 Barb Lowman CUNA Strategic Services is pleased to announce their new alliance with Finalytics.ai. Finalytics.ai is the first community financial institution platform to apply real-time AI, dynamic segmentation, and machine learning to create personalized digital experiences at scale.
"As credit unions advance on their digital journeys, leveraging data to personalize the member experience is becoming paramount,” said Barb Lowman, President, CUNA Strategic Services. “Our collaboration with Finalytics.ai provides access to key insights and data that (in conjunction with their marketing tools and expertise) enables credit unions to identify and assist members with their needs, based on their geographical location, behaviors, and their own personal journey. Ultimately, this positions credit unions to unlock the value of key microsegments of their membership and bring consumers greater value than the big financial institution down the street!” Through this collaboration, credit unions can leverage Finalytics.ai’s powerful platform to quickly and effectively understand member needs and deliver relevant products, services, and messaging – enabling them to stay competitive in an evolving financial landscape. “Our alliance with CUNA Strategic Services underscores our commitment to helping credit unions harness the power of data and AI,” said Craig McLaughlin, CEO of Finalytics.ai. “Together, we’re enabling member-centric innovation that drives both loyalty and tangible business results.” Finalytics.ai are pioneers in real-time personalization by offering a comprehensive AI platform tailored to community financial institutions that promotes rapid growth with proven ROI through improved member satisfaction, increased product uptake, and accelerated digital transformation.
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 Jennifer Good Peacefully and Ribbon are thrilled to announce a historic partnership, bringing together two mission-driven platforms to help financial institutions better serve grieving families and those preparing for the future.
Peacefully allows financial institutions to offer their members expert guidance in preparing for and navigating the loss of a loved one. From estate planning to settling affairs, Peacefully ensures that families have the tools and resources they need at every stage. Peacefully helps credit unions build long term relationships with members and their beneficiaries, supporting deposit retention and opening up a new income stream. Ribbon is the leading inheritance platform that enables credit unions to offer a seamless, self-serve experience for grieving families to submit notifications of a passing and upload inheritance-related documents. By simplifying the inheritance process, Ribbon helps credit unions retain deposits and streamline operations while easing the burden on families during an incredibly difficult time. Through this partnership, any financial institution using either Ribbon or Peacefully will automatically receive an exclusive partnership promotion with the other, providing best-in-class rates and unlocking new value for their members. This collaboration strengthens both platforms’ ability to support families with seamless solutions during life’s most challenging transitions. “Peacefully and Ribbon are aligned in our vision to support families dealing with a loss by tackling different aspects of the problem,” said Jennifer Good, CEO of Peacefully. “This partnership allows us to empower credit unions to comprehensively serve grieving families.” Saeid Kian, CEO of Ribbon, echoed the enthusiasm: “Ribbon’s mission from day one has been to help ease the burden of loss for grieving families, and this partnership helps us accelerate those efforts.” Both Saeid and Jen have personally experienced the profound impact of loss, with Saeid losing his father and Jen losing her grandmother, shaping their deep commitment to building solutions that make inheritance and end-of-life planning easier for families everywhere. Together, Ribbon and Peacefully are setting a new standard for how financial institutions support their members through life’s most difficult moments.For more information, visit https://www.trustribbon.com and https://www.peacefully.com  Panelists (L-R): Kevin Miller, CEO of Travis Credit Union; Donna Bland, CEO of Golden 1 Credit Union; Erin Mendez, CEO of Patelco Credit Union; Sara Klein, CEO of Organized Labor Credit Union; and moderator Scott Simpson, President and CEO of the California Credit Union League and Nevada's Credit Unions. The California Credit Union League’s Sacramento Network recently hosted a sold-out crowd of 150 credit union leaders and professionals from across the greater Sacramento region for its highly anticipated 2025 CEO Panel.
