Our June episode is a two-for-one, as we have two credit union leaders and recent graduates of WCMS for you. Marlene Nielsen is the Payments Manager at Granite CU and Elise Schexnayder is the Director of Professional Development for the California Credit Union League. Both graduated from WCMS last year as part of the Phi Class. They join the Frogcast today to talk about public speaking skills. Third year students are required to present a topic to a panel before graduating, and Marlene and Elise...
Jun 13, 2025•20 min•Season 2025Ep. 48
Thom Back, Director of Education and Client Insights and Analytics at Performance Trust, joins the Frogcast to discuss the current economic landscape and its impact on credit union margins and ROA. He goes on to discuss strategic opportunities and challenges many of his clients are facing, including membership growth and demographics, and today's credit risk profile. Interviewer: Robert York Producers: Ryan Kane and Steve Schmidle Supporting Cast: Nate Burns, Shonna Shearson, Jeff Morris, Ryan O...
May 15, 2025•26 min
Melia Heimbuck, President & CEO of the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, joins the Frogcast this month. Melia has served multiple leagues in her career, and as Principal of Risk Management Solutions for CU Solutions Group. Today, she speaks about the important advocacy work the leagues are delivering today for credit unions. Education, both to elected officials and credit union staff and boards, is critical to the work of the leagues. Speaking of education, Melia goes on to discuss the...
Apr 18, 2025•25 min
This month we have the amazing Ronaldo Hardy on the Frogcast! Ronaldo has served in multiple prominent positions within the CU industry including CEO of multiple credit unions, owner of CU Strategic Planning, CEO of NACUSO, and host of an award-winning reality show. Just recently, Ronaldo accepted the CEO position at Balance, a 50-year-old financial wellness nonprofit dedicated to increasing the financial health of all consumers. Financial wellness is becoming increasingly difficult to manage an...
Mar 28, 2025•24 min
One of the WCMS’s long-time supporters, Jim Stickley, joins the Frogcast today to talk all things cyber security. Jim is the CEO of Stickley on Security, where he served as an identity thief (but he is no criminal) for thousands of financial institutions, Fortune 100 corporations, healthcare facilities, legal firms, and insurance companies. Jim is also the CEO of Mahalo, a provider of online and mobile banking solutions for credit unions. Today’s topic of cyber security, and some interesting ins...
Feb 07, 2025•28 min
Today we have Madeline Stewart, the President and CEO of Vida Credit Union, joining us on the Frogcast. She has served her credit union for nearly 25 years in multiple roles and with a passionate focus on operational performance. On the tail end of a rapid rebranding initiative, Madeline shares the background story on the decision and name selection. Vida Credit Union is a CDFI institution who has used this designation, and the CDFI grants, to make a meaningful difference in their community. Due...
Jan 17, 2025•25 min
December’s guest is Fidel Gonzalez, the President and CEO of First Imperial Credit Union and a proud member of the 1999 Phi Class of WCMS. Among many accomplishments, Fidel has led his low-income designated credit union to also become a CDFI certified credit union. With the CDFI designation, the credit union has applied for, and received, grants totaling over $7 million. With these dollars they have funded their loan loss reserve and served their members and community by lending into lower credi...
Dec 20, 2024•15 min
This month’s guest is none other than Danielle Bridges, SVP of Capital Markets and Mortgage Lending at Vantage West CU in Tucson, Arizona. Her impressive and unique set of responsibilities spans lending, finance and treasury management, and allows Vantage West to open up new and innovative lending opportunities and revenue streams. She discusses with us the opportunities and risks that alternative capital market partnerships produce, and the planning required to deliver value successfully throug...
Dec 04, 2024•20 min•Season 2024Ep. 43
We are fast-tracking the publishing of today's episode given the timeliness of the topic. On the Frogcast today we have Chad Bollinger, CFO of Credit Union of Colorado, to talk about yesterday's 50 basis point rate cut by the Fed. A WCMS graduate with the Theta class of 2010, Chad provides a great overview of the economic drivers impacting the Fed's decision and what credit unions might do in response and preparation for the next cut. Earlier in his career Chad was a Credit Union Examiner with t...
Sep 20, 2024•21 min
A first for the Frogcast, today's guest is a very recent graduate of WCMS. Bebe Souvannavong only graduated from WCMS in July, along with her Phi class of 2024. In the real world, Bebe is the VP of Learning & Development at Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union. Still riding high from her life-changing time and experience on campus, Bebe shares the stories and challenges from the school. A lifelong learner, she has helped lead L&D to new innovative and purpose-driven heights at Santa C...
