2024 Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions

The Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions, 2024

November 19, 2024 6:00 AM

The path to leadership is necessarily difficult, given the challenges that await those responsible for leading banks, teams and vital projects that can make the difference in an organization. Courage is as important a skill as any.

"Raise your hand for the difficult assignment, or the special project, or the business unit that has a big turnaround ahead of it," said Beverly Anderson, CEO and president of BECU, one of the country's largest credit unions. "These are the places in one's career where you can learn the most, contribute directly and have a meaningful and demonstrable impact."

Anderson is one of this year's Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions, an annual feature honoring the women who are addressing the problems and opportunities that their organizations and members face. Credit union executives need to have a plan to address the rise of digital commerce, AI, bank and fintech rivals. Leaders must also navigate such pitfalls as an uncertain economic and regulatory climate while serving the credit union mission of shared services and connections to their communities. In that context, the leaders on our list have creativity, expertise, resilience and the ability to inspire not only their employees but also their members.

Congratulations to this year's Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions. Read on to learn more about this year's list of honorees.

Profiles by Joey Pizzolato, John Adams, Frank Gargano and Mary Ellen Egan. Intro by John Adams

Jason Hill

Inna Sprague

Chief Experience Officer
Teachers Federal Credit Union
Hauppauge, New York
Assets: $9.8 billion
Time in role: 4 years
Time in financial services industry: 18 years

Beyond technology

While technology is a powerful enabler, Sprague said it's important to not lose sight of human interactions in fostering trust and loyalty with a credit union's members.

"The credit union industry, at its core, is about relationships; understanding member needs, guiding members through complex decisions, and offering support during life events and key milestones," she said, adding that no matter how advanced technology tools become, empathy, judgment and personal connections will remain irreplaceable. "Striking the right balance between digital innovation and maintaining meaningful human connections will be critical in providing a holistic experience that is guaranteed to stand the test of time," said Sprague, who in her career has worked on customer engagement strategies for Teachers, Bank of America and First Tech Credit Union.

Raising awareness

Sprague recently led a brand refresh, the redesign of teachersfcu.org, expansion into new states, and the development of new products and services. While adding members, Teachers also encountered higher costs due to the recent spike in inflation. At the same time, higher interest rates have made it harder to borrow and to make credit card payments. "We invested in ensuring all teammates are aware of financial industry trends, that they ask our members effective questions during each interaction and that we provide financial education and resources to support our members during these difficult times," she said. —John Adams

Stuart Mullenberg

Monique Little

Chief People and Administrative Officer
First Tech Credit Union
Palo Alto, California
Assets: $16.8 billion
Time in role: 7 years
Time in credit union industry: 18 years

Community centric

Monique Little wears many hats as chief people and administrative officer at First Tech Credit Union. She's responsible for human resources, learning and organizational development, corporate communications, community investments, corporate real estate and enterprise operations. These roles encompass fraud prevention, payment services, regulatory deposit services and reporting. Her programs are designed to improve employee retention, engagement and satisfaction, and she has made community engagement a core part of First Tech's mission by offering 16 paid volunteer hours, a $1,000 charitable donation match, and grants for volunteering and leadership service. In 2023, 97.4% of employees at the credit union participated in community programs, resulting in 23,185 volunteer hours contributed.

Don't forget employees

Credit unions may be hyperfocused on supporting their members, but it's important not to forget to support employees, Little said. "Some financial institutions provide the bare minimum for their employees, which often fails to foster a positive, inclusive work environment," she said. "At First Tech, we understand that our people-helping-people philosophy hinges on meeting the needs of our employees just as much as those of our members and the broader community." Little has made open dialogue and respect some of the core pillars of the credit union's employee culture, and "ensures every voice is heard" through regular surveys, open forums and an open-door policy with leadership. –Joey Pizzolato

Darlene Johnson

Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer
Suncoast Credit Union
Tampa, Florida
Assets: $18.7 billion
Time in role: 1 year
Time in credit union industry: 35 years

New data

To reach underserved consumers, Suncoast has partnered with fintechs such as Zest AI to analyze data beyond traditional credit scores. "We consider other behavioral factors to support a more consumer-friendly approval process," Johnson said, noting that there's a need to provide assistance to consumers while keeping the credit union's financial performance healthy. "This allowed us to manage risk while saying yes to more loans, and the right loans, to support our community and uphold the values of the credit union movement."

