O2 Consulting Group, a provider of strategies and tools to optimize operational performance and drive sustainable growth, has added two more credit unions to its client family.

Strategic FCU’s engagement will focus on collections operational support with a keen eye on member services, processes and procedures. Services include data gathering and analysis, coordination with collections staff and reporting.

“Collections is a sensitive but critical function of a sustainable credit union. It is a great opportunity to show our values by protecting the credit union’s assets and working with members to resolve their difficulties in ways that serve their best interests, too. Working with O2 Consulting will give us new capabilities for accomplishing those imperatives,” Strategic FCU CEO Jerry Macomber said. Strategic FCU is a $22 million, 1,000- member credit union in Sterling, VA.

OAS FCU, a $275 million, 8,900-member cooperative in Washington, DC., has partnered with O2 to develop a blueprint for operational efficiency and effectiveness, performance management, change management and staff development. The engagement will ensure the translation of credit union objectives into measurable success indicators, aligning goals, strategies and projects to the corporate vision and culture.

“These projects require a combination of leadership and management skills and an understanding of credit union culture, values and strategic plans,” O2 CEO Bonnie Ortiz explained. “We’re pleased and proud that these forward-thinking cooperatives have entrusted us with these responsibilities and opportunities.”

02 Consulting Group provides strategic and operational planning, process improvement and project management services. The CUSO’s team has more than 200 years of combined experience helping executives examine their organizations holistically to best align goals, strategies, people, processes and technology to their vision and values.

​TruWest Credit Union is proud to announce a generous donation of over $65,000 to Phoenix Children’s in Phoenix, Arizona. This contribution is comprised of the 2023 donations of credit union employees and board members. The substantial gift includes employee charity payroll donations with over 190 participants, and underscores TruWest’s ongoing commitment to supporting the health and well-being of children in the Phoenix community.
 
The donation will be utilized to fund critical life-saving treatments, healthcare services, innovative research, pediatric medical equipment, and essential programs that ensure every child receives the highest level of care. Phoenix Children’s, known for its exceptional pediatric healthcare services, will benefit significantly from this contribution, furthering its mission to provide hope, healing, and the best possible healthcare to children and their families.
 
“This donation to Phoenix Children’s reflects TruWest’s commitment to the community and our dedication to improving the lives of children,” said Alan Althouse, CEO of TruWest Credit Union. “We are proud to support an organization that provides exceptional care and makes a profound difference in the lives of young patients and their families every day.”
 
Phoenix Children's is the premier pediatric health system in the Southwest, renowned nationwide for its outstanding care, cutting-edge research, and advanced medical education. As the state's largest network of pediatric specialists, Phoenix Children's is dedicated to providing hope, healing, and top-tier healthcare for children and their families.
 
“We are deeply grateful to TruWest Credit Union for its steadfast partnership and ongoing commitment to our community and children,” said Tim Harrison, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Special Events at Phoenix Children’s. “The credit union’s dedication to fostering a culture of caring is evident by the generosity we see from every level of their organization. With heartfelt thanks, we appreciate your efforts in raising these essential funds to support the patients and families at Phoenix Children’s.”
 
For nearly 30 years, TruWest has supported Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Along with making contributions through payroll deductions, TruWest employees engage in various fundraising efforts and events such as the Phoenix Children’s 5k & Kids Dash and Give-A-Thon.
 
For more information about TruWest Credit Union, visit truwest.org/.

​The California Credit Union League is pleased to announce the appointment of Harold Roundtree as the At Large Director to the board of directors as of May 14, 2024. As an At Large Director, Roundtree will serve as a vital link between the League and its member credit unions, providing strategic guidance and oversight to ensure continued success and growth. This new role is a testament to his commitment to excellence and dedication to advancing the credit union movement.
 
This position was previously held by Geri LaChance who stepped down in April, pending her retirement from SESLOC Credit Union in June.
 
