Changemakers

Sarah began her career in 1983 at the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) in Madison, Wisconsin, During the 1980s and 90s, she worked for several credit union leagues including Oregon as Executive Vice President and Massachusette and New Hampshire as VP of Human Resources, In 1999, Sarah took on the role of President and CEO at FSCC, a shared branching network. Sarah grew FSCC from a presence in 6 states with less than 100 branches to over 5,400 branches In all 50 states and five countries, serving 50 million members, In 2006, she brought shared branching to more than 2,200 7-Eleven® stores nationwide. She joined CO-OP Financial Services when it acquired FSCC in 2012, where she would eventually retire as the Executive Vice President of Industry Relations In 2017.

After her retirement, Sarah served on several CUSO, credit union, and bank advisory boards and committees. She served as Chair of the Credit Unions for Kids Advisory Board for the Children's Miracle Network, a particular passion, She also worked with a variety of organizations on CUSO compliance Issues, as a facilitator for planning sessions, and fundraising. She has also been active with the World Council of Credit Unions and the Global Women's Leadership Network. Sarah now serves as a senior advisor at the NCUA,

Sarah was awarded the 2014 Herb Wegner Award for Individual Achicvement. Sarah has received the National Society of Fundraising Executives Philanthropy award for CUs for Kids, the Credit Union Women's Association's Anne Reed oward, the American Society of Association Executives Golden Circle award, the Credit Union National Association'e Blockbuster award for community relations, and in 2011 was named by the World Council of Credit Unions as one of seven People Making a Difference. Sarah also received international honors and awards from the Public Relations Society of America for public relations and crisis communication.

In 1984, Kathy began her career with Consolidated Controls Credit Union. After 3 years at CCCU, she joined Greenwich Teachers’ Credit Union, which became Members CU in 2002. Under her leadership MCU transformed from a teachers credit union to an inclusive financial cooperative that helps under-served and Hispanic communities in Fairfield County. As CT's first Juntos Avanzamos credit union and an early CDFI adopter, she’s paved the way for others to follow. Kathy has been an example of the impact small credit unions can have.

One of the highlights of her credit union career was the completion of the CUDE program in 1994. Kathy has said that the program changed her life and gave her enormous power in helping to make people’s lives better. After DE training, she learned about the NCUF’s “Real Solutions” program, which helped her to understand the needs of others and to serve her community.

Kathy has worked to spread cooperative principles around the world. She developed a partnership between the Connecticut credit union league with credit unions in Trinidad and Tobago to establish the training and development exchange program, for leaders to mentor emerging leaders and to learn about organizational structure and movements in both countries.

Kathy holds Development Educator designations from the U.S., African, UK and Caribbean DE programs. She continues to champion the plight of those who have less and who yearn for affordable financial services, access to credit and financial security.

Grounded in the belief that credit unions are the best financial choice for people to achieve financial freedom, Gigi's impact on the credit union system spans over 30 years - as an advocate, attorney, federal regulator, and philanthropist.

She serves as the Executive Director for the National Credit Union Foundation, the charitable arm of the US credit union movement. Under her leadership, the Foundation doubled in assets to catalyze a data-driven focus on credit unions improving financial well-being for all.

Prior to her work at the Foundation, Gigi served as a Board member of the NCUA from 2005-2012, providing strategic leadership, policy direction and execution of extraordinary initiatives and regulatory changes to preserve a strong credit union system during the Great Recession. Prior to NCUA, Gigi served the credit union community as an executive, attorney and advocate including as SVP, General Counsel for Empire Corporate FCU in Albany, NY; VP, Corporate Credit Union Relations at CUNA; and Managing Partner of the family law firm, Hyland and Hyland.

She is also a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) and a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC). She serves on the America Saves® Advisory Board, is a board member of the National Cooperative Bank (NCB) and currently chairs NCB's Board Risk Committee.

Lois has served the credit union movement for over 40 years. She inspires credit union leaders to live the values of the credit union movement to best optimize cooperative structure to create and enhance business opportunities. For many years, Lois served as the national program director of the National Credit Union Foundation's Development Education program and is the Co-Founder of CU Difference, aimed to work directly with credit union teams to heighten their awareness and passion for credit unions.

Lois has worked with credit union leaders from six continents to help their leaders maximize the relationship between the credit union and its members. She motivates people to change the way they operate their businesses and think about serving marginal markets. Lois is a natural facilitator, mentor and consensus builder, a well-known public speaker and a successful program leader.

