Caroline Willard, president and CEO of Cornerstone League, has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation, the highest professional credential in the association industry.

To obtain a CAE designation, an applicant must have experience with nonprofit organization management, complete a minimum of 100 hours of specialized professional development, pass a stringent examination in association management, and pledge to uphold a code of ethics. To maintain the certification, individuals must undertake ongoing professional development and activities in association and nonprofit management.

“Cornerstone League’s member credit unions depend on their league’s leadership to stay engaged with and current on best practices so we can provide them with the best value for their dues dollars,” said Willard. “Obtaining my CAE certification reinforces my commitment to help advance credit unions’ success.” 
​
More than 4,700 association professionals currently hold the CAE credential. The CAE program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

​The Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP) is a nonprofit organization created to establish a Black-led credit union to address systemic financial challenges impacting Minneapolis residents, particularly people of color. ABEP is currently raising capital for post-opening operating expenses for Village Financial Credit Union. As the philanthropic arm of the Minnesota Credit Union movement -  the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation has established a special fund to receive donations from supporters of Village Financial Credit Union, and is seeking to raise $1 million in capital from the credit union community.
 
“Establishing the only Black-led, cooperative credit union in Minnesota is an opportunity to effect positive change, empower growth and economic stability while directly addressing the core cause of systemic poverty on a variety of levels,” said Debra Hurston, Executive Director of the Association for Black Economic Power. “The original organizers were very passionate about having a community led credit union that would directly respond to the community wealth gap. Also, having the credit union owned and operated by the community provides a huge source of pride and independence for the members.” 
 
“Credit union history and principles are rooted in serving the underserved and cooperation among cooperatives,” said Mark Cummins, President of the Minnesota Credit Union Network and the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation. “Coming together to support this effort is one way we can put our DEI commitments into action. It’s simply the right thing to do.”
 
As of the June 2021 reporting period, there are 264 Black American credit unions across the nation, managing 7.5 billion in assets for 762,000 members. Village Financial Credit Union would be the only Black American credit union in Minnesota.
 
“The Board of Directors of AACUC and I are delighted that the credit union community is coming together to ensure that this credit union is launched and successful.  The Commitment to Change: Credit Unions Unite Against Racism® Initiative is truly reflected in this collaborative effort,” said Renée Sattiewhite, President/CEO of the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC).
 
“This project is a great example of using the credit union difference to advance historically underserved communities that continue to face challenges in a recovering economy,” said Credit Union National Association President/CEO Jim Nussle. “Not-for-profit financial cooperatives exist to improve their members’ financial well-being, and we’re proud to support this effort to increase financial inclusion in the Minneapolis area.”
 
Capital donations, Deposit Pledges and Individual Contributions are currently being sought to support this effort. “Contributions secured in now will be highly catalytic for ABEP and Village Financial, as they provide important grounding for the State charter application and NCUA application; evidence of traction as additional financial support from other sources are sought; and operational sustainability during the first three years of opening,” continued Cummins.
 
To learn more, visit mncun.org/villagefinancial or contact Minnesota Credit Union Foundation President Mark Cummins or Executive Director Andrea Molnau.

​CO-OP Financial Services has promoted Kelly Mendenhall and Joy Porter to Senior Vice President, reflecting their own high performance in the Product and People (Human Resources) functions, respectively, and the continuing rapid growth of the company.
 
“In the past five years, CO-OP has launched more than 150 new products,” said Todd Clark, President/CEO. “This has certainly meant a monumental effort by our Product team, and also by Human Resources, to find and keep the talent we need to maintain this level of performance. The work of Kelly and Joy has helped us meet our goals and fuel the innovation needed for the future.”
 
Kelly Mendenhall is promoted to SVP, Innovation, Product Office, reporting to Bruce Dragt, Chief Product Officer. Mendenhall joined CO-OP in April 2017 with the merger of CO-OP and TMG, having joined that organization exactly one year earlier. Mendenhall is responsible for the PDLC (Product Development Life Cycle) process, and the process for defining the CO-OP roadmap. He is also responsible for innovation activities like “Innovation Day” and providing a clear direction so that innovation processes result in products that better serve the company’s credit union clients and their members.
 
Joy Porter is promoted to SVP, Total Rewards and People Operations, reporting to Cheryl Middleton Jones, Chief People Officer. Porter joined CO-OP in April 2019, and during her tenure has led the effort to improve the company’s compensation and benefits offerings. Additionally, she has implemented new work/life programs such as updated maternal, parental, family care and adoption leave programs. Porter is also responsible for HR Operations and the HRIS system, moving to one functional and self-service platform for all HR functions across the business.
 
During 2021, CO-OP invested $50 million in its product roadmap to ensure clients remain competitive. New products include Digital Card Issuance, expansion of the CO-OP Springboard card servicing application and the introduction of CO-OP Resolution Center, the company’s proprietary new disputes and chargebacks processing platform, designed with credit union input. In addition, CO-OP launched COOPER Fraud Score, a machine learning tool to detect, prevent and mitigate fraud.
 
Also in 2021, CO-OP was one of only three organizations in the credit union industry to be recognized as one of “2021 Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces” by Achievers, a provider of employee voice and recognition solutions. CO-OP’s commitment to four core values – work as partners, communicate openly and honestly, demonstrate excellence, champion change – contributed to the recognition. Additionally, CO-OP’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council launched a series of Engagement Resource Groups, including Women in Technology, Pride Alliance and Black Financial Technology Professionals.
 
More information about CO-OP Financial Services can be found by visiting www.coop.org.