Roundtree brings with him more than 30 years of senior executive management experience in the financial services industry, serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of UNCLE Credit Union since 2011. Prior to joining UNCLE Credit Union, he was the Senior Vice President of the Retail Banking Division of Technology Credit Union where he managed staff and projects enterprise wide, consisting of 10 financial centers, mortgage originations, real estate and consumer lending, private banking, business banking, business development, and contact centers during his tenure. 
 
Roundtree also currently serves on the housing and mid-size credit union advisory committees of the California Credit Union League, as immediate past chairman of the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors, as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council and as a member of the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation’s Credit Union Advisory Committee.
 
Ahead of his credit union career, Roundtree held various leadership roles at World Savings as a Director within the Loan Services Division and First Interstate Bank as a Vice President. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University and a master's degree from Golden Gate University.

​Trellance, a leading technology partner providing innovative analytics, cloud and talent solutions to credit unions, today announced their latest line of technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more, Analytics Services.
 
Analytics Services consists of two main offerings: Strategic Data Analytics Plan and the Adoption & Enablement Program. These offerings support credit unions in meeting data analytics goals, either by creating a roadmap to begin the data journey or by providing training and organizational development to achieve data self-sufficiency.
 
The Strategic Data Analytics Plan enables credit unions to improve return on platform investment and reduce blockers to achieving success.
 

• Identify where you are today. Analyze the current state of your credit union’s data.
• Plan for your ideal future. Start designing your ideal data environment.
• Achieve alignment towards goal. Make sure all your stakeholders are aligned with your goal.
• Understand ROI Opportunities. Enable prioritized use cases and initiatives to deliver value.
• Create your roadmap. Build a high-level strategy to be a data-driven enterprise.

 
The Adoption & Enablement Program empowers data analytics employees through role-based training; additional value can be created by deploying a Center of Excellence, which enables credit unions to build self-sufficient data analytics capabilities.
 

• Deliver role-based training.
  • Train the roles necessary for successful data and analytics execution.
  • Ensure everyone is speaking the same language through data literacy and storytelling training.
• Establish a Center of Excellence.
  • Charter and launch a program to govern and execute data analytics processes and deliver business value.

 
“In talking to our credit union partners, we found that many of them wished that they had access to additional support beyond implementing a data warehouse,” said Daragh Fitzpatrick, SVP of Advanced Analytics as Trellance. “At Trellance, our mission is to be a technology partner for credit unions, and that means meeting them where they’re at and providing the resources they need to not just roll out our solutions, but to truly become a data-driven business. We’re happy to now be able to provide these services to ensure credit unions get the most value from their data analytics initiatives.”
 
Analytics Services are now available at Trellance. To learn more about this and other Trellance offerings, contact us here.

​Velera – formerly PSCU/Co-op Solutions, the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO) and an integrated financial technology solutions provider – has announced that cPort Credit Union has joined the Co-op ATM network. The agreement not only enables members of cPort to have access to 32,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide, but also significantly adds to the number of network ATMs available to members of all participating credit unions in the state of Maine.
 
The Co-op ATM network has been growing rapidly in recent years in Maine. In March 2022, the network added 60 machines in Hannaford Supermarket locations throughout the state. With cPort joining the network, the total number of ATMs in Maine now numbers more than 180. cPort will go live with its network participation in Fall 2024.
 
“Joining Co-op ATM is a tremendous convenience for our members, who can now access a surcharge-free machine throughout the state – indeed, throughout the country,” said Jennifer Bouchard, vice president of Branch Operations for cPort. “Being a part of the network, our own ATMs are now available to members of other participating credit unions – it’s a true display of the collaborative spirit of the credit union movement.”
 
cPort Credit Union, based in Portland, is one of Maine’s fastest-growing credit unions and serves more than 30,000 members in the state’s southernmost counties. The institution maintains five branches throughout Portland, Augusta and Scarborough.
 