Generations

For the first time in the credit union's history, Suncoast's workforce consists of five different generations. "The way I experienced the world growing in my profession is vastly different from what junior employees are today," Johnson said. "Junior employees today face the challenge of adapting to new technology and remote work environments. Unlike previous generations, they often receive less hands-on training and in-person mentoring."

By 2025, millennials and Generation Z will make up 75% of the world's working population, according to Deloitte. "The future of the economy and the workforce will be heavily influenced by the leadership of today's young people, so it is important that we work together to address strengths and challenges," Johnson said. —John Adams

Elizabeth Osborne

Chief Operations Officer
Great Lakes Credit Union
Bannockburn, Illinois
Assets: $1.6 billion
Time in role: 3 years
Time in credit union industry: 3 years

Exploring AI

As chief operations officer, Osborne is responsible for the credit union's technology, digital, deposit operations and project management offices, and has been a key voice in helping understand the role that artificial intelligence plays for credit unions and other financial institutions. She has been an advocate for increased collaboration between credit unions and regulators rather than more formal regulation. Last summer, she testified before the House Financial Services Committee and outlined four key areas where Great Lakes deploys AI: fraud detection, decisioning for loan approvals, automation and virtual assistants for customer support.

Living by the '24-hour rule'

Osbourne employs something she calls the "24-hour rule," which she learned early in her career from a female boss. "The 24-hour rule is simple: If someone says or does something that bothers you — whether it's a colleague, service provider or even a superior, and you find yourself still thinking about it 24 hours later, you need to address it," she said. "Letting unresolved issues linger can create unnecessary stress and have longstanding negative impacts on your self esteem and overall feeling of self-worth."

Addressing problems with colleagues and peers also helps create a healthier, more productive work environment, but it also shows "you are willing to have tough conversations to improve dynamics," she said. —Joey Pizzolato

Delana Huling

President and CEO
Baylor Health Care System Credit Union
Dallas
Assets: $83 million
Time in role: 2 years
Time in credit union industry: 20 years

A difficult conversation

Like most credit unions, Baylor Health Care System Credit Union faced major deposit runoff in the past year, so the biggest challenge has been maintaining adequate liquidity. The first plan of action was to educate the board on the impact of losing deposits at such a rapid place. "This was a difficult conversation as our current board of directors had not experienced this type of financial challenge," Huling said. The credit union set up retention parameters to better track reasons for large withdrawals and closed accounts. "We concentrated on triggering events that could activate the need for contingency funding and placed a greater sense of urgency around improving operational efficiency," Huling said.

One on one

The best lesson Huling has passed on to her managers is the value of scheduling one-on-one meetings with direct reports. This uninterrupted time with direct reports is a key component of engaging with employees, said Huling, the first woman and Black person to be CEO in the credit union's history. "This generation of emerging leaders are often loners and are used to working independently. Unfortunately, some of these individuals had to attend school or were introduced to the workforce virtually during the pandemic. As a result, they are not used to team camaraderie or culture norms. While that is great in some regards, it does not sow the seed for valuing teamwork or people," she said.—John Adams

Suzanne Weinstein

President and CEO
Orlando Credit Union
Orlando, Florida
Assets: $350 million
Time in role: 8 years
Time in credit union industry: 33 years

Never stop learning

In eight short years as president and CEO of Orlando Credit Union, Suzanne Weinstein has more than quadrupled the organization's assets to $350 million. Today, credit unions are in a "grow or die" moment, making business acumen one of the most important skills needed to succeed in the current market, she said. Weinstein is also a staunch supporter of higher education, and advocates for her team members to continue expanding their worldview. "Credit union employees absorb more varied tasks and responsibilities than their counterparts in banking. Our people wear a multitude of hats that require broad skills and application of said skills," she said. "I also tell everyone, be better educated. Go to college. Earn degrees and expand how you think and decision from data."

