the workforce quick access to procedures, policies, and updates so they can find the information they need without delay.

How is your organization addressing employee fears and resistance around AI adoption?

RS: We use Kahoot quizzes and word searches to make AI technology fun. Our intention is to help employees see that learning new skills can be fun and create new ways to serve our members more efficiently.

What strategies or tools are effective for upskilling employees and bridging the AI skills gap?

RS: Employees are aware that our board requires us to provide a document indicating progress in upskilling with a particular focus on technology and AI competencies. We have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) process that is tied to our performance management software.

How are you leveraging AI in HR functions — like recruiting, performance management, or succession planning — while maintaining fairness and compliance?

RS: Over the past couple of years, we have held team and individual meetings to show employees how AI can enhance their job competencies with increased efficiency. We require all employees to include an AI course in their IDP. Because we require all employees at every level to include technology and AI coursework in their IDPs, we’ve had minimal resistance to learning the new technologies. 

Interviews have been edited and condensed.

Let’s Join Forces To Navigate AI In HR. Faster changes in technology make peer insight more valuable than ever. Callahan creates spaces for credit union HR leaders to connect, compare approaches, and improve performance through programs like roundtables, live webinars, ready-to-use documents, and more. Learn more about Callahan’s programs today.

The post How AI Is Shaping HR For The Next Era appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Credit unions are navigating a period of rapid change. Retirements, along with unexpected departures, are putting pressure on organizations to maintain strong, stable leadership on both their senior management teams and board of directors. Yet despite this reality, succession planning often remains an afterthought instead of a strategic priority.

However, the days of treating succession planning as an optional initiative or a nice-to-have practice are officially over, particularly for federally insured credit unions. With the NCUA’s new succession planning rule that took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, every federally insured credit union must have written succession plans for their leadership team, board of directors, and all other key positions as designated by the board.

And that’s a good thing! The organizations that take a proactive approach to succession planning ensure they are not only compliant but also ready for whatever comes next.

Understanding The NCUA Succession Planning Rule

The NCUA’s new succession planning rule took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. All federally insured credit unions are now required to have written succession plans for their leadership team and board of directors. The NCUA has stated that the purpose of this new rule is to: (1) reduce the volume of voluntary mergers where a lack of succession planning is a factor, and (2) address the risk associated with the “Silver Tsunami” wave of baby boomer retirements.

The new rule requires credit unions to create written succession plans for all key positions, which includes:

• Members of the board of directors.
• Management officials and assistant management officials.
• Any other personnel the board deems critical given the credit union’s size, complexity, and risk of operations. This can include positions that might be critical due to planned changes in operations, supervisory landscape, or corporate structure.

At a minimum, the written succession plans must contain the following information for each key position listed above:

• The title of each covered position.
• The expiration of the incumbent’s term (if they, board members, are serving a term-limited capacity) or their anticipated vacancy date (for example, the incumbent’s expected retirement date or a year in which they anticipate leaving the board). An expected leave date is also required for management officials, assistant management officials, and other key roles. In conversations with NCUA officials, credit unions may use year ranges when adding their anticipated leave dates, such as <3 years, 4 to 6 years, 7 to 10 years, etc.
• The credit union’s plan for permanently filling vacancies for each of the covered positions.
• The credit union’s strategy for recruiting and developing candidates with the potential to assume the position.
• An estimate of the budgetary impacts of executing the succession plan. An exact figure is not required.

Succession plans are expected to be reviewed and updated, as necessary, no less than every 24 months. Best practice, however, is to review and update the plans at least annually, as a lot can change within your organization in a year. Many organizations are starting to meet with potential successors on a quarterly basis to ensure they are working through their development plans.

Also, it is important to note that the ruling does require all board members to be familiar with the credit union’s succession plans within six months of their appointment to the board.

By outlining exactly what must be documented and reviewed, the NCUA has made it clear that leadership and governance succession planning is no longer optional. But meeting the regulatory requirement is only one part of the equation. Understanding why succession planning matters is equally important!

What’s At Stake When Planning Gets Delayed

Every leadership team and board of directors evolves over time. Retirements, promotions, and unexpected departures can leave critical gaps — unless those changes are anticipated and prepared for in advance. When succession planning isn’t in place, credit unions may face:

• Disruptions in strategy, governance, and operations while roles sit unfilled.
• Not having developed internal candidates that could step up and lead a department/team or the organization when needed.
• A lower employee morale or anxiety across the organization as employees and board members question the future of the credit union.