“Co-op ATM is the largest credit union-owned ATM network in the U.S., with more than 32,000 machines available nationwide for surcharge-free access by credit union members,” said Brian Scott, EVP, chief growth officer for Velera. “The continuous addition of new ATMs to the network increases its value as a service to members. Maine is already one of the most active areas in the country in the Co-op Shared Branch network, and our increased ATM footprint now makes accessing Co-op ATM equally convenient.”
 
Comprised of nearly 7,500 deposit-taking ATMs and 2,000 participating credit unions, the Co-op ATM network is larger than any commercial bank network. It includes a host of locator services, including the website at https://co-opcreditunions.org/locator. The Co-op Shared Branch network comprises 5,400 locations, enabling members of participating credit unions to transact their account-related business as if they were in their own home branch.

Eltropy, the leading AI-powered conversations platform for community financial institutions (CFIs), hosted its annual EMERGE 2024 user conference last week in Santa Clara, California. The sold-out event brought together 250+ credit union leaders, industry innovators, and Eltropy experts to learn about the latest technologies shaping the future of community banks and credit unions. 

A central theme was the rise of generative AI and its profound implications across member engagement, operations, collections / delinquencies, lending, fraud detection, and marketing. 

Keynotes and breakout sessions armed attendees with real-world strategies for harnessing GenAI to drive growth and operational excellence.

Major announcements included the launch of Eltropy Voice+, a new contact center solution that unifies voice with digital channels like text, video, chat and AI assistance. Voice+ enables efficient call routing, visual call flow design, AI-powered automation, and seamless transitions between virtual and human agents.

"We’re extremely proud of the launch of our new Voice+ solution," said Ashish Garg, Co-founder and CEO of Eltropy. "Voice+ bridges the gap between traditional voice capabilities and the modern digital channels members increasingly expect. By unifying voice with text, video, chat, AI assistance, and more into one seamless experience, Voice+ allows community financial institutions to resolve member issues more efficiently across all conversation channels."

Eltropy also unveiled the Eltropy Emerge Community and Emerge Academy – a new online hub for customers to access educational resources, collaborate through forums, and earn certifications. By encouraging peer connections and continuous learning, the goal of the platform is to maximize value from Eltropy's solutions.

"The Emerge Community and Academy will fuel continuous learning and collaboration for our customers," said David Ginsburg, Chief Customer Officer at Eltropy. "The Community allows credit unions and banks to share best practices, get advice from peers and experts, and make industry connections. The Academy's extensive content – articles, tutorials, training programs and more – then enables customers to deepen their expertise. Together, these platforms empower our customers to expand their skills and drive innovation through ongoing knowledge sharing."

The EMERGE conference featured over a dozen sessions led by trailblazers from credit unions like Magnifi Financial, STCU, APL Federal Credit Union, and Vantage West Credit Union. Topics spanned using conversational AI for deeper engagement, applying AI to lending and fraud, intelligent automation, data-driven marketing, and more.

Renowned credit union influencer Mike Lawson, host of CUbroadcast, brought his insightful commentary and interviews to EMERGE 2024. Lawson led engaging panel discussions and conducted numerous interviews with attendees and speakers in the CUbroadcast Studio Lounge, providing coverage and analysis of the event's highlights.

After-hours entertainment included an escape room challenge, mixology class, axe throwing competition, and a Giants vs. Dodgers baseball outing. Capping off EMERGE 2024 was the lively "Bhangra Night with Eltropy" celebration featuring award-winning Indian dancers, food, music and dancing late into the night.

“Thank you for hosting such a fantastic conference!” wrote Howard Meller, President and CEO of People First Federal Credit Union,” echoing feedback from many attendees. “The dialogue with your team and other financial professionals was incredibly enriching, and I truly appreciate the learning you provided on Indian dance, culture, and food – that final evening’s reception was fantastic!”

Highlights and session recordings from EMERGE 2024 will be available soon in the new Emerge Community: https://eltropy.com/emerge/. The Eltropy community and academy is open to active Eltropy customers and partners only. ​

Aequilibrium, an award-winning digital consulting and implementation services company, announces the launch of a revolutionary virtual reality (VR) training program designed for Ent Credit Union, a leading credit union serving Colorado’s Front Range. This collaboration leverages the latest in VR technology to enhance the skills and effectiveness of Member Service Representatives (MSRs).