Sep 11, 2024•24 min
Today we are joined by Ken Senus, currently serving as the 9th President and CEO of St. Mary's Bank - the oldest credit union in the country. In his career he has led core conversions, M&A transactions, and many other progressive responsibilities. Ken explains to us the background story of St. Mary's Bank, the history of its unique name (for a CU) and the amazing work it has done over its 116 years. You might expect the oldest credit union in the U.S. to focus on its past, but Ken explains h...
Aug 14, 2024•20 min
In support of those organizations that support WCMS and its alumni, the Frogcast will occasionally introduce our audience to the organizations that provide us with both financial and operational resources. Our second such episode is with Paul Bean, CEO of AGP Digital Marketing. Paul formed his company 18 years ago to help give credit unions more robust digital marketing. Growing your credit union's membership likely requires use of a digital marketing channel, which requires enhanced data and un...
Jul 22, 2024•19 min
July's guest on the Frogcast is Jeremy Calva, EVP and Chief Financial Officer of Rivermark Community Credit Union. With a diverse background across multiple industries, and a long history in credit unions, his viewpoint is unique and well-founded with a strong financial viewpoint. Always on the lookout to help his CU improve earnings and capital, Jeremy shares his views on a few of the opportunities we have today. He covers complex topics such as the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), liquidi...
Jul 08, 2024•24 min
This month we are joined by Zach Christensen, Director of Communications and Digital Marketing at Mitchell Stankovic & Associates. MS&A is a strategic consulting firm which has served only credit unions for 30 years, focused primarily on Board Governance and CEO support. His passion for Credit Union's comes from the passion of those he works with but has stuck with Zach because of the opportunity he has to help CU's change lives. Beyond that, Zach serves in multiple volunteer roles inclu...
Jun 05, 2024•25 min
In support of those organizations that support WCMS and its alumni, the Frogcast will occasionally introduce our audience to the organizations that provide us with both financial and operational resources. Our first Business Partner guest is Ken Bator, President/CEO of Bator Training and Consulting Group and the Police Officers Credit Union Association. Ken works with many credit unions and industry organizations, including the WCMS Alumni Association, providing strategic planning leadership and...
May 08, 2024•22 min
This month we are joined by Deonne Christensen, President & CEO of Mazuma Credit Union in Kansas City. Deonne has been in credit unions for 20+ years and the financial services industry for 30+ years. Her early career was spent in a large bank, which provided her a limited view into the broader eco-system of the organization. She then found her way to credit unions, and WCMS, where her career (and life) changed forever. Mazuma Credit Union has a different and progressive approach to translat...
Apr 25, 2024•22 min
This month we are joined by the passionate and experienced Laura Worzella, Chief Operating Officer at OneAZ Credit Union. Laura joined the credit union movement after a long career with large banks like Wells Fargo, and shares with us how enlightening that transition has been. With that interesting background, she goes on to discuss how product sales can and should work within credit unions in a purpose driven way. Finishing up with a great discussion on the impact leaders and mentors have had o...
Mar 25, 2024•19 min
Today we are joined by Charlie Watts, President & CEO of Aurora Federal Credit Union in Colorado. Charlie joins the Frogcast to share his career story within our industry, starting with a corporate credit union, growing through a credit union CFO position, and all the way to the top seat as CEO. Filling the top seat at a smaller credit union brings its own set of challenges, and he explains to us how he has overcome the resource realities and limitations at a CU his size. WCMS has produced s...
Mar 01, 2024•23 min
This month's guest is Tracie Kenyon, the retired President of the Montana Credit Union League, Herb Wegner Award winner, and certified professional coach with Humanidei. Tracie's four decades of credit union service at multiple levels have provided her with a unique and humbling view of our industry. Tracie has made a huge impact in the philanthropy and advocacy of credit unions throughout Montana, and beyond. She joins the Frogcast to share her view of what is driving change in credit unions, a...
Jan 26, 2024•22 min
To wrap up 2023 we have the amazing Jennifer Victor, VP of Branch Sales and Service at Travis Credit Union in Vacaville California. A 2022 graduate of WCMS, a long-term financial professional, and a proud mother, Jennifer joins us today to talk about a taboo term in credit unions... sales. She makes the case that there is no difference between sales and service, and discusses how to instill that idea into a credit union's retail culture. Jennifer goes on to discuss volunteerism in credit unions ...