Strong succession planning doesn’t just prevent these risks — it reinforces confidence and continuity at every level throughout the credit union.

Why Preparedness Matters More Today

Several industry realities are pushing leadership and board member continuity to the forefront:

• Regulatory Expectations Are Rising — As we discussed above, the NCUA now requires credit unions to have defined succession strategies for both board and senior management roles. Without a solid succession strategy, your credit union risks falling out of compliance with the examiners.
• A Wave Of Retirements Is Underway — A silver tsunami is still sweeping through the workforce, with many of the baby boomers retiring all at once. In fact, a 2010 PEW research study found that 10,000 people will turn 65 every day until 2030. That’s a ton of people reaching retirement age all at once. And with experienced leaders exiting faster than organizations can replace them, the need to grow talent internally has become essential.
• Greater Governance Accountability — Unexpected board vacancies and competency gaps can stall decision-making and delay strategic progress at your credit union. Succession planning ensures you understand where there are competency gaps on your board and establishes a strong bench of future directors to guarantee governance continuity.
• Competition For Talent Is Intense — Attracting experienced leaders externally is more difficult than ever, making leadership development within your organization a critical strategic advantage.

Succession Planning Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated

Common misconceptions about succession planning are that you only need to do it right before leadership retirements, that it takes too long, that it requires too many resources, or that it is too difficult to maintain.

The truth? When done consistently with the right tools and approach, it actually makes leadership and board planning simpler.

SUCCESSIONapp was built with that simplicity in mind. Our global award-winning platform eliminates the spreadsheets and guesswork, giving you a clear framework to create NCUA compliant succession plans. Easily choose critical competencies, identify and assess potential successors, and create individualized development plans with SUCCESSIONapp’s management module. Or simplify the board succession process by selecting critical board competencies, anticipating director departures, understanding your board’s competency gaps, and planning for future board leadership all in one place!

With everything centralized and easy to update, succession planning can become a continuous and manageable process.

Future-Ready Starts Today

Succession planning protects your mission, your people, and the members who rely on you. Do you think your organization is ready for management and board turnover? Find out with our “What’s your management succession planning readiness score” and our “What’s your credit union’s board succession planning readiness score” quizzes. Take the quizzes now to find out!

Yvonne Evers, the founder and CEO of SUCCESIONapp, LLC, is a succession planning expert who has successfully worked with hundreds of credit unions over the past 25 years. SUCCESSIONapp is the leader provider of online management and board succession planning solutions in the credit union industry. The global award-winning software simplifies the succession planning process by providing an easy-to-follow workflow. The mission of the company is to help leaders and board members create succession plans to ensure smooth and successful transitions.

The post Planning For The Future: Ensuring Strong Boards And Leaders Through Succession Planning appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Matt Rarden, CEO at Kirtland Credit Union ($1.1B, Albuquerque, NM) logged roughly 15 years with IBM before making the jump to a credit union career. That background is shaping how the Southwestern cooperative approaches project management.

Rarden took the helm at Kirtland in 2020 and quickly started thinking about how to add more discipline and structure to the credit union’s project management work. With multiple initiatives underway simultaneously, it wasn’t uncommon for different projects to overlap in terms of the people and resources needed.

“We were stepping over one another,” he says. “Committing one another’s resources when we didn’t know they were committed. All that normal uncontrolled chaos.”

The solution started with bringing on a certified project management officer in 2021 — a role that now oversees two staff-level project managers. Beyond simply hiring dedicated staffers, Rarden also worked to put in place new processes and procedures around how to propose, review, and approve projects.

That structure includes a tiering system to rank projects by effort, resources, cost, criteria for approval, and more.

Tier 1 projects, for example, might require little effort or cost and involve only one line of business. Tier 5, on the other hand, might include mandatory regulatory requirements, involve multiple lines of business or stakeholders, or be a major revenue driver.

There’s a cultural evolution that has to happen. It sounds and feels like a lot of red tape, but we’ll collapse under our own weight if we don’t do this. We were already seeing that happen, and it was going to get worse for us as we grow.

Regardless, the credit union approves projects individually and maps them to its overall strategy to understand how to execute different projects simultaneously to reduce resource overlap.

“There’s a cultural evolution that has to happen,” Rarden says. “It sounds and feels like a lot of red tape, but we’ll collapse under our own weight if we don’t do this. We were already seeing that happen, and it was going to get worse for us as we grow.”

