LAUNCH Returns in 2026!
Charting the Future: The Next Decade Starts Here
We’re excited to announce that the next conference will be held February 10-11, 2026, in Concord, NC.
Find speakers for the 2026 event below.
Gord Baizley
CEO, JUDI.AI
Gord brings a broad range of financial, legal, and operational experience to JUDI.AI. He began his career in investment banking and corporate law. Subsequently, he held executive positions (CFO, CSO and COO) in two of Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies during the past two decades (which reached #1 and #5 on the Deloitte Fast 50 list). Gord enjoys the excitement and challenges that come with hypergrowth, and brings significant experience in scaling technology businesses to the JUDI.AI team, along with financial services expertise that contributes to the company’s product and go-to-market strategies.
Mike Baswell
Senior Sales Manager for American Share & Excess Share Insurance
Mike Baswell is the Senior Sales Manager for American Share & Excess Share Insurance. Mike has a Corporate Finance & Investment Management degree from The University of Alabama and is licensed to provide ASI&ESI deposit insurance solutions. He has been providing solutions for financial institutions since 1984. His primary focus over the last 20 years has been working with credit unions. He resides in Birmingham, AL.
Sedric Brinson
Director, Councils Membership & Engagement, America’s Credit Unions
Sedric Brinson lives his life by the simple standard of the Golden Rule of treating others how he would like to be treated. A born leader who wants nothing more than to see others succeed and to see their goals accomplished.
His passion for people is what fuels his desire to see communities thrive financially. Sedric’s purpose in life is simply to bring awareness to the Credit Union mantle of people helping people.
Sedric has served in the industry for over 19 years. As a converted (Banker), he used those experiences as a driving force to make a difference in the Credit Union Space. Sedric received his C.U.D.E designation in the Best Class Ever of November 2017. Sedric is also a graduate of the Southwest Credit Union Management School at TCU in 2019. Sedric believes that God, Family, and Friends are the pleasures and joys of life. Without them, there is no success.
Brad Brockman
Senior Sales Engineer, Empyrean Solutions
Brad Brockman is an experienced finance technology executive with 20+ years driving innovative solutions across enterprise performance management and financial analytics. Currently the Senior Sales Engineer at Empyrean Solutions, Brad pulls deep banking expertise from prior roles at OneStream and Axiom EPM. Experienced with private equity-backed organizations and public companies, including contributing to a successful IPO, Brad is passionate about revolutionizing finance through strategic collaboration and cutting-edge solutions.
Shane Butcher
COO, Optiri
Throughout his career, Shane has thrived at the intersection of strategy, technology, and leadership. As a results-driven executive, he has spent years driving operational excellence, optimizing processes, and leading cross-functional teams in fast-paced, technology-driven environments. Whether working alongside board members to define long-term business objectives or streamlining operations for greater efficiency, he has always focused on delivering sustainable growth through secure operations.
He has built a reputation for leading strategic initiatives that transform businesses. From designing robust information security programs to managing enterprise risk in highly regulated industries, he understands the critical role that compliance and security play in today’s corporate landscape. His expertise extends to leveraging cloud technologies, optimizing data center operations, and enhancing IT infrastructure to improve service levels while reducing costs. Digital transformation isn’t just a buzzword for him—it’s a challenge he embraces, integrating acquisitions, modernizing systems, and aligning technology with business strategy to drive meaningful results.
But at the core of everything he does is people. He believes that high-performing teams are the foundation of innovation and success. By fostering collaboration across departments, empowering individuals, and instilling a culture of continuous improvement, he has helped organizations not only achieve revenue growth but also enhance customer satisfaction and market positioning. He’s passionate about building the future—whether through innovative solutions, strategic leadership, or driving operational excellence. Every challenge is an opportunity to push boundaries, rethink possibilities, and create lasting impact.
Shane is passionate about serving the Credit Union movement and all that it stands for. He wants to ensure that Credit Unions have innovative, secure, and cost-effective solutions that allow them to better serve their members and grow in their communities.
When not helping Credit Unions serve their members, Shane enjoys hiking, biking and kayaking with his wife in beautiful Safety Harbor, FL.
Robbie Dickerson
Relationship Manager, Advanced Fraud Solutions
Robbie Dickerson is a relationship manager at Advanced Fraud Solutions, helping financial institutions strengthen fraud defenses across check, ACH, and wire channels. With a background in customer success and project management, he works closely with financial institutions to uncover challenges and create practical solutions that keep them ahead of today’s ever-evolving fraud landscape.
