Nominations Open for NACUSO Awards 2027, Honoring Innovation Across the Credit Union System9/30/2026  Randy Salser The National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations (NACUSO) today opened nominations for the NACUSO Awards 2027 and NACUSO’s Next Big Idea Competition. These highly anticipated industry accolades are designed to honor and promote the CUSOs, fintech companies, and innovators who are moving the credit union system forward.
Nominations will be accepted through December 15, 2026, across three award categories:
In addition, entries are now being accepted for NACUSO’s Next Big Idea Competition, a “Shark-Tank”-style pitch competition where finalists will present and be voted on live at NACUSO’s flagship event, Reimagine 2027. NACUSO’s Next Big Idea Competition spotlights emerging concepts and innovators with the potential to have a huge impact on the credit union industry, with the winning idea earning a $10,000 cash prize and all finalists enjoying podcast features and ongoing promotions through NACUSO. "These awards shine a light on the innovators driving the credit union system forward,” said Randy Salser, president and CEO of NACUSO. “These are the organizations that aren’t content with what’s been done before or the way things are. Instead, they’re asking, ‘What could we do to make things better?’” Anyone in the credit union system – including credit union leaders, CUSO employees, and fintech companies – is eligible to submit a nomination, whether for a peer, a partner, or their own organization. Winners will be honored at Reimagine 2027, NACUSO’s flagship annual conference, held March 30 - April 2, 2027, in Las Vegas. Reimagine 2027 will bring together credit union executives, CUSO leaders, and fintech innovators for several days of collaboration, education, and networking focused on the future of the credit union system. Nominations can be submitted online at nacuso.org/events/nacuso-awards.
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Member Loyalty Group, a provider of member experience analytics and strategic support for credit unions, today announced the launch of Journey Analytics, a new solution designed to help credit unions better understand member experiences by connecting data across channels, systems and interactions.
As credit unions collect increasing volumes of member feedback, transactional information, operational metrics, and digital engagement data, understanding how those signals relate to one another can be challenging. Journey Analytics enables credit unions to visualize how members move through key journeys, including onboarding, lending and account servicing experiences, while also identifying behaviors that signal deeper engagement. “Credit unions have no shortage of data,” said EJ Sieracki, CEO of Member Loyalty Group. “What can be harder to see is the story the data tells when you look across the full member journey. Journey Analytics helps organizations connect those signals, understand what is happening at different stages of an experience and pinpoint where improvements may have the greatest impact.” The solution provides:
“Journey Analytics gives us a clearer view of what meaningful engagement looks like for new members and how they are progressing through those early stages of the relationship,” said Melissa Castagna, Senior Director, Member Experience of BCU. “From how many applications we're able to auto-approve to whether new members are actually funding their accounts and setting up direct deposit during those first 30 days, the added visibility has changed how we manage the new member experience.” “Member experience has become a strategic priority for credit unions, but understanding how members interact with an organization requires more than looking at individual metrics or touchpoints,” said Rebecca Secor, Chief Experience Officer of Member Loyalty Group. “Journey Analytics gives credit unions a way to view those interactions as a connected journey, helping teams recognize opportunities to act earlier and manage experiences more proactively.” Kinective, the company delivering intelligent banking to over 4,300 banks and credit unions, and SWIVEL, a subsidiary of SWBC and a leading fintech company specializing in integrated solutions, today announced a core connectivity partnership. SWIVEL will use Kinective Gateway, an advanced API integration platform, to streamline implementation and onboarding for Connect2Core (C2C), a real-time payment posting and transaction visibility hub for financial institutions.