Dec 22, 2023•19 min
This month we are joined by WCMS's brand new Provost and Chief Operating Officer, Brandi Gleason. Much has changed behind the scenes of WCMS this year with the well-earned retirement of Nancy Woods and the unfortunate loss of David Ellings, but the school remains in great hands with Brandi's leadership. Not new to WCMS or credit unions, Brandi has an interesting and fun story about her journey to this position. She shares this story, and a peek behind the curtains of what it takes to run WCMS ev...
Oct 27, 2023•22 min
Please welcome Randy Stolp to this month's Frogcast. Randy has a long and varied career in credit unions, currently serving as CIO for My Community Credit Union in Texas. Randy talks about the subject of 'thinking differently' and the intersection of people and technology, and introduces the idea that people are our best technology. He goes on to discuss his career growth, and how industry learning programs like WCMS have helped him shape his path. Tune in and learn how to find a few new solutio...
Sep 22, 2023•20 min
This month the Frogcast is joined by Janet Gaspard, SVP and Chief People Officer of First Entertainment Credit Union in Hollywood, CA. As her title suggests, Janet has her focused on building culture and people in her career. She joins us today to talk about what has changed more recently in employment trends, especially since the initial shock of the pandemic. As we know, our people have more options than they have ever had before. No longer are we only competing with the employers down the str...
Aug 26, 2023•20 min
This month's guest is Hector Martinez, who was recently named President & CEO of County Schools Federal Credit Union in Ventura, CA. He joins us to share the viewpoint, challenges, and surprises he has faced as a first time CEO. Hector also serves as the Founder & Chairman of the Emerging Credit Union Leaders Council, which he created during the pandemic to provide advice and networking opportunities for credit union employees hungry to grow and fill the leadership succession gap forming...
Jul 27, 2023•19 min•Season 2023Ep. 29
Caroline Willard, President & CEO of the Cornerstone Credit Union League, is our distinguished guest this month. The Cornerstone League primarily serves credit unions in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas but has now expanded certain services to 48 states under her leadership. Caroline also serves as the Vice Chair of the CUNA Board and provides us with an update on the advocacy work CUNA is focusing on today. From there she goes on to introduce us to an early and largely unknow...
Jun 29, 2023•20 min•Season 2023Ep. 28
This month we are diving into one credit union's DEI journey through the eyes of their SVP/Chief Retail Officer, Corlinda Wooden. Unitus Community Credit Union, located in Portland Oregon, made the strategic and purpose-driven decision to focus on improving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within its culture. This thriving internal environment led the credit union to also focus externally, eventually producing partnerships with Juntos Avanzamos, inclusiv, Coopera, and the Portland Urban League t...
May 26, 2023•16 min•Season 2023Ep. 27
This month we are flipping the script on our very own Shonna Shearson, and she doesn't see it coming. If you've listened before, you know that Shonna usually interviews our Frogcast guests alongside Nate. But in light of her exciting new career news we decided this was the month Shonna should be the guest, and we aren't going to tell her that until after we start recording. Shonna has served in leadership roles with Valley Strong Credit Union for the last 23 years, most recently as SVP of Operat...
Apr 28, 2023•15 min•Season 2023Ep. 26
This month's guest on the Frogcast is Troy Stang, President and CEO of GoWest Credit Union Association serving Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Beyond his work within these states and state houses, Troy also works at the federal level to further credit union issues in public policy. A passionate advocate of the credit union movement and a strong supporter of WCMS, Troy shares with us his journey to credit unions and his beliefs about the power of cooperation that energiz...
Mar 31, 2023•26 min•Season 2023Ep. 25
Artificial Intelligence in credit unions? Are we ready for that? The answer is a solid "maybe?". On the Frogcast today we have Ryan Kane, the VP of IT at Ontario Montclair School Employees FCU, to share an update of where AI technology stands currently. Are the robots ready to take over yet? Chatbots have been around for years, and ChatGPT is all the rage in the news today, but what are they and what's the difference? Ryan has all the answers. In today's episode he defines and discusses the matu...
Feb 28, 2023•20 min•Season 2023Ep. 24
Today's guest is Mark Klinkert, a name, face, and voice that should be familiar to everyone who has attended WCMS in the recent past. Mark has served as the Provost of WCMS for the past 27 years, where he is responsible for the logistics and operations of the school each summer. This was only a part time job for Mark though, as he also served as the VP of Education & Training for the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, retiring in 2021 after 33 years. In today's discussion Mark provi...
Jan 30, 2023•24 min•Season 2023Ep. 23
