In the midst of what has already been a tumultuous year, the credit union movement was rattled in April by the unexpected firings of NCUA Board Chairs, Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka. There has been a lot of speculation about what this could mean for the future of credit unions and the broader financial services industry. Elizabeth Eurgubian, a current Partner at Atlas Advocacy and the former NCUA Director of External Affairs and Communications and Policy Adviser, joins us on this month’s episode ...
Jun 18, 2025•44 min•Ep. 112
To say there is uncertainty in the credit union movement right now is an understatement. The NCUA shake-up has left many feeling… well, a bit shaken up. And though tax exemption and funding for CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) are protected for now, it’s hard to say when “for now” might abruptly end. When compared to concerns about the NCUA and credit union tax status, there has not been as much outcry over the precarious future of the CDFI fund. Considering that only about 1...
May 27, 2025•39 min•Ep. 111
These days, most people automatically think of technology when they think of innovation, but innovation doesn’t require fancy digital bells and whistles. In fact, sometimes the most impactful innovations aren’t about dramatic invention, but rather incremental iteration. Philanthropy is a field that’s rife with opportunities for iteration, and Gloria Dixon, BECU’s Director of Philanthropy and the Executive Director of the BECU Foundation, isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. As one of the to...
Apr 29, 2025•38 min•Ep. 110
Between natural disasters, economic volatility, and political chaos, there is a lot to respond to these days. It’s important for credit unions to create contingency plans and prepare for crisis. It’s equally important to escape the reactivity trap by proactively creating opportunities for joy and connection. That’s precisely what Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union has done with 325 Day, an event with a name that refers both to its date and the credit union’s local area code. The idea is to ce...
Mar 20, 2025•38 min•Ep. 109
The listeners of this podcast are likely to know that credit unions are financial cooperatives — an identity that some credit unions lean into and others don't talk about much. Amongst the general U.S. population, our understanding of cooperatives is limited, at best. Most people are ill-equipped to distinguish between, say, a consumer co-op, like a credit union, and a worker co-op, like PixelSpoke ! We'd like to change that, and we think that credit unions can play a crucial role, not only in e...
Feb 25, 2025•39 min•Ep. 108
What is a micro-interaction, and why should credit unions care? Fintech growth and business transformation strategist Samantha Paxson joins us on The Remarkable Credit Union podcast to discuss how credit unions could benefit from focusing less on big loans and focusing more on daily financial activities. We talk about how frequently used financial tools and services, like debit cards and P2P payments, not only help keep your credit union top of mind for members but also help keep member financia...
Jan 21, 2025•40 min•Ep. 107
Many of us have been trained to look outward when it comes to growing companies, whether that means looking to new target markets, potential investors, or evolving trends. But according to Ronaldo Hardy, President & CEO of The National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations (NACUSO), we are missing a crucial step. In episode 106 of The Remarkable Credit Union, Ronaldo talks about why we actually need to start by looking inward as he tackles this month's BIG question: How can credi...
Dec 10, 2024•43 min•Ep. 106
In a heavily regulated industry like financial services, innovation can seem daunting. There are so many regulatory hoops to contend with, not to mention a fierce aversion to risk. But as Jerome Emanuel, Chief Lending Officer at Alternatives Federal Credit Union has discovered, if you focus on solving a proven problem and finding ways to say yes, the doors that end up opening just might surprise you. Jerome joins us for this month's episode of The Remarkable Credit Union podcast to discuss Alter...
Nov 07, 2024•37 min•Ep. 105
In this age of multibillion-dollar credit unions, it can be easy to forget that most started with a small group of people looking to pool their resources. Well, Jessica Gordon Nembhard is here to remind us. Professor of Community Justice & Social Economic Development in Africana Studies at John Jay College, CUNY and author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice , she believes that wonderful things can happen when communities come togeth...
Oct 08, 2024•39 min•Ep. 104
Demand for clean energy products is on the rise, and not just from well-to-do Tesla owners. There is also widespread interest and demonstrated need in lower-income and disadvantaged communities. But how can credit unions meet that need? Enter the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator program (CCIA), which is currently offering funding to credit unions and other community lenders to deliver green products, with a focus on the underserved. We’re joined by two leaders in the credit union movemen...