Maintaining integrity

Weinstein says one of the best lessons she's learned in her 33 years in financial services is to remember the tenets by which credit unions are founded, and use those as a benchmark to help drive areas of focus. "In credit unions, it's a member-centric, members-first set of principles grounded by integrity, honesty, and a commitment to the betterment of managing people's money. [Those] are the best lessons that I've learned." She also said that neither she nor the credit union engage in X, formerly known as Twitter, because it's "too divisive." And while reimagining payments is currently a hot trend among credit unions, they would be remiss if they don't also focus on business intelligence and artificial intelligence, which "also offer acuity and direct member benefit." —Joey Pizzolato

Kathryn Keopf Davis

President and CEO
Valley First Credit Union
Modesto, California
Assets: $1 billion
Time in role: 5 years
Time in credit union industry: 30 years

In the community

During the past year, Valley First helped bring a children's museum to downtown Modesto by financing the building and supporting the museum's capital campaign. It's one of several initiatives that have impacted the local community.

Valley First became a Certified Development Financial Institution under Davis' leadership. In 2023, Valley First deployed $201 million in affordable loans, $21 million in affordable mortgages, made 60% of its SBA loans to minority and women-owned businesses and helped more than 6,600 of its members boost their credit scores through free education and counseling.

Staying liquid

While liquidity has been a challenge for the entire financial services industry, it was a bigger issue for Valley First, which has a member base that does not traditionally have large deposits.

With this in mind, the credit union created "Impact" accounts, which paid a higher dividend and also provided private insurance so the full deposit would be insured. "We also reached out to local banks for support. As a CDFI credit union, our local banks are able to receive CRA credit for mission-based deposits." Davis personally asked a handful of affluent members for deposits north of $1 million. "This ask came with the explanation of how their money would be used locally to continue lending. While there wasn't one strategy alone that brought in deposits, this collective approach allowed us to continue lending in our community and supported our liquidity needs." —John Adams

Lisa Florian

President and CEO
Clearview Federal Credit Union
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Assets: $2 billion
Time in role: 1 year, 7 months
Time in industry: 23 years

Creating a collaborative culture

Clearview experienced a 39% increase in retail growth, and to manage that growth, the credit union needed employees to collaborate across all departments. Florian embarked on an ambitious reorganization, and streamlined the new structure around six lines of business: finance; revenue and lending; technology; member and employee experience; strategy and innovation; and administration and risk. While departments worked independently in their areas of expertise, team leaders conducted regular check-ins between teams to monitor progress, discuss challenges and refine strategies.

Life lessons

Florian said that she once made the decision to leave a financially stable job because it lacked the mental and emotional balance she needed. "It was a significant risk, especially with two young children at home depending on me for support. Walking away from a steady income wasn't easy, and I knew the stakes were high for both my family and myself. However, this decision ultimately led me to my career at Clearview, where I found a role that aligned with both my professional goals and personal values," she said. "This experience taught me that sometimes the hardest decisions — those that require real courage and trust in yourself — can lead to the most rewarding outcomes. If you're willing to put in the work and stay focused, taking a risk on what truly matters to you can open doors to unexpected opportunities and growth." —Mary Ellen Egan

Kelly Botti

President and CEO
TruMark Financial Credit Union
Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Assets: $3.2 billion
Time in role: 2 years
Time in credit union industry: 11 years

Standing out

As president and chief executive, Botti is charged with overseeing all operational, financial and administration functions for the $3.2 billion-asset credit union, and was instrumental in guiding the credit union to its highest net income in its 85-year history. Colleagues attribute to her a combination of dedication, personability, leadership and fun, and praise her for being caring, understanding, driven and passionate in her approach. She brings more than 10 years' experience in banking to her role, and has also been a senior vice president, chief risk officer and corporate counsel at TruMark.

Staying flexible

Newer and more junior employees are navigating an unprecedented velocity of change compared to when Botti began her career, and they need to maintain flexibility to be able to adapt, she said. Botti encourages junior team members to think of their career not as a ladder, but as a lily pad.