Held at the Hilton Arden West, the event provided attendees with valuable insights into leadership, member service, operational strategies, and the power of collective advocacy. The evening featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Scott Simpson, president and CEO of the California Credit Union League and Nevada’s Credit Unions. Panelists included Sara Klein, CEO of Organized Labor Credit Union; Kevin Miller, CEO of Travis Credit Union; Donna Bland, CEO of Golden 1 Credit Union; and Erin Mendez, CEO of Patelco Credit Union. Panelists shared their experiences in navigating both opportunities and challenges over the years, offering attendees valuable mentorship nuggets and practical advice. Discussions centered on the evolving landscape of:
More importantly, panelists also shared the most impactful experience or decision that set them on the path to becoming a credit union CEO, as well as advice for younger leaders who aspire to reach executive positions in the credit union industry. “One of the most impactful experiences that set me on the path to becoming a CEO was having a great leader who inspired me to push further in both my education and career aspirations,” Klein said. “I was challenged to step outside of my comfort zone, think bigger, and strive for excellence.” As a professional credit union leader at the time, Klein’s guidance from her CEO and his support instilled in her the confidence to pursue leadership roles, continuously develop skills, and remain resilient in the face of challenges, she said. His influence shaped her mindset, teaching Klein the importance of vision, perseverance, and the ability to uplift others. Her advice to young leaders aspiring to reach executive positions in the credit union industry is simple: stay focused, work hard, and work for a leader who believes in you. “Stay focused on your goals and continuously seek opportunities to learn and grow,” Klein added. “Hard work and dedication will set you apart, so always go the extra mile and embrace challenges as learning experiences. Most importantly, find a leader who sees your potential, supports your development, and pushes you to be your best. The right mentorship and environment can make all the difference in your journey to executive leadership.” Miller said when he became the CEO of Travis CU, the support and warm welcome from fellow chief executives made all the difference. In addition, collaboration is key. “Collaboration goes beyond sharing ideas,” Miller said. “It’s about learning from each other’s experiences, understanding what works and what doesn’t, and living the ‘people helping people’ philosophy to better serve our members and communities.” Mendez shared that in today’s fast moving, ever-changing marketplace — as well as collaboration and sharing of experiences — learning and perspectives are a differentiation that credit unions have and should frequently embrace. “We are fortunate to work in an industry that values collaboration,” Mendez said. “It can make a huge difference, particularly when entering into unknown or untried territory.” Beyond the insightful panel discussion, the event also highlighted the credit union movement’s commitment to community. A successful silent auction raised funds for UC Davis Children’s Hospital, a local Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) hospital. The League’s Sacramento Network extends a special thank you to its “Event Champions”. Their generous support made the event possible. They included:
The 2025 CEO Panel proved to be a resounding success, fostering connections among industry professionals and providing a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices. Attendees enjoyed a delectable spread of food and beverages, further enhancing networking opportunities. The sold-out event underscored the strong sense of community and collaboration within credit unions, demonstrating the collective commitment to serving members and supporting important causes. “Our annual CEO Panel provides a platform for credit union leaders to come together because we believe that collaboration is the key to driving meaningful impact,” said Lindsey Shores, co-chair and program chair of the Sacramento Valley Network, and loan participations manager for SchoolsFirst FCU. “By fostering a synergy of shared resources, ideas, and expertise, we empower credit unions to better serve their members and communities. This collective effort strengthens the philosophy of ‘people helping people,’ ensuring that financial wellbeing and inclusivity remain at the heart of everything we do.” Mole Street and Datava Announce Strategic Partnership to Drive Sustainable Growth for Credit Unions2/27/2025 Mole Street, a leading technology consultancy, and Datava, an AI-powered data activation platform built for credit unions, are proud to announce a strategic partnership designed to provide enhanced services to their clients, particularly within the credit union industry.