Sep 09, 2024•33 min•Ep. 103
We all know that products are a credit union’s bread and butter, so to speak. But a “product-first” mentality can result in more transactional relationships with your members, not to mention a product mix that may not fully meet their needs. This month, we talked to Alicia Portada, Director of Communications and Community Engagement at Lower East Side People’s Credit Union, about how they focus on following the need, keeping boots on the ground, and keeping more vulnerable communities front and ...
Aug 13, 2024•34 min•Ep. 102
As AI has wriggled its way into more nooks and crannies of our everyday lives, we’ve been hearing quite a bit of chatter about technology versus humanity. We’re not here today to speculate about possible dystopian futures, but we are here to talk about why it’s so important for even the most technologically advanced credit unions to keep the focus on their people. Chylon Pappas, VP of Corporate & Government Engagement at First Tech Credit Union, joins us to share how First Tech does just tha...
Jul 10, 2024•27 min•Ep. 101
Welcome to our 100th episode of The Remarkable Credit Union podcast! We couldn't have asked for a better guest to help us celebrate this milestone—the inimitable Linda Bodie, Chief + Innovator at Element Federal Credit Union. Linda joins us to share some incredible stories from her over 25 years as a leader in the credit union movement, including how Element FCU became the first financial institution in the country to offer mobile deposit on iPhone; what led to the creation of CU*Pride, the cred...
Jun 06, 2024•29 min•Ep. 100
A shared commitment to serving the financial needs of the underserved has long distinguished credit unions from other financial institutions. In this episode, we talk to Jules Epstein-Hebert, the Director of Membership, Growth, and Partnership at Inclusiv, a nonprofit that has been championing the cause of financial inclusion for 50 years. We reflect on the movement over the past five decades and tackle this month’s BIG question: How has our economy become more or less inclusive in the 50 years ...
Apr 24, 2024•28 min•Ep. 99
This is both an exciting and bittersweet episode. After recording 97 episodes of The Remarkable Credit Union, longtime host and PixelSpoke's founder and former CEO, Cameron Madill, joins as a guest to share his top takeaways from his 20 years leading an impact-focused marketing agency for credit unions. Accompanying him is PixelSpoke's new CEO, Katie Stone, who further expounds on leadership lessons she's learned since joining PixelSpoke and how she hopes to carry them forward in her new role. T...
Mar 25, 2024•40 min•Ep. 98
In a movement where large asset sizes have become a badge of honor, Express Credit Union is proud to be small. They believe that their intimate size affords them the opportunity to truly know their members and to pivot quickly when faced with unexpected challenges. This month, we’re excited to welcome Express Credit Union’s Chief Business Officer, Elizabeth Escobar, to talk about how to meet members where they’re at, what Express has to teach the country’s fourth largest credit union, and how to...
Feb 21, 2024•33 min•Ep. 97
Most credit unions have a set of brand guidelines that include dos and don’ts for their color palettes, logos, images, graphics, and copy. But do guidelines like these truly capture the essence of your brand? Allison Netzer, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Nymbus and co-author of Think Like a Brand, Not a Bank , would answer that question with a resounding NO. Allison joins us on this month’s episode of The Remarkable Credit Union podcast to talk about who credit unions should be tappi...
Jan 23, 2024•38 min•Ep. 96
Credit unions across the country are searching for ways to offer their underserved members pathways to homeownership. But when it comes to affordable housing, it’s clear that bolder action is needed to meaningfully move the needle. The affordable housing crisis is particularly acute in Seattle, Washington, where home prices increased by over 80% between 2010 and 2020. This month we’re excited to welcome Uche Okezie, Real Estate Development Director at HomeSight, a Seattle-based nonprofit, and Ti...
Dec 18, 2023•36 min•Ep. 95
Is “ownership and economic opportunity for all” an idealistic pipe dream, or is it an achievable goal? Self-Help Credit Union would like to think the latter. Its mission statement embodies the credit union’s penchant for thinking big and pushing the boundaries of what credit unions can do and be. This month, we’re thrilled to be joined by Randy Chambers, President of Self-Help Credit Union, to talk about what ownership actually means, how credit unions can advance economic opportunity one neighb...
Nov 27, 2023•50 min•Ep. 94
Bank collapses, recession forecasts, and rising interest rates, oh my! If there’s anything we know for certain, it’s that uncertainty is here to stay. As much as we’ve tried to get back to “normal,” the volatility that Covid set in motion seems determined to wreak havoc on our best-laid plans. This month, we’re excited to welcome Laurie Flanders, VP of Client Solutions at Strum Platform , and Ben Stangland, President & COO of Strum Agency and President of Strum Platform, to talk about what i...