SWIVEL’s C2C hub integrates directly into financial institutions’ core processing systems and supports real-time payment data posting for instant visibility of account transactions. With Kinective Gateway, C2C is now equipped with a more resilient, standardized core connectivity layer that powers faster implementation and onboarding, enhanced service and future innovations for C2C users—including real-time money movement through SWIVEL Instant Payments via FedNow® and RTP®. C2C’s existing client base will remain uninterrupted throughout the transition. “At SWIVEL, we are focused on helping financial institutions deliver modern, seamless payment experiences,” said Amanda Licona-Crocker, president of SWIVEL. “Partnering with Kinective strengthens that mission by expanding connectivity and accelerating access to innovative payment capabilities. Together, we’re helping our clients improve efficiency, support growth and create better experiences for the consumers they serve.” The move also accelerates onboarding for new SWIVEL clients. Kinective Gateway offers the largest portfolio of core and business system integrations, backed by relationships with more than 40 core systems and over 100 fintechs. The partnership positions SWIVEL to introduce its real-time payment capabilities to thousands of new financial institutions without the lengthy custom integration work that has traditionally come with core connectivity projects. "A community financial institution shouldn't need months to stand up real-time payments," said Dan Snyder, executive vice president of product at Kinective. "Data has to move the moment it happens, not on the next batch cycle. Kinective Gateway removes that barrier for SWIVEL's clients now, so financial institutions can get connected fast, and their members see a payment hit their account the second it happens. That's intelligent banking in practice." SWIVEL is a Silver sponsor of Kinections26, Kinective's second annual user conference, taking place Nov. 15 to Nov. 17 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Kinective will unveil the next generation of its intelligent banking platform, enriched with a new layer of intelligence and designed to solve challenges in key functional areas that banks and credit unions face every day. For more information about Kinective, visit www.kinective.io. To learn more about SWIVEL, visit https://www.getswivel.io/.  John Crews GoWest Credit Union Association is pleased to announce National Credit Union Administration Chairman John Crews will make his first public appearance outside the D.C. Beltway, since becoming chairman, when he takes the stage at MAXX in Denver on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Crews will join hundreds of credit union leaders from across the West for a mainstage fireside chat about the issues facing credit unions, the future of the industry and the role of the NCUA in supporting a strong, safe, and member-focused credit union system. “Hosting Chairman Crews at MAXX for his first appearance outside Washington is a big moment for our credit unions and for the West,” said Troy Stang, President and CEO of GoWest Credit Union Association. “We appreciate the focus he has on risk-based supervision, regulatory modernization, innovation, and access to financial services. Chairman Crews has an incredibly important role, and we are proud to continue building our relationship with him.” MAXX brings together credit union executives, emerging leaders, and industry partners from across the country for candid conversations on leadership, advocacy, innovation, member impact, and the future of financial cooperatives. “MAXX has always been about bringing people together for the conversations that matter,” Stang said. “We’re looking forward to welcoming Chairman Crews to Denver and discussing the issues that matter to credit unions and their members.” For more information about MAXX, visit this webpage.  Thousands of North Bay residents took an important step to protect themselves from the risk of fraud and identity theft this summer through Redwood Credit Union's five free community Shred-a-Thons.
Held in Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, and Lake counties, the events provided a safe and secure way for community members to dispose of sensitive documents and unwanted electronic waste (e-waste), such as old computers and printers. Overall, the events delivered significant community impact by securely destroying 83,880 pounds of documents and recycling 28,865 pounds of e-waste, helping safeguard personal information while reducing waste and supporting environmental sustainability. These events reflect RCU's larger commitment to giving back and investing in the financial well-being of the communities it serves. This year, RCU relocated three of its five Shred-a-Thons to larger venues in Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties, making the events even more accessible. RCU served more than 3,400 community members, allowing people to securely dispose of confidential materials that could otherwise leave them vulnerable to fraud, scams, and identity theft. “One of the best ways to prevent identity theft is to properly dispose of documents containing personal information, but not everyone has access to, or can afford, secure shredding services,” said Brett Martinez, president and CEO of Redwood Credit Union. “These events remove that barrier and make it easy for people to protect themselves, while also creating positive environmental and community impact.” In addition to protecting personal information, participants helped generate meaningful environmental benefits. The paper collected during RCU's Shred-a-Thons will be recycled, resulting in an estimated savings of 713 trees and 293,580 gallons of water. The environmental benefit equates to enough trees saved to cover roughly 7 acres of forest, and enough water to meet the needs of nearly 3,600 people in the U.S. for a year. The events also provided an opportunity for attendees to support local nonprofits serving their communities. Collectively, participants donated more than $11,000 to Lake County Child Care Planning Council, Redwood Empire Food Bank, SchoolsRule Marin, Plowshares in Mendocino, and Napa’s Puertas Abiertas Community Resource Center. RCU’s annual Shred-a-Thons are part of the credit union's ongoing commitment to helping people protect themselves from fraud and financial crimes. In addition to hosting these events since 2006, RCU offers free fraud prevention resources through its online Fraud and Security Center, including articles, videos, and guidance on avoiding scams, identity theft, and other emerging threats.  Jason Lindstrom Evergreen Credit Union helped raise over $82,700 for the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARLGP) at the Annual Shelter Sleep-In fundraiser on September 25 through September 26. Overnight Shelter Sleep-In participants, which included local TV personalities, influencers, and representatives from nonprofit organizations, raised money online throughout September via social media outlets.
