Woke Ass People

Meghan Jamison brings energy and heart to her focus on credit union issues. As an engaged young professional, she seeks opportunities to connect with peers and expand her perspectives.  Jamison has been in the industry since 2007, having worked for a few different credit unions, she has been on the front line and the back office, all with a focus on the member experience and providing empathetic solutions for consumers.

Jamison has served on committees and has taken leadership roles wherever possible. One of her proudest accomplishments is her CUDE designation, earned in April of 2018 among the best class ever.

Dawn Lepore (she/her) is a young credit union professional with over 10 years of experience in the financial industry. A “reformed bank employee,” Dawn now works for Vantage West Credit Union in Tucson, AZ, as the head of Consumer Banking Operations. She is passionate about the credit union movement and enjoys exploring the ways in which credit unions can serve and support their members. Dawn has benefited greatly from the Crasher program through the Cooperative Trust – she Crashed the AACUC’s Commitment to Change conference in 2020 and then Crashed the GAC in 2021. She serves on the Steering Committee for the AZ Young Credit Union Professionals and leads A Seat at the Table, the women’s leadership group at Vantage West. She is also a 2021 Global Women’s Leadership Network scholarship recipient and was selected for MWCUA’s Hike the Hill Legislative Learning Experience. One of Dawn’s proudest achievements is becoming a Credit Union Development Educator, and in her personal life she’s most proud to be Mama to her toddler.

Juan (he/him) serves as the Credit Union Association of New Mexico's President & CEO. His work in credit unions began at an early age working as a credit union teller while pursuing his college degree.  Prior to his work in New Mexico, Juan held positions leading the credit unions’ community development efforts in New York and Washington state.  Through his work, he has worked with credit unions to help them seize opportunities to serve unmet needs in their communities, help their members, and achieve sustainable growth.

Cortney (she/hers) aims to prepare credit unions for the next generation. She thrives on making human connections to understand what drives people, and then helps guide them to act using research-based solutions. These connections, insights, and passion are the pillars that guide Cortney’s approach leading Filene’s communities.

A proud millennial, Cortney has more than 13 years of experience in financial services. Her career started at a savings and loan in a contact center, but she made her way to credit unions by way of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union. In her life before Filene, she was a supervisor over the remote service channels. Her experience working with members and team members for eight years gives her key insights into ease-of-use and how credit unions can create a winning omni-channel experience that makes things easy but also embraces the human connection.

Cortney earned a BA in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach and an MBA in Organizational Leadership from University of Massachusetts. Not only does Cortney value education, but also life lessons—and what better way to connect with people than through travel. She has traveled to Europe through a study abroad program and spent time in India volunteering with a women’s group. Cortney was selected as a GAC Crasher in 2016, which helped cement her commitment to the credit union movement.

When Cortney isn’t working or traveling, she enjoys camping, hiking, coffee, and watching Futurama, Fringe, or Bob’s Burgers with her two cats.

Nanci Wilson, CUDE

pronouns: she/her

Nanci started her credit union journey due to lack of kindness.

That fact is what led her to close her bank account and open at a credit union.

Ultimately it led her to want to work at a credit union. The rest is history.

After graduating from Credit Union Development Education at the National Credit Union Foundation and going back as a mentor and graduation speaker, she knew that her heart belonged to the movement.

As a self-proclaimed human connection junkie, you can find Nanci speaking all around about the power of being imperfectly perfect and flexing your "flawsome" (being awesome with flaws) to create authentic relationships in both life and career.

Maricela Castillo

Pronouns: She/Her

Cela is a Research Specialist, Multicultural Business Strategy at CUNA Mutual Group. She was born and raised in Milwaukee WI and graduated with a BBA in Marketing from UW-Whitewater in December 2019. She has been involved with the credit union movement since 2017 as an intern with CUNA Mutual Group and started her full-time career in January 2020. As a young professional in the credit union movement she is focusing on multicultural communities and how to best serve this growing population. In her free time, she volunteers in her community, plays tennis, bakes and is looking forward to traveling in a post-Covid world.

Michael Murdoch

Pronouns: he/him

Michael’s passion for financial education, young-professional-engagement, and credit union advocacy can be found in most everything he does.

He has primarily held marketing and communication roles within credit unions (he is currently the Communications Specialist at Wauna Credit Union), but his award-winning, hands-on approach extends him well into nearly every aspect of the industry.

A fifth-generation Oregonian, Michael thrives on creativity and the outdoors. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2005 with Theatre and History degrees and also serves as a CUNA Diamond Awards Judge and Committee member, author at CUInsight, as Co-Chair of the Northwest Credit Union Association's Awards Committee, and member of the Advocacy Sub-Committee.

He additionally holds numerous certifications, including Credit Union Development Educator and Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor.