Nine credit union marketing professionals have become the firstgraduating class to earn the new Credit Union Certified MarketingExecutive certification from the CUNA Marketing Management Schoolin Madison, Wis.

CUNA said the certification means they have demonstrated theirskills in a wide range of core competencies, including strategicmarketing, public relations, retail marketing, advertisingmanagement, product and services roll-out, market research,persuasive communication, problem solving and leadershipskills.

“It was a great experience watching our first group of creditunion marketers earn the CUCME designation”, said Meghann Dawson,instruction design manager for the CUNA Marketing ManagementSchool. “Their hard work and dedication to the coursework,class participation and testing made it clear that they are readyto make a huge impact in their marketing efforts at their creditunion.”

The certification can be earned by attending all three years ofCUNA Marketing Management School curriculum and successfullypassing an exam at the end of each year.

As the CUCME is a new designation, MMS attendees who completedall three years before 2013 can earn their CUCME by attending adesignation boot camp prior to CUNA Marketing & Business Development CouncilConference.

The first credit union marketing professionals to earn CUCMEcertification are:

• Michelle Broderick of the $170 million Cumberland County FCUin Falmouth, Maine,
• Matt Brophy of the $842 million Seven Seventeen CU in Warren,Ohio,
• Janet Buckalew of the $143 million Pacific Crest FCU in KlamathFalls, Ore.,
• Maria Johnson of the $730 million Collins Community CU in CedarRapids, Iowa,
• Andrea Lepper of the $238 million Superior Choice CU inSuperior, Wis.,
• Angela Meehan of the $125 million Park Side FCU in Whitefish, Mont.,
• Karen Owens of the $398 million First CU in Chandler,Ariz.,
• Kathy Palumbo of the $340 million Capital Educators FCU inMeridian, Idaho, and,
• Lynn Roth of the $563 million DuTrac Community CU in Dubuque,Iowa.