After online fundraising, all participants stayed the night in ARLGP’s facilities with a pre-assigned cat in a cat colony room or a dog in a dog kennel, where they could decorate it based on a theme of their choosing. That evening, the public was invited to view all the themed rooms and vote for their favorite. “It’s one of my favorite events to attend for Evergreen Credit Union,” said Chelsea Watson, Shelter Sleep-In participant and Community Engagement Specialist at Evergreen Credit Union. “It’s a win-win for everyone. The ARLGP gets support and everyone gets to play with animals for the evening!” Watson chose a DJ booth setting, playing love songs to go with the event’s “Falling in Love” theme. “Flexing my creative muscles is super fun,” said Watson. “Seeing the impact on the animals makes me want to do this event again and again.” Evergreen Credit Union has been a long-time sponsor for the event as a part of their partnership with the ARLGP. “We put in time, money, and manpower into our partnership with the Animal Refuge League,” said Jason Lindstrom, President and CEO of Evergreen Credit Union. “The Shelter Sleep-In brings the ARLGP to the forefront in the digital and community spaces. We’re proud to participate and sponsor this fun event to support them.” In total, the Shelter Sleep-In raised $82,766, With all proceeds from this event supporting the ARLGP’s efforts to protect Southern Maine’s adoptable animals. To learn more about Evergreen Credit Union’s support of the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland and other community efforts, visit egcu.org/community.  Andres Pasantes Engage fi, a national consulting firm specializing in banking technology and strategy, today announced a new partnership with the Scholars Program within the Allegacy Financial Center for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University School of Business.
Through the ten-month collaboration, Wake Forest business students from the Master of Science in Accountancy, Master of Science in Business Analytics, and Master of Science in Management programs will work with Engage fi on a cross-generational communication initiative. The scholars will study how Engage fi employees across levels and generations communicate, collaborate, and develop one another, identifying opportunities to strengthen connection, engagement, and organizational effectiveness as the company continues to grow. The scholars will engage with team members throughout Engage fi through interviews and surveys, gaining firsthand exposure to a fast-growing organization and the leadership considerations that accompany growth. At the conclusion of the project, they will present a report readout and practical playbook with findings and recommendations for Engage fi leadership. Wake Forest selects scholars through a competitive, award-based process. The program combines real-world organizational experience with executive coaching, mentoring, and leadership development. “Investing in younger generations and creating opportunities for mentorship and shared learning is an important way we can give back and help develop the business leaders of tomorrow,” said Andres Pasantes, President & CEO of Engage fi. “We are equally excited to learn from the scholars’ perspectives as they help us better understand how we continue building an even stronger, more connected organization.” "We are excited to partner with Engage fi to give our scholars the opportunity to apply what they are learning in a real-world organization while contributing meaningful insights along the way,” said Pat Sweeney, Executive Director, Allegacy Financial Center for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, School of Business. “Experiences like this allow our students to learn directly from experienced leaders and explore the dynamics of today’s workforce, while developing the skills they will need to lead effectively throughout their careers.” Virginia Heyburn, Director of Insights & Advocacy, and Courtnay Sanderfer, Vice President of People & Culture, will jointly lead the collaboration for Engage fi. They will work alongside six senior executives as Executive Affiliates of Wake Forest’s Allegacy Financial Center for Leadership and Character. They will coach and mentor the scholars through monthly enrichment sessions, building on their ongoing leadership and culture-development work with Engage fi’s People & Culture team. The partnership reflects Engage fi’s commitment to investing in its people, strengthening its culture, and supporting the next generation of leaders.  Alloya Corporate Federal Credit Union today announced the launch of CUUSD, a U.S. dollar-denominated institutional payment stablecoin issued by Appex CUSO, LLC (Alloya Premier Exchange), a wholly owned credit union service organization of Alloya. CUUSD is designed for approved credit unions and other institutional participants to support the transfer and holding of digital value across modern payment networks.
