9:00am – 10:00am

Stronger Together: Maximizing the Power of Your CCUL Professional Network

In today’s fast-paced workplace, no one succeeds in isolation. Building connections with colleagues who work in the same functional area and industry opens the door to collaboration, shared knowledge, and stronger problem-solving. Networking with colleagues who share your expertise and work responsibilities can be an invaluable source of information, insight and collaboration. This session will explore ways to maximize the benefits of your Network, discuss what is working well now, and brainstorm for future enhancements to help keep these relationships meaningful and productive.

Following this session, the six networks will convene for 30 minutes to discuss shared priorities, assess current opportunities, and define concrete next steps to enhance the effectiveness of their respective networks.

Bill Nagle, AngleUp Consulting

10:30am – 12:00pm

Top 10 for 2026: Strategic Priorities for Credit Unions

This session will provide an overview and facilitated discussion of the top ten most significant strategic decisions credit union leaders will have to make in 2026.

What are the emerging trends and disruptive forces shaping the financial services industry and credit union system? 

This presentation will help small and mid-sized credit union leaders future-proof their organizations with actionable insights and provide a clear roadmap to anticipate the most serious challenges and seize the most valuable opportunities in the coming year.

Caroline Vahrenkamp, Director, Advisory Services, Filene Research Institute

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Lunch Break (Meal Provided)

1:00pm – 2:30pm

See Sooner, Act Faster: What Innovation Means (for Real) and How to Use It to Fuel Growth

Innovation has become a buzzword. But real, meaningful innovation remains an essential survival skill in competitive and quickly changing industries like financial services. This session redefines what innovation means for credit unions, emphasizing practical approaches to spotting trends early and acting decisively. We will document the links between credit union innovation and member satisfaction, loyalty, and product usage, and then outline the internal and external drivers of that innovation.

How can credit unions embed the practice of innovation in their organizational design and culture to see sooner, act faster, and stay aligned through change?

Caroline Vahrenkamp, Director, Advisory Services, Filene Research Institute

10:30am – 12:00pm

The DISCOVERY of Your WHY

It can be difficult to see yourself through the eyes of others and battle the voice in your head that constantly says you are not enough. This workshop will help you reignite your purpose and reimagine the value you bring to the table. Speaker Sedric Brinson will take you on a journey to:

• Confidently know your worth
• Identify your leadership strengths!
• Harness and tap into your strengths!
• Confidently say, “I belong here!”

Sedric Brinson, Director, Councils Membership & Engagement, America’s Credit Unions

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Lunch Break (Meal Provided)

1:00pm – 2:30pm

POWERUP Your Leadership

Dr. Troy Hall, Talent Retention Expert

The ROI of Hiring for Heart: How Values-Based Recruitment Drives Performance

In a talent market defined by competition and change, the most successful credit unions are those hiring not just for skill, but for heart. This session explores the measurable impact of values-based recruitment on engagement, retention, and organizational performance. Attendees will gain practical insights into how hiring for cultural and mission alignment can strengthen teams, elevate service, and drive long-term success.

Through interactive discussion, we’ll connect the dots between purpose-driven hiring and bottom-line results – proving that when you lead with values, you don’t just build a better culture, you build a better business. 

Taylor Eblen, Carrick Professionals

Layered Defense: The Smarter Way to Stop the Next Fraud Wave 

Robbie Dickerson, Relationship Manager, Advanced Fraud Solutions

The Board’s Role in Strategic Visioning & Strategic Planning: Eight Steps to Highly Effective Boards

Deedee Myers, CEO, DDJ Myers

Vizo Financial

NetCov

TruStage

Securing More: How ESI Helps Credit Unions Protect High-Balance Members

Join Mike Baswell, Sales Manager at Excess Share Insurance (ESI), for an engaging session that reveals how credit unions can go beyond traditional limits with true excess share insurance—not a sweep program. Learn how ESI’s additional coverage of up to $10 million per member strengthens member confidence, attracts high-value deposits, and gives your credit union a powerful competitive edge.

Mike Baswell, Sales Manager, Excess Share Insurance (ESI)

Gen AI is the Dreamer, Agentic AI is the Doer

Jesse Fruge, Vice President of Product Management, Algebrik AI

Planning for Performance: Unlocking Financial & Operational Impact in Credit Unions

In today’s fast-changing financial landscape, budgeting and planning aren’t just back-office tasks—they’re strategic tools that drive smarter decisions and measurable impact. This session will explore how forward-thinking credit unions can modernize their planning processes to improve agility, empower leadership, and deliver stronger outcomes for their organization, members, and communities. We’ll connect the dots between better budgeting, performance management, vision and growth—so you leave with practical insights you can act on immediately.

Brad Brockman, Senior Sales Engineer, Empyrean Solutions

Visa