Lois has received many national and international awards including the Herb Wegner Award for Individual Achievement, the Athena Award from the World Council of Credit Unions, the Lifetime Service award from both the Credit Union Development Education Program and the CUTE Foundation (Mindanao, Philippines), and the distinguished service award for ACCOSCA (continental trade association for Africa). She is a former board member of America's Credit Union Museum and Chairs the African Cooperative Development Foundation.

For over 30 years, Lily has served the credit union industry at the local, state, and national levels. Lily has been with Tarrant County's Credit Union (TCCU) for 26 years, becoming CEO in 2001, and has been instrumental in the credit union's growth from $23M in assets to $125M in assets. Taking her commitment to the preservation and advancement of the credit union movement to heart, Lily's credit union was the first in the nation to offer a Keep the Change type savings program, the first in Texas to implement the DesignIt! Credit Card and Personalization Program and the first in Texas to offer a Debit Card Security App.

Lily is dedicated to the growth and progressive action necessary to preserve credit unions for future generations. She has served on the Cornerstone Foundation and Cornerstone Leaque Boards, the Filene Research Council, CUNAs Worid Affairs Committee, the Cornerstone International Relations Committee and is currently serving on the National Credit Union Foundation, Filene Research Institute and CUWLA Boards.

In 2021, Lily was instrumental in founding the Credit Union Women's Leadership Alliance (CUWLA) and became the organization's first Board Chair. The mission of CUWLA is to provide a support system for women CEOs of smaller credit unions, helping to give voice to concerns and to provide a platform for opportunities and mentorship.

In 2002, Kim was one of the youngest women in the country to become CEO/President of a large credit union when she joined CUNA Credit Union (now Summit Credit Union). Under her leadership, the credit union has grown from $200 million in assets to over $6.7 billion in 2023. She continues to lead and maintain the credit union’s position as one of the largest credit unions in Wisconsin. In 2008 she led the largest credit union merger of equals in Wisconsin and in 2022, the largest acquisition of a bank by a credit union in US history.

Kim has a passion for financial wellness for women. In 2008, based on research, Kim envisioned the impacts Summit could make, and advocated for choosing women as its target market and financial wellness as its value proposition. Her motivation to create sustainable change beginning at home allowed her efforts to gain national traction, ultimately inspiring fellow credit unions to do the same.

In 2021, Kim began to research how Summit could take the next step in support of women building wealth and avoiding poverty in retirement. Through collaboration with her team and the board of directors in 2022 a path called Equity in Money was created to help women members obtain higher earnings over their lifetime and create wealth. Equity in Money was the next logical step in their commitment to women and financial wellness.

Susan's contributions to credit unions and to advancing women in leadership began over 30 years ago. Early in her career, Sue started the SHE Group for her female CEO clients giving them a network to initiate such programs as a shared childcare facility, mindful education, emotional intelligence as a leadership differentiator, and succession planning that included diverse candidates.

Sue co-founded her first company and transitioned from serving banks to credit unions because her personal belief system aligned with the opportunity for social economic purpose that financially empowers people to improve their lives, the lives of their families and communities. Sue's professional and personal energy has influenced the well-being of employees, volunteers, members, and communities globally.

In 2009, Sue volunteered to be the founding Chair of WOCCU's Global Women's Leadership Network. With limited resources, she and her family donated time and money to meet with strategic influencers, travel to worldwide credit union movements and mobilize volunteers to passionately believe in financial empowerment of women. Her warm heart and hard work created a sense of belonging between diverse people on 6 continents.

Sue will activate initiatives, like the CU Pride network, standing with the LGBTO+ community and she will become an activist, supporting credit unions on the front lines helping refugees. Her Underground movement exemplifies a desire for kaizen within the industry, seeking to ensure relevance and financial democracy for future generations. Sue lives the
"people helping people* philosophy.

Linda’s credit union career has spanned several decades and includes an extensive list of involvements. From becoming CEO of Element FCU, to serving the Filene Research Institute, the credit union movement has felt the impact of Linda’s efforts for years. At Element FCU, Linda was pivotal in making the small West Virginian credit union one of the most innovative credit unions in the nation. The group led the way in the mobile app space early on, pioneering the remote check capture technology many credit unions utilize today.

Linda's courage and commitment to social justice have been equally profound. Guided by a deep-seated passion for treating all individuals with respect and dignity, regardless of race, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status, she co-founded CU Pride and the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance (CUWLA). These organizations stand as beacons, empowering credit union professionals to strive towards better versions of themselves, and in turn, advancing the entire movement.