“Today marks an important milestone as CUUSD begins operating on the Ethereum global blockchain network through a controlled institutional pilot,” said Todd Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Alloya. “We have built infrastructure designed to connect financial cooperatives around the world and create new opportunities for them to share resources, transfer value efficiently and participate in the next generation of digital financial services.” As one of the nation’s largest corporate credit unions and a leading provider of liquidity and payment solutions for credit unions, Alloya is uniquely positioned to help bring cooperatively owned digital payment infrastructure to the credit union industry. Through its aggregation of resources and long-standing commitment to innovation, Alloya continues to provide solutions that support the success of its member-owners. For decades, Alloya has helped credit unions access established payment systems, including wires, checks, ACH, and coin and currency services. CUUSD extends that tradition into digital payment networks by creating a cooperative option designed around the needs of credit unions and other approved institutional participants. “With the vision and support of our Board of Directors, Alloya has explored how stablecoin technology can help credit unions transfer and hold digital value more efficiently,” Adams said. “As financial activity moves increasingly to digital networks, CUUSD is designed to offer a cooperative, credit union-owned option that keeps the industry’s interests at the center of innovation while preserving the principles that have long defined the credit union movement.” At launch, Appex CUSO, LLC minted 1 million CUUSD tokens on the Ethereum blockchain for pilot and testing activities. The tokens represent $1 million in digital value. Appex CUSO, LLC serves as the issuing and administrative entity for the CUUSD program and is responsible for token issuance and reserve administration. CUUSD will initially operate through a controlled pilot program involving a limited number of approved institutional participants. The pilot is intended to support operational testing, technology validation and use-case evaluation in a controlled environment. CUUSD is not available for purchase by consumers or the general public and may only be accessed by approved participants in accordance with applicable program requirements. “We also thank Dr. Lamont Black and the team at Wide Open Ventures, together with the professionals at XKOVA, for their strategic and technical contributions in helping Appex CUSO, LLC reach this milestone,” Adams added. Any future issuance, distribution or commercial use of CUUSD will remain subject to applicable legal, regulatory and supervisory requirements. This announcement is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to purchase, or an investment recommendation with respect to any digital asset, security or financial product. The official CUUSD smart-contract address on Ethereum is 0x7f7bfAab710772bB29543e3d120fDaf2fC36389D. Before interacting with any token claiming to be CUUSD, participants should verify the contract address through the official CUUSD website at www.CUUSD.com. Constant AI Forms Client Advisory Board to Lead the Push Toward Zero-Touch Delinquency Prevention9/29/2026  Catherine York Powers Constant AI, which powers agentic loan servicing for credit unions, today named five credit union executives to its newly formed credit union Client Advisory Board. This move is aimed at a problem every credit union knows well: the moment a struggling member goes silent and needs confidential assistance to keep them from falling further behind. The Client Advisory Board will guide Constant AI's push to build the right tools that catch members before they fall behind on their payments or get them back on track.
