I started in lending and moved into operations by fixing things.
My first credit union job was at Family Savings Credit Union in Alabama, in lending and then in strategic initiatives. From there I spent two years as a consultant with the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, working with CEOs and boards at credit unions up to $300M on strategy, compliance, and growth. I saw a lot of credit unions from the inside during those years, and I learned that most of them have good people and more ideas than time.
In 2024 I joined Illinois State Credit Union in Bloomington-Normal as Vice President of Operations. It is a $250M credit union with five branches and about 18,000 members. I am responsible for branch operations, consumer lending, the contact center, business intelligence, budgeting and ALM, compliance, and our core conversion to Corelation KeyStone. It is a wide seat, and I like it that way.
Why I consult
Because I like the work, and because a lot of credit unions could use another operator at the table for a few weeks without hiring one. When I was consulting for the league, the projects I enjoyed most were the ones where something was actually built or changed by the end. That is what this practice is for. I keep it small, one project or one retainer client at a time, so the credit union I work for and the credit union I work with both get my attention.
How I think about the work
I am curious first. I want to understand why something runs the way it does before I suggest changing it, and some things run a certain way for a good reason. Once we agree on the real problem, I would rather try a small version of the fix this month than plan a perfect one for next year. The hardest part of most projects is starting, and I am good at starting.
Change comes easily to me. I know it does not come easily to everyone, and I plan the work around the people who have to live with it. On the 5 Voices framework I am a Creative Pioneer, which means I have to be deliberate about slowing down and bringing people with me. I have gotten better at that.
Most of what I know about AI I learned by building tools our staff use every day: an underwriting assistant, an intake system, a peer benchmarking site, a roleplay trainer for new hires. I am an operator who has put AI to work inside a credit union and can show you what that looks like.
Outside of this
I write about leadership, operations, and credit unions on the Writing page. I speak at credit union events when asked. I read more than I should about how people are motivated, and I run my own team on a leadership system called CORE that came out of that reading.