Oct 19, 2023•49 min•Ep. 93
Most credit unions are fiercely committed to their local communities, and we think that’s great. Sometimes, though, it’s important to take a few steps back and broaden our perspective. That’s where the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) comes in. Today, we’re going to step back with Mike Reuter, the Executive Director of WOCCU’s Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions; Ari Farrell, Program Manager of the World Young Credit Union Professionals (WYCUP) program; and Lena Giakoumopoulos, GWLN (Gl...
Sep 27, 2023•43 min
If you’re a credit union marketer who feels like you should be doing more with automation and personalization, but you’re not sure how, you’re not alone. Kristin Harrison, Director of Business Development for WebStrategies , joins us to talk about why personalization has so much potential for credit unions and why it’s so hard to implement effectively. Here are tips for overcoming common obstacles and ensuring that your personalization efforts don’t do more harm than good. She also tackles this ...
Aug 23, 2023•33 min
The “About” pages on credit union websites are full of stories about humble beginnings—small groups of people getting together to pool their resources. Nueva Esperanza Credit Union has a similar story, but with one crucial difference: It was founded in 2010. This month, CEO Sue Cuevas shares her inspiring journey, starting with recruiting inaugural members by copying their ID documents with a portable copy machine she kept in the trunk of her car. She talks about what spurred her to leave a 30-y...
Jul 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 90
Credit unions have long been enthusiastic champions of their communities, but can they be doing more? How can they think outside the box to catalyze social change? Sharee Adkins, GoWest Credit Union Association Chief Impact Officer and Foundation Executive Director, joins us on this month's episode of The Remarkable Credit Union podcast to share examples of how credit unions in her region are joining forces and tapping into the strengths of their core business competencies to tackle daunting soc...
Jun 21, 2023•42 min•Season 9Ep. 88
Most credit union employees are familiar with the cooperative principles, including Principle #6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Yet it seems this principle has yet to be fully realized within the credit union movement. That's why when we saw that Coastal Credit Union had hired a VP of Cooperative Strategies, we took notice. We'd never heard of someone with that job title at a credit union before. Emily Nail is not only Coastal Credit Union's first VP of Cooperative Strategies, she also serves ...
May 26, 2023•31 min
Credit unions are known for the emphasis they place on building authentic human relationships with their members. But at the same time, digital advances are transforming the financial industry, smaller credit unions are getting acquired, and larger credit unions are only getting bigger. George Hofheimer, former EVP and Chief Research and Development Officer at Filene, returns to The Remarkable Credit Union podcast to discuss his new book, Banking on a Human Scale , and to address this month’s BI...
Apr 24, 2023•39 min
Credit unions have always been better cooperators than competitors. The joint investments of five Washington-based credit unions to the Evergreen Impact Housing Fund (EIHF) is a shining example of the "cooperation among cooperatives" principle in action. The greater Seattle area is one of the country’s most expensive metro regions, and escalating housing costs make it hard for working-class consumers to live in the area. EIHF creates what it calls “catalytic investment opportunities” that make a...
Mar 27, 2023•25 min
Credit unions, by their nature, are community oriented, but some are more intentional about their commitment to impact. Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, are a perfect case in point. Credit unions now represent a third of the CDFI industry , serving more than 16 million predominantly low income consumers and communities of color. Chriselle Martinez, CDFI Program Director at Inclusiv, joins The Remarkable Credit Union podcast to talk about what it means to be CDFI certified,...
Feb 27, 2023•34 min
Is the financial industry committed to the common good? If you equate the financial industry with megabanks, the answer would likely be a resounding no . Though millions of Americans are megabank customers, it's doubtful many of us believe that these banks have our best interests at heart. Here's the good news: The financial industry presents us with many viable alternatives. There are several parallel and overlapping movements that point to a better way to bank: member-owned credit unions, Comm...
Jan 23, 2023•41 min
Many credit unions differentiate from banks by pointing out that they are member-owned, but the average consumer doesn't always understand what that means. Though our country tends to idolize entrepreneurs and CEOs, we are less likely to think too much about ownership and its various implications. Cooperatives — whether worker-owned like PixelSpoke or member-owned like our credit union clients — bring the issue of ownership to the forefront, pushing us to think more deeply about who should have ...
Dec 19, 2022•36 min