Oversight And Management

Although Kirtland does use some project management software, it designed the bulk of its structure internally. Project management became a key competency at IBM during Rarden’s time there, and he worked with the credit union’s leadership team to define each tier, determine how to prioritize projects, outline documentation requirements, and more.

The resource-management piece, however, is a bit harder. And according to Rarden, the credit union is still working on that.

“You’ve got to have some centralization from each of the lines of business and the key project resource folks,” the CEO says. “Understanding who is going to participate because of their expertise or position, understanding vacation schedules, and layering all this together is a big part of it, as well.”

To tackle resource management, a project steering committee meets monthly to examine project charters and determine which tiers are the right fit. According to Rarden, these senior leaders are the ultimate decision-makers, although approvals can go all the way up to the board if a project is big enough.

The committee members understand what’s going on and what resources are available. Internally, leaders evangelize for their projects, but if the credit union can’t work on multiple projects, then the steering committee has decide what to prioritize.

The easiest considerations are those that relate to revenue and business lines. The harder part is prioritization. If the committee agrees on the merits of a particular project but can’t make it happen during the current fiscal year, it might table the project for the future.

“It’s still something in our purview and we’ve agreed it needs to happen, we just can’t raise it to the level of priority now,” Rarden says.

Although the credit union might kill some projects, few are ever truly dead, he adds, and that’s generally only when outside factors make it impractical to pursue the idea further.

Lessons Learned

Along with improving communication, increasing efficiency, and better managing resources, the new project management system has also helped Kirtland operate more like a large company, all without impacting staff churn.

“This new way of doing business didn’t drive turnover, but it certainly drove frustration,” Rarden says. “We just had to work through frustration, understand why, and re-educate as to why we’re doing these things.”

With a few years of this structure under his belt, Rarden is quick to note that this type of structure isn’t necessarily an overnight success and that there will be bumps and frustrations along the way. In fact, he repeatedly cites one phrase when discussing this experience: cultural evolution.

“Everybody conceptually understands the need for project management and accepts that they don’t have total carte blanche over their part of the business because now they’re answering to a bigger body,” he says. “The cultural acceptance is not as easy as it might sound. It’s a different level of business acumen. Even though we’ve been doing it for four years, we’re still fine-tuning things.”

Even after several years, Rarden says if he could start the process over again, he’d spend more time building buy-in from the executive team.

“I’d spend more time making sure the executive team can evangelize it and enforce it and help everyone else on their teams understand it,” he says.

Still, Rarden is adamant that the process is worth the effort.

“Sometimes we have to slow down so we can speed up,” he says. “This allowed employees to stop having to do things twice, which ultimately slowed things down. We always want to be nimbler and move quickly.”

The post At Kirtland Credit Union, Project Management Isn’t Just A Task. It’s An Ethos. appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Leaders across every level of the organization rely on CreditUnions.com for trusted guidance and actionable insights underpinned by Callahan’s collaborative work with credit unions. Conversations with everyone from CEOs and board members to branch managers and specialists offer firsthand perspectives on the strategies, challenges, and innovations shaping the industry today.

CreditUnions.com highlights six critical roles cooperatives might be overlooking. Filling these gaps is essential for success in 2026 and beyond.

Chief Product Officer

At Bay Federal Credit Union ($1.8B, Capitola, CA), Brooke Morley focuses on streamlining implementation, bridging departments, and aligning product delivery with strategic goals.

That means monitoring things like new-product adoption rates, usage metrics, Net Promoter Scores, and more, along with asking critical questions about relevance, performance, and overall alignment with member needs.

“This role isn’t just about launching new products,” she says. “It’s about connecting dots across departments.”

Why It’s Important: This role is critical because it ensures that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation and that every product launch aligns with the credit union’s mission and delivers measurable value to members.

Read more.

Senior Vice President Of Loan Analytics And Automation

No matter the size, charter, or field of membership, every credit union wants to blend efficiency and member satisfaction while reducing risk.

That’s what Andy Henline has been tasked with as senior vice president of loan analytics and automation at State Employees’ Credit Union ($56.2B, Raleigh, NC). The role entails ensuring loan-related reporting for the board and management team are timely, while also equipping back-office loan-administration staff with tools information, and process automation to complete their daily tasks.

“We want automation to enhance the member experience but never replace the personal touch our people can provide,” he says.

