Fifty-two credit union professionals completed the National Credit Union Foundation's Credit Union Development Education program on June 5, earning the Credit Union Development Educator designation after taking part in the weeklong training program in Madison, Wis.
The graduates joined more than 3,400 people from 35 countries who have completed the U.S. DE program since its launch in 1982. The program is designed to help credit union employees better understand financial well-being and the role credit unions play in supporting members and their communities.
"The DE program is by far the signature program of the National Credit Union Foundation," Holly Fearing, chief marketing and experience officer for the Foundation, said. "It started in 1982 and the Foundation was created in 1980, so we have had this program for almost our entire history."
"The program provides a lot of education to credit union employees on how they can help members' financial well-being," Fearing continued. "We find that the credit unions look to the Foundation as a resource to them to train and educate their employees, especially newer employees or those who came from the banking industry. Credit unions want to send their staff to this program, so they come back with that excitement about the credit union movement."
While the program has gone through modifications throughout the years, it still serves its main purposes of preserving the history of the credit union difference and understanding the financial well-being of credit union members, including housing and food insecurity.
The modifications the program has experienced stemmed from the barriers to financial well-being that credit union members may face today.
"Those obviously change with the timeframe," Fearing said, noting that today, one of the reasons people might be struggling is due to the pressure of social media causing the feeling of needing to keep up with peers. "There is also a lot of pressure now with online gambling. There are problems today that just weren't in existence in 1982."
Another change was an increase in the number of classes, Fearing said.
"There used to be one class a year, and the demand continued to grow and the waiting list was 10 times longer than the class roster. So, 10 years ago, we started adding multiple classes a year."
Four classes were offered in 2024, 2025 and 2026. "In 2027 we will have six instead of four," Fearing said.
Fearing said the goal is to keep each class size at about 55.
"We want it to be large enough that there is a big enough amount of people from different locations, asset sizes, etcetera," she said. "Nobody can use their titles throughout the week of training, so everyone is on an equal playing field. Nobody talks titles or status. They are welcome to share their experience throughout their week. Everyone is there to learn from each other, without that fear of somebody feeling uncomfortable. People are quite bonded to everyone in the class. And it's really a jumping off point that afterward people continue to network.
"We see a lot of people in member service or product development that go back with greater knowledge on how to position or structure their services or products and needs, and it can help their career development, which is intangible."
Fearing said she is an example. She went through the program in 2011, while she was working for CUNA Mutual Group (now TruStage).
"It introduced me to a lot of important people," Fearing said. "I stayed at TruStage for several years after. [In the program] I met executives at Filene, and through the course of networking over the next four years I was able to join the Filene Research Institute in 2015. That was a boost in career for me. We also see a lot of people go through the program and become CEOs. We talked with a credit union CEO who said DE was one of the driving factors toward becoming a CEO. People tend to stay in the industry longer once they go through the program, so potentially, there is a retention aspect, as well."
The June DE graduating class included credit union leaders from across the United States.
"While I gained valuable insights into the credit union movement, the biggest takeaway was a renewed appreciation for the impact we have on the lives of our members and communities every day," Whitney Huston, vice president of marketing at Chartway Federal Credit Union ($3.2 billion, Virginia Beach, Va.) and a June 2026 DE graduate, said. "As a marketing leader, this experience reinforced my belief that our role is about more than promoting products and services, it's about bringing the credit union difference to life through meaningful stories, authentic connections and a shared commitment to financial well-being."
This DE class was hosted at the TruStage headquarters in Madison, Wis., as part of the Foundation's ongoing DE partnership with TruStage to help cultivate leadership across the credit union movement. As part of the immersive experience, participants volunteered with WayForward Resources and The River Food Pantry.
"Every DE class becomes its own community, and this group was no exception," Christopher Morris, DE program director, said. "Participants arrive as strangers and leave as part of a lifelong network of leaders who challenge, encourage and inspire one another."
Applications for 2027 DE classes will open this fall, with additional opportunities for DE alumni to remain engaged through virtual gatherings, peer learning experiences and ongoing community connection throughout the year.
Click here to see a list of the 52 graduates from the June 2026 class.
Joyce Moed can be reached at joyce.moed@arc-network.com.
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