Taylor Eblen
Vice President, Talent Solutions, Carrick Professionals
Taylor Eblen brings more than 20 years of financial services experience and 15+ years of leadership in human resources and learning & development. She leads the strategy and delivery of Carrick Talent Solutions, where she partners with credit unions and other mission-driven organizations to provide people-centered HR consulting and executive recruitment services.
With a deep understanding of the industry and the talent challenges facing today’s workplaces, Taylor is known for her expertise in talent acquisition, leadership development, and organizational strategy. She is a trusted advisor to organizations navigating growth, change, and transformation.
Taylor holds the SHRM-SCP certification and is licensed in Accident & Health Insurance in South Carolina.
Jesse Fruge
Vice President of Product Management, Algebrik AI
Jesse has been part of the Credit Union Movement since 2013, building a career dedicated to helping members achieve their financial goals. Over the years, he has served as a Consumer Loan Officer, Loan Department Manager, and Lending Product Manager, gaining deep expertise in all aspects of lending. Passionate about both lending and technology, Jesse believes that innovation is key to the future success of credit unions. He is committed to leveraging technology to enhance member experiences and ensure credit unions remain competitive in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.
Glenn Grau
Executive Vice President, PWCampbell
As Executive Vice President of Sales and a member of PWCampbell’s Planning Committee, Glenn leads the business development team and helps clients reimagine their retail branch networks. Drawing on over a decade of experience in banking, including managing twelve Dollar Bank branches and $2 billion in assets, he combines operational insight with design-build expertise to guide projects from planning through post-construction.
Having worked with hundreds of banks and credit unions, Glenn is an authority on branch optimization, space planning, and strategies to enhance performance, efficiency, and profitability. He holds a BA in Finance, Management, and Accounting, an MBA, and is licensed in commercial real estate. Glenn frequently shares his expertise at industry events across the mid-Atlantic region.
Dr. Troy Hall
Talent Retention Expert
Dr. Troy is distinguished as an International Development Educator and recipient of the South Carolina State House Resolution for his Global Leadership Exchange program, an international mentoring program.
Dr. Troy developed the industry-recognized mentoring program for the Carolinas Credit Union League Protégé program. Using his executive performance coaching skills, he mentors emerging leaders through the College of Charleston’s International MBA program where he also serves as a consulting advisor.
Dr. Troy has served on the boards of the School of Business for Charleston Southern University and Lowcountry Orphan Relief and is an advocate voice for raising funds and awareness for the South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
With more than 40 years of practical leadership experience and a Ph.D. in Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship, Dr. Troy’s passion is helping others succeed. His consulting and executive coaching sessions have positively impacted organizational leaders around the globe on how to create cultures of cohesion to retain their top talent.
Marshall Jett
Vice President, PWCampbell
Marshall brings extensive experience in the financial sector, building and strengthening relationships with clients while expanding PWCampbell’s presence across Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He has a deep understanding of the unique facility needs of financial institutions, and he translates those requirements into actionable, strategic plans. His expertise ensures projects are thoughtfully developed and executed, offering a distinctive perspective on how design, operational efficiency, and member experience come together. Marshall’s insights make him a compelling speaker for credit unions seeking to create spaces that enhance both performance and member engagement.
Barry Lewis
Senior Director, Security, and Technology Consulting, Optiri
Barry brings his 26 years of IT and Information Security experience to his role as Senior Director of Security and Technology Consulting at Optiri. As a virtual Chief Information Security Officer, he works closely with credit unions to safeguard member data and ensure adherence to evolving security regulations, standards, and best practices. Barry’s career has been dedicated to guiding organizations through complex cybersecurity and technology challenges. He enjoys speaking at industry events and contributing to discussions on cybersecurity, technology, compliance, and IT risk management.
Deedee Myers
CEO, DDJ Myers
Deedee Myers, Ph.D, CEO, is known as a thought and practice leader in transformative change and organizational evolution for people and organizations. Her work with boards, executive teams, and staff results in progressive yet pragmatic communication and behavioral practices that add sustainable and intrinsic value. She is a catalyst for updating organizational structures that leverage people’s values. Deedee uses appreciative inquiry for strategic planning, deep-seated succession planning from the emerging leader through the board level, generative board practices, and advancing leadership presence and execution to organize individuals, teams, and organizations in a shared vision for the future. Deedee has a master’s degree in organizational development, a Ph.D. in human development, a master’s level in somatic coaching, and a PCC in coaching from the International Coaching Federation.