Why It’s Important: Automation done right helps credit unions strike the balance between operational efficiency and personalized service. By streamlining back-office processes without sacrificing human connection, SECU can reduce risk, improve turnaround times, and deliver the member experience that sets credit unions apart.

Read more.

AVP Of Fintech & Mission Integration

Josh Rodriguez spent more than a decade at the helm of Missouri Valley FCU before its merger into West Community Credit Union ($494.8M, O’Fallon, MO). His new role at the combined institution blends fintech research and relationship management with ensuring the credit union is living and sharing its mission.

The role reflects his experience with IT and technology, his comfort managing people, balance sheets, and vendor relationships, and a passion for storytelling via podcasting.

“We want to bring our mission, vision, and values back to the forefront to inspire our staff and our community about how our credit union can make a difference for them,” he says. “Storytelling in podcast form and in training is how we’ll meet this challenge.”

Why It’s Important: In an era where technology and human connection must coexist, Rodriguez’s approach bridges innovation with culture. By pairing fintech research with authentic storytelling, he’s ensuring the credit union’s mission resonates with staff and members alike.

Read more.

Director Of Multicultural Engagement

Credit unions that aren’t tapping into the multicultural mix that exists in their markets could be missing major opportunities. Understanding the diversity present in a market is key to unlocking those opportunities, but it’s also a key part of building a superior member experience and making authentic connections.

At Mountain America Federal Credit Union ($21.5B, Sandy, UT), that responsibility falls to Jennifer Tarazon, the cooperative’s director of multicultural engagement.

“The population is changing, and we can either lead the way or fall behind,” she says. “The goal for the credit union is always to provide an exceptional member experience, but an exceptional member experience for you could be very different from what I consider an exceptional member experience. It’s important to go somewhere that is going to be culturally competent while serving you.”

Why It’s Important: Multicultural engagement is as much about relevance and growth as it is inclusion. By understanding and honoring cultural differences, credit unions can build trust, deepen relationships, and deliver experiences that truly resonate with every member. In a competitive market, cultural competence is a differentiator that drives loyalty and long-term success.

Read more.

Director Of Organizational Change Management

Change is inevitable, and organizations that plan for it rather than react to it position themselves for success.

At Desert Financial Credit Union ($9.1B, Phoenix, AZ), Allison Worthington is tasked with helping the entire organization adapt to any number of changes. The role requires not only deep interpersonal relationships but also understanding of a variety of business functions.

“My role addresses the challenge of change saturation,” she says. “It also addresses the challenge of surprising people with change and making change happen to people versus for people. We’re now able to plan intentionally for changes that are impacting our employees. Plan early, plan often, plan for resistance, and ultimately ensure we are bringing information that’s necessary to help somebody adopt change.”

Why It’s Important: Unmanaged change can erode trust, stall progress, and overwhelm employees. By approaching change intentionally and proactively, Desert Financial ensures clarity and support, turning potential disruption into an opportunity for growth and engagement.

Read more.

Director Of Financial Inclusion And Community Engagement

Balance sheets and operations are only one part of running a credit union. The softer side of the business arguably has a greater impact, and that’s where a role like this comes into play.

Steph Harrill Kyle has been director of financial inclusion and community engagement at University of Wisconsin Credit Union ($6.1B, Madison, WI) for more than three years, bringing to the role a background centered on financial literacy and an MSW in social work from Columbia University with an emphasis on social enterprise administration and school-based services.

That and other elements of her background are key to the credit union’s goals of advancing financial inclusion for the communities it serves.

“One of my favorite conversations is when people find out I’m a social worker,” she says. “They often ask, ‘Why would a social worker work for a bank?’ This opens the door to talk about the difference between a credit union and a bank. I explain financial inclusion is at the heart of social justice, so I believe there’s no better place for me to make social change than in my role with UW Credit Union.”

Why It’s Important: Financial inclusion isn’t a product offering — it’s a mission that shapes communities. By combining expertise in social work with financial literacy, Harrill Kyle ensures the credit union’s efforts go beyond transactions to create meaningful change. Her role demonstrates how credit unions can lead on equity and access and turn financial services into a platform for social justice.

Read more.

Is It Time For A New Role At Your Credit Union? Browse hundreds of ready-to-use job descriptions in the Callahan Policy Exchange, then tweak your favorites to make hiring as efficient as possible. Learn more today.

The post 6 Roles To Help Credit Unions Reach The Next Level Of Success In 2026 appeared first on CreditUnions.com.