This partnership addresses a critical challenge many credit unions face—leveraging vast amounts of member and operational data to drive measurable business growth. While Datava’s platform transforms scattered credit data into a single, unified AI-driven ecosystem, many organizations struggle with aligning their teams and business processes to fully harness these insights. Mole Street’s expertise in business process optimization, HubSpot integration, and marketing operations ensures that credit unions can unlock the full potential of Datava’s platform, translating data into actionable strategies that improve member engagement and operational efficiency. In return, Datava’s credit union clients will benefit from Mole Street’s comprehensive technology consulting services, with a specialization in HubSpot. Mole Street’s team has the skills and technical capabilities to advise clients and implement solutions that provide key stakeholders with real-time actionable data and analytics. These solutions enhance client interactions through personalization and the power of AI and offer impactful measurement capabilities that track customer requirements throughout the entire journey. “We’ve been collaborating with Gordon and his team for some time now to support client growth initiatives and are proud to formalize a partnership with Datava to deliver comprehensive solutions that enable credit unions to efficiently scale their marketing, sales and member service operations while delivering personalized experiences that drive loyalty and retention,” said Brendan Walsh, Principal and Co-Founder of Mole Street. “Implementing a unified member platform like HubSpot and integrating it with adjacent industry technologies to forecast, track, and report on growth is essential for scaling any company. The credit union industry is ripe for digital transformation, with many organizations seeking to modernize legacy systems and adopt data-driven decision-making. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to drive meaningful business outcomes with Datava’s industry-leading data activation capabilities and excellent reputation in the financial services sector.” Mole Street’s extensive experience in data migrations, system integrations, and workflow automation enables credit unions to seamlessly implement Datava’s solutions while ensuring their teams are equipped with the processes and training needed for long-term success. By bringing customer data into a unified platform, Mole Street can assist these organizations in aligning their sales, marketing, and service operations, creating a more valuable experience for their members. “Partnering with Mole Street allows us to offer our clients a full suite of technology consulting services that help them track and measure their team’s business development efforts, as well as their various marketing campaigns, service operations, and client experience programs,” said Gordon Flammer, CEO of Datava. “Being able to track client behavior online and follow them through the entire lifecycle is of significant value to mid and large-sized credit unions. Together, we can provide a holistic approach that empowers our clients to succeed in a rapidly changing business landscape.” For more information on the partnership and the collaborative services, please visit the Mole Street and Datava websites.  Ashley Kohlrus Members Development Company (MDC), a future-focused network accelerating credit union success, is pleased to announce Ashley Kohlrus has joined the organization as Chief Operations Officer. With more than two decades of leadership in the credit union industry, Kohlrus brings a wealth of relevant experience to her new role.
As COO, Kohlrus’s focus is on owner engagement and strategic execution, ensuring MDC continues to deliver value-driven solutions tailored to each owner’s evolving needs. Her commitment to strengthening the credit union industry – and improving the lives of credit union members – has been a driving force in her career, ultimately leading her to MDC. Previously, Kohlrus served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operations & Digital Officer at Allegacy Federal Credit Union, where she played a key role in shaping strategy and innovation. She also championed the credit union industry on a national scale as the Director of Membership for America’s Credit Unions. “Ashley’s passion for the credit union movement and her extensive leadership experience make her the perfect addition to the MDC team,” said Ned Tobey, CEO of MDC. “Her strategic mindset and deep industry knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to empower our owners with forward-thinking solutions.” Beyond her professional achievements, Kohlrus is actively involved in her local Winston-Salem, North Carolina community. She earned her bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a master’s degree in organizational change and leadership from Pfeiffer University. She also holds several credit union-specific designations, including CUES’ Certified Innovation Executive.  Tony Boutelle Origence, the leading lending technology solutions provider for credit unions, closed 2024 with $53 billion in funding and serving two million members. As a result, the company’s market share among $1 billion credit unions has grown to more than 55%. Today, the company supports 1,100 credit unions of all sizes, representing more than 66 million members and nearly 20,000 auto dealers. Origence continues its momentum into 2025, introducing new efficiencies that will facilitate credit union loan growth and strengthen dealer relationships.