At the 2023 National Credit Union Foundation dinner, Linda was awarded the Herb Wegner Memorial Award for her impact in the credit union movement. Upon reflecting on the award, Linda infamously explained her credit union tattoo, inspired by the movement’s motto People Helping People; “The very essence of the credit union mantra, people helping people, has left an indelible mark on my soul, and now, my body. My hope is that my actions will inspire others to bring this same passion to all those they serve.”

After graduating from the University of Florida, Cindy’s first job was with C&S Bank. She soon joined CDC Federal Credit Union where she oversaw compliance for nine years. While there, she recognized that helping others was one of the cornerstones of working for a cooperative credit union.

In February 1989, Cindy was recruited by Georgia Credit Union Affiliates (GCUA) to become the Research and Information Director, where she responded to inquiries about laws, rules, and operational questions for all Georgia credit unions. One of Cindy’s most notable impacts is her influence on the Credit Union Membership Access Act (HR 1151) in 1998. Because of her influential relationship with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the bill passed. Over 25 years later we are still feeling the positive impact of Cindy’s lobbying for credit union membership to provide Americans access to low-cost products and services to improve their financial wellbeing.

In February 2020, Cindy joined the senior management team of Georgia United Credit Union to share her legislative and regulatory expertise. In this role, Cindy is responsible for developing and directing strategy with state and local government authorities and collaborating with industry advocates.

Cindy has been awarded the Eloise Woods Distinguished Service Award, presented to her as someone who has advanced cooperative finance for the benefit of Georgians, served as a thought leader among credit union executives, projected the benefits of membership to government officials, led countless collaboration initiatives and made significant contributions to the movement.

Lucy began her credit union work when she joined the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) in 1989, leading development projects across the world. During her 15 years at WOCCU, Lucy's work influenced and improved the financial lives of people across Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, including development of a partnership with the government of Uzbekistan, through which she laid the groundwork to introduce the first credit unions in this former Soviet Republic.

Lucy's commitment to the credit union mission and deep-rooted collaborative spirit continued when she moved to the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues in 2004 where she ultimately oversaw all four of the Leagues divisions - Advocacy, Member Solutions, Strategic Innovation and Planning, Finance and Human Resources. As an executive during the historic financial crisis of 2008-09 and the Great Recession, Lucy's leadership helped bind credit unions together, ensuring that the increasingly complex needs of members and their credit unions-which did not cause the crisis-were at the heart of policy and decision-making.

Lucy's knowledge and innovation helped her excel as President and CEO at the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS). Recognized as a true regulatory modernizer who brought unexpected stakeholders to the same table to identify challenges and share solutions, Lucy is credited with increasing NASCUS viability, impact, communication, and engagement.

Lucy is, and has always been, an avid advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, supporting programs and initiatives to promote, nurture and support people who are traditionally under-represented or under-served by mainstream financial services.

Maria J. Martinez is the President/CEO of Border Federal Credit Union (Border FCU), a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), headquartered in Del Rio, TX. Her passion is making positive connections and being of service to others and she is constantly advocating for financial wellness for all within the credit union system.

Throughout her career, Maria has been a champion for the underserved, leading initiatives to provide financial services to low-income, predominately Hispanic communities. In 2003, she used a grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a free home/financial counseling program to help individuals buy houses, develop a budget, improve their credit and become banked. She also personally represents the credit union industry in a range of political capacities, raising awareness for credit union issues and the challenges of serving the underserved and unbanked immigrants.

Maria serves on a variety of boards including: CUNA Board member, Associate Director to PSCU's Board, founding member and Vice Chair woman of the Credit Union Women's Leadership Alliance (CUWLA), and founding member and Chairwoman of the National Association of Latino Credit Unions & Professionals (NLCUP), among others.

Among the recognitions Maria has received for her professional accomplishments, community contributions and leadership are the Inclusiv's 2022 Annie Vamper Helping Hands Award, 2017 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, the 2015 Woman of Distinction Award by the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC), and the 2016 Cornerstone Credit Union League Professional of the Year Award.

Renée has dedicated over 25 years to the credit union industry, starting as a Teller Trainee at City National Bank in Beverly Hills, California, where she swiftly advanced through the ranks. Today, as the President/CEO of the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC), Renée has transformed the organization into a formidable advocate for race, equity, and inclusion for all.