Ent Credit Union sought to innovate and improve the training experience for its MSRs. Aequilibrium provided a training solution that combines VR and Al to transform the learning process, making it more engaging, realistic, and effective.
Traditional role-playing exercises, while beneficial, often suffer from scalability and consistency issues. Recognizing these challenges, Aequilibrium employed an agile methodology and a design thinking approach to develop a VR training program that offers a dynamic and user-centric solution. This program addresses these issues and introduces a more effective way to develop the soft skills necessary for leading successful sales conversations.

The VR training program distinguishes itself with several key innovations:

1. Realistic Sales and Customer Interaction Scenarios: Through lifelike scenarios, MSRs practice and refine their communication, problem-solving and sales techniques, preparing them for various real-world situations.
2. Active Engagement: The program emphasizes learning through doing. Trainees become actors in their training, engaging directly with the content, which enhances learning retention and application.
3. High Realism: Utilizing characters and environments modeled after actual customer research, the training closely mirrors the real-life experiences of Ent Credit Union's MSRs, fostering a deeper connection and understanding of the customer service process.

"We are excited to see the impact of our VR training program at Ent Credit Union. This initiative is a testament to Aequilibrium's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to create meaningful and effective learning experiences. By pushing the boundaries of traditional training methods, we are not only enhancing the skill set of MSRs but also setting a new standard for training programs across industries," says Adrian Moise, CEO of Aequilibrium.
​
Aequilibrium's partnership with Ent Credit Union represents a leap forward in using technology to enhance employee training. This VR training program improves the proficiency and confidence of MSRs and sets a new benchmark for training within the financial services industry, demonstrating Aequilibrium's commitment to innovation and excellence.

Leading global credit underwriting platform provider, Scienaptic, announced today that it has successfully deployed its credit decisioning platform at Bethpage Federal Credit Union. This deployment aims to enhance underwriting automation and expand credit access for 460,000+ members.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union is a premier financial institution committed to enriching the lives of its members, employees, and the communities it serves for over 80 years. Serving over 460,000 members every day, Bethpage is the largest credit union in the Northeast region, as well as the 15th largest in the nation. By leveraging Scienaptic’s advanced machine learning powered credit underwriting platform, the credit union will be able to extend more credit access to its current members, as well as reach more potential borrowers.

“Bethpage has carried the honor of serving the New York state for 83 years. With loyal members of decades, and new vibrant communities joining our family, we're on a mission to embrace, understand, and exceed the evolving needs of our dynamic membership,” said John Witterschein, Vice President, Consumer Credit, Bethpage Federal Credit Union. “Going live on Scienaptic’s underwriting platform is empowering us to automate and streamline our loan decisions in a fair, inclusive, and compliant way. The platform is helping us enhance credit access, expand our membership base, and ensure we offer an unforgettable experience and unmatched service to our members. We look forward to witnessing machine learning’s impact multiply in the years to come."

"We are committed to enhancing the financial well-being of Bethpage Federal Credit Union members through credit empowerment and personalized underwriting," expressed Pankaj Jain, Co-founder and President of Scienaptic. "As we share a dedication to supporting members and surpassing their expectations, we feel honored that our machine learning algorithms are aiding Bethpage Federal Credit Union members in realizing their aspirations.”

Thirty-six laptops and 10 multifunctional printers have been delivered to Ukrainian Credit Unions' Anisiya and PVKS thanks to a partnership Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions' (WFCU) helped them build with two of its Champions--Advantis Credit Union (US) and Dundalk Credit Union (Ireland)—who financed the purchase of the items to boost WFCU’s Digitalization Program.  
​
Launched in 2023 in cooperation with the USAID/WOCCU Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project, the program helped both PVKS and Anisiya Credit Unions fully migrate to a new core banking system, which allows for API integration and improved credit union operations. 