"Lily pads also float because of the roots below – so even when it feels like progress isn't visible, you are on much surer footing than you think," she said. "Creating a mindset where your growth can be forwards, backwards, and lateral — sometimes shaky, sometimes more balanced and never linear — [and] Being flexible and adaptable to how your life unfolds will serve you well." —Joey Pizzolato

Christophe Testi

Joan Opp

President and CEO
Stanford Federal Credit Union
Palo Alto, California
Assets: $4.3 billion
Time in role: 14 years
Time in credit union industry: 22 years

Need for speed

"We are in an environment that moves extremely fast, so there is no shortage of challenges in recent years," Opp said. In particular this last year, the credit union navigated a volatile rate environment, which Opp said it was able to handle due to preplanning. The credit union expanded payment automation in the past year as new mobile and processing options entered the market.

"Our mantra this year is to just keep swimming. Our team has collaborated well and our performance is solid as a result," Opp said. "The speed of change today is so much faster than when I was at an earlier phase of my career. Being comfortable with technology is much more important today and even more so, young professionals have to embrace it."

What makes a good leader

It's important to do what's right for the organization over all else, Opp said. "Take care of the ship and everything else will work out." There are times when a leader has to make decisions that aren't necessarily in her own best interest, according to Opp, but the organization always comes first. "Always," she said.

Also, size and quantity are overrated. "So many people focus on quantity. How big our assets are, how many customers we have grown, how many loans we have made. The focus instead should be the quality: Are we growing in the right way, are the customers we are attracting engaging with us, are the loans we are making appropriate for our balance sheet?" —John Adams

Catherine Tierney

President and CEO
Community First Credit Union
Neenah, Wisconsin
Assets: $5.7 billion
Time in role: 30 years
Time in credit union industry: 48 years

Leading by example

When Tierney joined Community First Credit Union as a teller in 1976, the credit union had one office, six employees and just over $1 million of assets. Eighteen years later, she holds the top job at the financier and has since grown the credit union to nearly $6 billion of assets, serving more than 158,000 members across 25 full-service branches and four nontraditional branches. Her leadership style has been characterized by "humility, acts of quiet strength and an extraordinary ability to inspire others," said Karrie Drobnick, chief strategy and experience officer at the Appleton, Wisconsin-based credit union. "Cathie's joy lies in developing future leaders and empowering others to achieve their potential."

Putting team and members first

Keeping credit union members' and employees' experience at the heart of every decision is essential for success in the credit union industry — and helps ensure that empathy is well-balanced with innovation, Tierney said. Size and scale shouldn't drive everything.

"So often business leaders get caught up in the idea that bigger is better and you can't really be successful without scale," she said. "In a rapidly evolving industry, rising leaders must master the art of integrating empathy into innovation. This means understanding the real needs and goals of both members and employees and ensuring that solutions align with those needs. When leaders prioritize these experiences, they build trust, loyalty and a deep connection that drives long-term success." —Joey Pizzolato

Brenda Worrell

President and CEO
Idaho Central Credit Union
Chubbuck, Idaho
Assets: $11.6 billion
Time in role: 2 years
Time in credit union industry: 28 years

Finding balance

For those just starting their careers, finding a balance between mastering life's major challenges such as financial stability, childcare, mental and physical well-being, and climbing the career ladder can be difficult, according to Worrell, who said the credit union has worked to find solutions that provide support and resources. "The best lesson I've learned throughout my career and continue to pass on is that we can't take culture for granted," she said. "The important thing to remember is that culture is everyone's responsibility. Leaders need to take an active role in making culture great and encouraging every team member to fully engage."

Branching out

One of the most overrated trends in the credit union industry is the push for everything to go completely virtual, with the assumption that physical branches are becoming irrelevant, according to Worrell. "While digital services are essential and provide great convenience, at Idaho Central we believe there's still tremendous value in maintaining a strong physical presence," she said. "Instead of moving to an entirely virtual presence, the industry should focus on balancing technology with personalized services and focus on providing a seamless and efficient digital experience while also maintaining strong relationships and connections." —John Adams

Kevin Fiscus Photography

Donna Bland

President and CEO
Golden1 Credit Union
Sacramento, California
Assets: $19.5 billion
Time in role: 14 years
Time in credit union industry: 30 years

Leveraging a long career

In her 14 years as president and chief executive at Golden 1 Credit Union, Donna Bland has established the Sacramento, California-based organization as one of the nation's largest credit unions by assets. She leverages 30 years of experience in financial services that has spanned roles including controller and chief financial officer. Under Bland's leadership, Golden 1 has tripled its assets and doubled its members to 1.1 million throughout California. She was also instrumental in securing a multiyear naming rights agreement with the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings for the Golden 1 Center, which has helped expand the credit union's brand.

