We are fortunate to have Erin Estelle, Chief Marketing Officer at Valley Strong Credit Union, join us on the Frogcast this month. As a former collegiate and professional athlete, and with a previous career in Retail, Erin has some interesting viewpoints and valuable insights about the credit union movement. Among many things, she shares with us today her leadership of Valley Strong's impressive financial literacy initiative. Covering all aspects of financial wellness, for all stages of members, the CU is making an impact with this effort... and receiving recognition for it. Case in point, Valley Strong received a Diamond Award for their creative approach to youth financial education. Erin graduated from WCMS this year and shares with us why she decided to attend as a senior leader who is new to our industry. Listen in and learn how she, and Valley Strong, aligned and prioritized their work with a heart for impact!

Interviewers: Nate Burns & Shonna Shearson

Producers: Ryan Kane & Steve Schmidle

Supporting Cast: Robert York, Jeff Morris, Original Ryan Olsen, and James Wileman

Today we have a double-hitter as both Darin Woinarowicz and Stefanie Villalobos joining the Frogcast. Darin serves as the President & CEO at Arrowhead CU, and Stefanie as the AVP of Philanthropy & Community Impact with the CU. The Alumni Association has asked them to join us because of their leadership of the ArrowHeart Foundation. Stefanie simultaneously serves as the Foundation's Executive Director and Darin its founder. The ArrowHeart Foundation is an organization intent on helping those Arrowhead neighbors that need it the most. Purposefully working under the radar, the Foundation does everything from awarding higher education scholarships, providing the homeless with items from their closing closet and pantry, and supporting community partners with the same philanthropic aim. Give the episode a listen to learn additional details and hear some inspirational stories about the Foundation's founding.

Interviewers: Shonna Shearson & Nate Burns

Producers: Ryan Kane & Steve Schmidle

Supporting Cast: Robert York, Ryan Olsen, James Wileman, and Jeff Morris

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 had very different reactions to learning this news. Along with their classmates, they decided to schedule some formal practice time for their class. This practice, however, continued well beyond the class presentation itself and became a CU-based Toastmasters group in partnership with the WCMS Alumni Association. Marlene and Elise share with us the growth, skills, and takeaways they gained from their Toasmasters and WCMS experiences.

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 Olsen, and James Wileman

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 good work that credit unions are doing to provide financial education to their communities. There are so many impressive and impactful educational efforts happening within the State of New Mexico, which Melia shares today. Listen in and get inspired!

Interviewers: Shonna Shearson and Jeff Morris

Producers: Ryan Kane and Steve Schmidle

Supporting Cast: Nate Burns, Robert York, James Wileman, and O'Ryan Olsen

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 and maintain across our communities, and Balance helps those in need by providing solutions that help people manage their debt, understand their credit, and provide financial planning coaching - among many other services. It is obvious that Ronaldo is driven by his values and his values align with those of credit unions. He shares with us his career story, leadership framework, and how he leaned into his values to make a difference around him. Among the many beautiful nuggets shared by Ronaldo is his personal mission statement. “Change the world by building the people who will change the world“. Give a listen to this episode and get inspired!

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 insights into well known breaches, will be timely and educational for everyone listening.

Interviewer: Robert York

Producers: Ryan Kane and Steve Schmidle

Supporting Crew: Original Ryan Olsen, Shonna Shearson, Nate Burns, James Wileman, and Jeff Morris.

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 to their positive local influence, the credit union will be featured on a PBS television program to tell their story, memorialize their history, and broaden their impact. Give our episode a listen, and the PBS show a watch, to learn more about Vida and what they are accomplishing in Southern California.

Interviewers: Shonna Shearson and Nate Burns

Producers: Ryan Kane and Steve Schmidle

Supporting Cast: Robert York, Jeff Morris, James Wileman, and Original Ryan Olsen.

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 credit tiers and assuming the higher risk that accompanies it. Fidel is a distinguished credit union professional with a focus on member service, including the CCUFC certification. Always modeling the way for his team, and never losing sight of the members he serves, he has aligned the credit union’s purpose with the actions and opportunities that will provide First Imperial CU with the sustainability to serve for generations to come.

Interviewers: Shonna Shearson and Nate Burns

Producers: Ryan Kane and Steve Schmidle

Supporting Cast: Robert York, Original Ryan Olsen, James Wileman and Jeff Morris

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 through these secondary markets. The CU also recently created a new program, providing credit protection for low income borrowers, produced in collaboration between six Tucson credit unions. This groundbreaking product displays the power of credit union cooperation and purpose, while serving their communities meaningfully. Listen in and learn something new!

Interviewers: Shonna Shearson and Nate Burns

Producers: Ryan Kane and Steve Schmidle

Supporting Cast: Original Ryan Olsen, Robert York, James Wileman, and Jeff Morris