In 2024, Origence signed 85 credit unions from across the country to use its arc OS loan and account origination platform and CUDL indirect lending platform to efficiently originate direct and indirect auto loans leveraging the latest lending technology solutions. Origence remained at the forefront of innovative fintech solutions throughout 2024 as credit unions using CUDL reached their fourth year as the leading lender in the country as an aggregate. In addition, a growing number of credit unions modernized their lending solutions by adopting Origence’s document processing automation (DPA). By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), document processing automation processed, validated, and classified more than 5 million documents, enhancing credit union efficiency, accuracy, and dealer relationships while reinforcing their roles as trusted auto financing partners in today's competitive marketplace. “Our accomplishments in 2024 reflect our unwavering commitment to delivering the ultimate origination experience for credit unions,” said Tony Boutelle, president and CEO of Origence. “We are dedicated to driving innovation for the future. By equipping credit unions with solutions that enhance efficiency, grow loan portfolios, and elevate member experiences, we’re helping them remain competitive.” Origence captured other great milestones throughout 2024 as it celebrated its 30th anniversary serving credit unions and reaching $600 billion in funding since it began in 1994. It marked the occasion with a special celebration at Lending Tech Live ’24 in San Diego, Calif., where hundreds of credit unions joined together and raised more than $130,000 for Children’s Miracle Network. In addition, Origence’s annual wine auction raised a record $1.85 million for Children’s Miracle Network earlier in the year. Credit unions will gather again for Lending Tech Live ’25 in Nashville, Tenn., June 16-18, 2025. Origence continues its momentum in 2025 with expanded efficiencies. With eContracting for CUDLÒ, credit unions benefit from a digital experience that reduces data errors with real-time validation, expedites funding by reducing contracts in transit, and adds efficiencies for managing higher loan volumes, creating a better buyer and dealer experience.  Erin O’Hern With a vast amount of regulatory uncertainty resulting from an unprecedented number of newly elected officials across the globe and an International Year of Cooperatives’ mission to fulfill—2025 will be a critical year for credit union advocacy worldwide.
That is the overriding theme of World Council of Credit Unions’ (WOCCU) 2025 Global Regulatory Update, which stresses how divergent messages relating to whether previously held financial laws will be honored or revoked, and how global leaders embrace or reject international standards will impact the regulatory landscape this year and beyond. “For credit unions, this means remaining vigilant in protecting our cooperative structure and the regulatory oversight that is specific to our model. Establishing appropriate regulations that enable credit unions to support financial access and foster economic growth has never been more important,” said Erin O’Hern, WOCCU’s International Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel, who authored the report. “The United Nations (UN) declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, an honor that highlights the critical impact the cooperative model plays in addressing global challenges and provides an opportunity to bring greater awareness to the impact credit unions and other financial cooperatives have worldwide. We must embrace this moment.” World Council’s Global Regulatory Update is put out on an annual basis to help credit unions and financial cooperatives prepare for the compliance issues most likely to impact them in the year ahead. The new edition also covers several other leading regulatory issues affecting credit unions across the globe, including:
You can read World Council’s 2025 Global Regulatory Update in its entirety by clicking here.  Tiffany Niederwerfer Nook (www.nook-inc.com), a certified HubSpot Solutions Partner, is expanding its offerings to include tech-enabled marketing strategy, automation, and execution solutions designed specifically for the financial services industry. As a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO), they help financial institutions streamline engagement, optimize growth, and build stronger member and customer relationships. Tiffany Niederwerfer will lead the new division and serve as President for the company.
Tiffany has played a pivotal role in shaping Nook’s strategic vision and operational excellence as Chief Strategy Officer. Her leadership has been instrumental in aligning Nook’s mission with the evolving needs of credit unions, ensuring they remain at the forefront of innovation in member engagement. “Tiffany’s promotion to President is a testament to her exceptional leadership and relentless drive to push our mission forward,” said Austin Wentzlaff, Co-Founder & CEO of Nook. “I'm honored to continue working alongside her as we take Nook to the next level. Her strategic vision and deep industry expertise will be instrumental as we continue to support the industry into this next phase of rapid change lead by AI.” Nook’s enhanced services offer comprehensive marketing strategy services paired with tech-driven solutions, delivering immediate value while reducing operational burdens. “I can confidently say that not only is Nook solving a critical pain point for the industry, but they’ve also assembled a phenomenal team that expertly balances strategy with speed to market,” said Barb Lowman, President of CUNA Strategic Services. “We’re honored to be one of Nook’s first clients utilizing their expanded services and look forward to growing together to support them on their journey to further advance the credit union ecosystem.” These strategic moves underscore Nook’s commitment to help the credit union system grow stronger, faster, and smarter with expert strategy, turnkey engagement solutions, and scalable marketing automation. For more information about Nook’s expanded services, visit www.nook-inc.com Trellance Reshapes for the Future, Launches Three New Entities to Advance Credit Union Innovation2/27/2025  Tom Davis Trellance today announced that it has restructured to better support the credit union movement’s advancement in technology, data analytics and Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSOs) empowerment. Trellance will now operate as a holding company by separating its business lines into three newly established and distinct business entities: Rise Analytics, Optiri and ProBridge. Each of these entities expands on the foundation laid by the former Trellance analytics, cloud and talent divisions.