Stop and listen

Being an active listener is one of the most powerful things a leader can do to be successful, Bland said, and it can be a valuable tool in building trust and confidence with team members. Bland, for her part, has brought many lessons from being a parent into her leadership ethos.

"As a parent, I have learned how to listen, how to have conversations that are necessary, and how to be empathetic and kind. I recognize that I don't know everything, but I can learn from other people, so I really take my cues from others," she said. Bland also recommends "getting out there" and taking classes, attending conferences, listening to podcasts and consuming books, magazines and news articles to ensure a bigger worldview. "The pace of change is faster than ever and the more you know, the better you can serve yourself and your team." —Joey Pizzolato

Beverly Anderson

President and CEO
BECU (Boeing Employees' Credit Union)
Tukwila, Washington
Assets: $29.9 billion
Time in role: 1 year, 11 months
Time in industry: 30-plus years

Path to success

Anderson brought more than 20 years of financial services experience with her when she joined the institution roughly two years ago, boasting past roles at Equifax, Wells Fargo, American Express and more. As an African American woman, and the first female to hold the top position at BECU, Anderson is forging a path for similar leaders to follow in her footsteps.

"The system was truly designed to keep me out, not to invite me in. … But the spirit of [my ancestors'] collective will, blood, sweat and tears has made a way for me, and others like me," Anderson said. She has been guided since childhood by the personal truths Anderson's parents instilled in her and her siblings such as "being values-driven in all of life's key decisions, treat others the way you want to be treated and believe that there is a higher power upon which all things are possible," she said.

Dispelling myths

The overall ethos of credit unions is providing financial services to underserved communities, and Anderson is working to ensure that all underserved communities get due attention rather than only "Black and brown uneducated people" that are typically focused on "when trying to address the financial needs of the underserved," she said. "A broad swath of Americana lacks full access to financial services as the challenges from housing affordability, income disparity and post-COVID sustainable employment for those with only a primary education loom heavily and continue to mount."

BECU offers in-person and digital financial health checks across its membership to ensure that no one slips through the cracks and that goals are met. "For a cooperative like BECU to deliver on our purpose, an inclusive approach among our unique members and focus on addressing their unique needs is imperative," Anderson said. —Frank Gargano

Leigh Brady

President and CEO
State Employees' Credit Union
Raleigh, North Carolina
Assets: $57 billion
Time in role: 1 year, 5 months
Time in industry: 37 years

Making the climb

Leigh Brady has spent her entire career with the $57 billion-asset State Employees' Credit Union, joining the organization as an accountant in 1987 and steadily working her way up to lead the institution as its president and first-ever female chief executive. On her way to the top of the Raleigh, North Carolina-based credit union, Brady wore many hats, ranging from roles in corporate auditing and secondary marketing, to education services and organizational development, according to her LinkedIn profile.

All of this experience has equipped Brady with the wealth of knowledge needed to helm the second-largest credit union in the country. She advanced her career by "saying yes to every opportunity that came my way, even when I may not have wanted a particular challenge," Brady said. "Every opportunity forced me out of my comfort zone to learn something new and it paid off."

Lessons learned

It takes a certain skill set to succeed as a leader in the credit union space, and knowing where to start is crucial, according to Brady. Among her most essential skills, she said "being authentic, adaptable to change, good at communicating with others and being empathetic to different perspectives" allows one to connect with employees more effectively and get to the heart of issues faster — all without making it seem forced. But above all else, the most important thing for Brady is continuous learning. "Rising to be SECU's first female president, and as a working mom, required me to learn as much as I could. … I learned from everyone around me, including my peers and those in leadership," Brady said. —Frank Gargano