With 2024 bringing a new challenge of making the core banking system work at full capacity, the credit unions needed to update the hardware used by their employees. This is where WFCU’s champions joined the effort and provided targeted financial support to their Ukrainian colleagues. 
As a result: 

• PVKS Credit Union purchased 11 laptops leveraging the support provided by Dundalk Credit Union. 
• Anisiya Credit Union purchased 25 laptops and 10 multifunctional printers thanks to Advantis Credit Union’s donation. 

“The funds received allowed our credit union to upgrade hardware, install new software and improve our digital capabilities. Now, we can serve our clients much faster and provide more modern and quality services. Thanks to your help, we feel that we are not alone in our challenging struggle for freedom and democracy,” said Volodymyr Sydorovskyy, CEO of Anisiya Credit Union. 

WFCU continues to stand side-by-side with Ukrainian credit unions facing unprecedented consequences from Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion. Through its Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund, WFCU has implemented 11 relief and recovery programs totaling US $1.64 million to support Ukraine’s credit unions with expense reimbursement, digitalization, extra liquidity for lending, and even needed drinking water and power generators—all of which also benefited their members, including farmers, SMEs and other vulnerable groups dealing with impacts from the war. For more information, please see the WFCU Ukraine Relief Results report. 

WFCU also invites its generous donor community to support a new initiative to be launched through Ukraine’s credit unions—the Venerate Ukraine’s Veterans Program--to ensure affordable loans are available to Ukrainian veterans and their families who are looking to start businesses. To donate to this program, please click here.

​Glia, the leader in customer interaction technology, today launched Glia Cortex, the first responsible AI platform built specifically for the financial services industry. With Glia Cortex, financial institutions can leverage AI that is safe, secure and delivers real ROI for customer service and contact centers, ultimately driving efficiencies, reducing wait times and enhancing the customer and agent experience. 
​
“Financial institutions are looking to AI to modernize and create efficiencies in their contact centers, however they have been rightfully cautious as significant questions around safety, privacy, and business and reputational risks associated with adopting AI remain,” explained Jay Choi, CPO for Glia. “Glia Cortex unleashes the benefits of AI and generative AI while maintaining proper, steady guardrails to keep data private and secure. We’ve made it possible to deploy AI without introducing risk, providing responsible technology that institutions and their customers can trust.”

Glia Cortex empowers financial institutions to transform their contact center with AI by automating customer interactions, increasing agent productivity and enabling deeper visibility for managers. Because Glia Cortex seamlessly and safely embeds AI throughout Glia’s Unified Interaction Management platform, it is easily adopted and presents immediate value.

Key components of Glia Cortex include: 

• Customer AI: Turnkey AI assistants that automate and elevate customer interactions in any channel, from digital properties to traditional phone calls. These assistants automate up to 65% of customer interactions. 
• Agent AI: AI and generative AI tools for agents that automate and streamline existing workflows, improving productivity by 20%+. 
• Manager AI: AI-powered tools for managers that deliver deeper insights, helping them better understand agent teams, why customers are reaching out and how to improve service. 

Service 1st Federal Credit Union has partnered with Glia to introduce responsible AI into their contact center. Sarah Zinga, AVP of Digital Services for the credit union, said, “How do I improve my credit score? What is my current balance? With Glia, we have been able to leverage AI to help us automate these simple calls and free up our agents’ time for when the human touch is really needed, and ultimately provide the best member experience for what our Service 1st members expect.” 

Glia Cortex improves operational efficiencies, reduces average handle times and redundancies and unifies reporting. It allows institutions to speed onboarding time and lower training costs. Customers benefit from the technology as well, gaining always-on, self-service capabilities across all channels with the ability to seamlessly transfer to a human agent, without having to reauthenticate or repeat their issue over and over again.

This launch is the latest in a powerful innovation drumbeat from Glia, including the recent announcement of Unified Interaction Management to challenge the CCaaS paradigm, and a generative AI solution that allows financial institutions to launch, manage and measure AI across digital and voice.