The new Trellance Cooperative Holdings, Inc. is dedicated to continuing to advance the credit union industry. By empowering CUSOs with essential capital resources, shared operational services and industry adoption assistance, it is driving innovation and marketability to strengthen the cooperative movement. Its mission is to accelerate the growth and impact of CUSOs, ensuring they have financial backing, infrastructure and the industry adoption necessary to deliver cutting-edge solutions for credit unions nationwide. Together, Trellance Cooperative Holdings and CUSOs are building a stronger, more resilient ecosystem for the future of financial services. The change comes on the heels of two industry first initiatives launched by the Trellance team over the past two years. In 2023, Trellance leaders launched the Credit Union Data Exchange (CUDX), a collaborative platform that connects credit unions to a shared pool of data for more informed decision making and stronger predictive models. In 2024, the team created the EDGE Tech Conference, an annual event fostering the exchange of ideas and best practices to help design the credit union industry of the future. Rise Analytics, Optiri and ProBridge, each led by tenured Trellance executives, will build on the momentum created by their teams over the past three decades in business. The business entities will serve the credit union industry, each with its own unique specialty.
“The entities that thrive today are agile, comfortable with change and willing to do what it takes to continuously improve,” said Tom Davis, President and CEO of Trellance Cooperative Holdings, Inc. “Launching three distinct brands gives each of our talented teams the flexibility to innovate faster and in a way that is supremely relevant and hyper-personalized to each of their clients’ distinctive needs.” The Rise Analytics, Optiri and ProBridge websites are now live. Visit them or Trellance.com to learn more about the next stage in Trellance’s evolution. Duke University Federal Credit Union Leverages Vertice COMPOSE to Transform Marketing Efficiency2/25/2025 Duke University Federal Credit Union (DUFCU – asset size of $194 million) has implemented Vertice COMPOSE, a newly launched AI-powered copywriting solution from Vertice AI, to streamline the creation of personalized, compliant marketing content. Designed specifically for credit unions, Vertice COMPOSE enables marketing teams to generate high-quality, on-brand, regulatory-compliant messaging in a fraction of the time, freeing up resources to focus on high-impact member services.
Vertice COMPOSE is an advanced AI-assisted copywriting tool that helps credit unions automate content creation across multiple marketing channels, including email, social media, and direct mail. Unlike generic AI solutions, Vertice COMPOSE is purpose-built for credit unions, ensuring messaging aligns with NCUA regulatory requirements and credit union-specific brand guidelines. DUFCU leveraged Vertice COMPOSE to accelerate its content development process. By speeding up content creation each month, DUFCU is able to dedicate more time toward its strategic marketing initiatives. “Vertice COMPOSE allows us to focus more on the member,” said Jennifer Sider, Director of Marketing at DUFCU. “It’s not only about saving time; this means that when you receive content from us, you can trust that it is high quality, personalized, and fully compliant without losing any of our brand voice and style.” With Vertice COMPOSE, credit unions can:
“Vertice COMPOSE is the latest step in our mission to empower credit unions with AI-driven innovation,” said Mitch Rutledge, CEO of Vertice AI. “With this solution, credit unions can scale personalized marketing, ensure compliance, and deliver impactful messaging without increasing their workload. We’re excited to see how credit unions like Duke University FCU are already benefiting from this breakthrough technology.” |
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