The momentum from the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement spurred Renée to address racial injustice within the credit union sector. She spearheaded the Commitment to Change: Credit Unions United Against Racism initiative, urging the industry to confront and advance true racial equality and economic justice. As a direct result of Renée 's impactful effort, AACUC received the 2022 Anchor Award from the National Credit Union Foundation. For Renee, this award is the equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize of the credit union movement.

In 2024, Renée was honored when the CU Leadership Convention created the Renée Sattiewhite Neoteric Changemaker Award. This award, named in her honor, celebrates exceptional leadership in driving innovative change, particularly in diversity, equity, and inclusion within the credit union industry. It acknowledges Renée’s unwavering dedication to inspiring meaningful progress and her belief in the significance of serving others with heartfelt commitment.
Renée is also a certified diversity professional, a credit union development educator, a motivational speaker, an executive coach, and a mentoring trainer. Her career is a testament to her personal mantra: "I’m the Possibility of People Serving People Passionately."

Dr. Brandi Stankovic first got involved with credit unions in the late 1990s, serving as the International Services Director for Harland Educational Services. She then served as the VP of Marketing and Administration at Ventura County Credit Union in Ventura, California. In this role, Brandi was able to uniquely assist credit union members through leading strategies critical to achieving growth, service goals, and organizational objectives for members.

Brandi has been heavily involved in the Global Women's Leadership Network, World Young Credit Union Professionals, CU for Kids, International Credit Union YP Programs, CU Development Educators, and has helped to provide financial education for high school students on behalf of Boulder Dam Credit Union for over 20 years. As the co-founder of CU-Pride, Brandi has been impassioned in her work towards equality across the credit union space, devoting herself to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Brandi served as the first GWLN Ambassador for the Sister Societies traveling throughout the world as a volunteer to establish local groups focused on women’s issues impacting families, communities and improving credit union member’s lives. Here, she served on the Fundraising Committee, facilitated Global Future Forum of credit unions, coordinated events, and more.

Currently, Brandi is the author of The Strategic MVP and the host and creator of The Strategic Hotbox, a platform designed to build leadership, provide business insight, and give the tools needed to achieve greatness. The video podcast has over 500,000 followers with more than 200,000 subscribers checking in daily.

Sarah began her credit union career in 1991 when she was appointed Administrator of the Credit Union Division of the Illinois Department of Financial Institutions. Prior to that time, she was an Enforcement Attorney in the Securities Division of the Office of the Secretary of State. In 1999, she was appointed by the Governor of Illinois to the cabinet level position of Director of the Department of Financial Institutions.

In 2008 Sarah became the Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to National Credit Union Administration Chairman Michael E. Fryzel. She was the first Hispanic Woman to serve in that position. She also served in the same capacity for Board Member and Chairman J. Mark McWatters becoming the only Chief of Staff to have served under two different NCUA Chairmen.

Under Sarah's leadership as a state regulator, she was instrumental in modernizing the Illinois Credit Union Act to reflect the changing financial landscape. During her tenure numerous credit unions converted from federal to state charters placing Illinois at the top of the list of state-chartered credit unions. As Chairperson of the NASCUS, Sarah led the state system through its work with NCUA to develop the Prompt Corrective Action and Member Business Lending rules. At NCUA, she was instrumental in developing the strategies needed to guide the credit unions through the challenges of a failing corporate credit union system and later worked on the mechanism which permitted a $900 million distribution to credit unions and a $700 million funding in reserves. In 2018, Sarah was awarded the Pierre Jay Award by the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors.

Denise began her credit union career as a teller. She embraced the cooperative principles of credit unions, particularly cooperation among cooperatives. This became her compass to help her bring like-minded people together. In 2008 she helped to form the Member Loyalty Group CUSO, bringing together six powerhouse credit unions to bring the Net Promoter Score (NPS) discipline to hundreds of credit unions. In 2012, she was voted a "Woman to Watch" by the CU Times. Denise also worked to unify cooperatives in Northern New Mexico with the Keep It Co-Op! movement that culminated in a fund-raising effort to build the first ever CO-OP Park in Los Alamos, NM.

In 2021 Denise helped to launch the CU De Novo Collective, a volunteer grassroots effort to create a growth engine for the movement by starting and saving credit unions. They are committed to fighting for the future of credit unions, even though they may not be around to see it.
Denise is also very involved in her community.

She earned her Advanced Emergency Medical Technician license and volunteers with her local fire department. She is also very involved in her church and serves as Hospitality Minister as well as lector. Denise is a cheerleader for passion and commitment and she inspires other women in the credit union movement to do the same.