Board members:
"Credit unions nationwide are seeing delinquency rise, and it's not because we have bad members," said Kent Lugrand, CEO of InTouch Credit Union. "People are living paycheck to paycheck in this economy and often don't realize they're running cash short until a couple of days before a payment is due. By then, if we can't give them flexible options fast, they could question our relevance and importance. That's the sweet spot for Constant AI's platform: the institution keeps full control over its own guardrails, and members get an immediate answer within the timeframe they need one. If given the option, I'd rather help them manage their shortage in the short term instead of following a rigid process that's likely to turn into a real financial loss downstream," Lugrand continued. "Prevention usually costs less than a loan cure. That's the problem Constant AI is built to solve, and it's why I wanted to help lead their Client Advisory Board." "A missed payment shouldn't cost someone their credit or their kid's ride to school," said Catherine York Powers, CEO of Constant AI. "We built this board to keep us focused on what's actually at stake for a member, not just the account. Between them, they've run lending, growth, and operations inside credit unions, and that's exactly the scrutiny we want before day 60 of delinquency, before missed payments turn into a repossession notice or an increase in loan loss reserves."  Rob Woellhaf Quinte Financial Technologies (Quinte), a leading enterprise case management provider, today announced that fraud and financial crimes experts Rob Woellhaf and Mary Dishong-VanEtten have joined the company as Strategic Advisors.
Woellhaf and Dishong-VanEtten have more than five decades of experience in fraud prevention, investigations, financial crimes, operational risk, and security leadership. Their expertise will support Quinte in helping financial institutions modernize how they manage compliance-sensitive investigations, fraud cases, disputes, and other regulated workflows through its flagship platform, CaseHUB. "Financial institutions are under increasing pressure to manage more complex investigations while maintaining strict regulatory compliance and operational accountability," said Sriram Natarajan, President, Quinte. "Rob and Mary have spent their careers leading fraud and financial crimes programs from the front lines. Their real-world experience will be invaluable as we continue developing CaseHUB to address the daily challenges faced by banks, credit unions and fintechs." CaseHUB gives financial institutions a centralized, policy-driven platform for managing regulated casework. By replacing manual processes and disconnected systems with automated workflows and built-in governance, it helps reduce risk, improve visibility and strengthen compliance oversight. Woellhaf brings a wealth of experience in fraud prevention, investigations, and financial crime risk management to Quinte. A fraud management executive and founder of Sentinel Fraud Consulting, he previously spent nearly two decades at one of the nation's largest credit unions, where he was Vice President of Fraud and helped scale the fraud program as assets grew from $1.4 billion to more than $20 billion. Today, he advises financial institutions, fintechs, and legal professionals on fraud strategy, operations, investigations, and program design. Woellhaf is a Certified Fraud Examiner and an industry-leading speaker recognized for turning complex fraud challenges into practical, actionable solutions. "Financial institutions should not have to choose between effective fraud prevention and delivering an exceptional member experience," Woellhaf said. "The most successful institutions strike the right balance between fraud mitigation, growth, and customer satisfaction. Through my work with Quinte, I am excited to help connect institutions with the technologies and strategies they need to combat evolving fraud threats while continuing to meet their strategic goals." Dishong-VanEtten has more than three decades of experience helping financial institutions prevent losses, investigate complex fraud cases, and build comprehensive security and financial crimes programs. She has held leadership roles in financial crimes and security management at Tompkins Financial, First National Bank and Metro Bank. A Certified Financial Crimes Investigator and Certified Cyber Crimes Investigator, she recently founded MDV Fraud Consulting and has been actively advising Quinte on the development of CaseHUB. "Fraud teams are constantly being asked to do more with greater complexity and higher regulatory expectations than ever before," Dishong-VanEtten said. "At Metro Bank, I actually worked with the Quinte Team and used CaseHUB. It provided the framework that brought consistency, transparency, and control to critical investigative and compliance processes. Then I brought it to First National Bank and purchased it again at Tompkins Financial. I am excited to share those practical experiences as well as my knowledge in overall fraud protection as it helps financial institutions strengthen their ability to manage risk and protect their organizations." These two Advisory appointments underscore Quinte's commitment to shaping CaseHUB with direct input from industry leaders. By leveraging the expertise of seasoned fraud and financial services professionals from both banking and credit union sectors, Quinte ensures its platform continues to address the evolving challenges and operational needs of today's financial institutions. |
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