Sessions, Speakers and Locations at a Glance

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Opening Whistle Breakfast:
Zoom Out! What Changes When Expanding the Leadership Lens in a Global Movement
Amway, Ambassador Ballroom
Kassandra Schroeder

In Partnership with Global Women’s Leadership Network

Every day, credit union leaders make decisions inside a tight frame — talent gaps, regulatory demands, membership growth. But what shifts when intentionally zooming out the lens? Take this time to step back from daily demands to explore how individual credit unions fit within the broader U.S. and global credit union movement and examine how perspective shapes strategy. How does a leadership gap look different when viewed within a 400+ million-member global ecosystem? What bridges to growth, innovation and influence become visible only when stepping back? And how can emerging leaders leverage international connections to strengthen their institutions — and their own leadership trajectory? When leaders zoom out, they see opportunity beyond the immediate challenge. The question is: what changes when seeing the whole game? This strategic, reflective conversation is designed to elevate leadership perspective and connect local impact to a global movement.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Keynote | The Hidden Crisis: Understanding Gambling Addiction’s Impact on Members
DeVos, Ballroom D
Carolyn Hawley

Sports betting and online gambling are rapidly draining member accounts and quietly driving credit problems, especially among younger members, with real consequences for credit scores, loan performance and long-term financial health. Attendees will discover how to recognize red flags in member behavior, understand how dopamine-driven gambling products and marketing hook users and explore global approaches such as self-exclusion and transaction monitoring used in the U.K. and Australia that could translate to the U.S. Participants will leave with realistic, credit union-ready strategies for outreach, referral and education, including ways to integrate gambling awareness into financial education, school branches and reality fairs to better protect members while advancing a mission of community financial wellness.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Economic Issues Lunch
Amway, Ambassador Ballroom
Paul Isely 

Enjoy lunch while credit union leaders are provided a clear, practical read on the economy and what it means for decision-making heading into 2026-2027. The conversation will break down the national and Michigan outlook, including GDP, employment, inflation and interest rates, then zoom in on how conditions vary across the Upper Peninsula, Metro Detroit, West Michigan and Northern Michigan. Attendees will explore the ripple effects for key lending areas such as auto, mortgage, consumer and small-business lending and identify the most useful indicators to track for planning, pricing and portfolio strategy.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Education Sessions: Next Move!
Amway

• Building for What’s Next: Learning from Today’s Consumers
  Emerald
  Rick Weaver and Karl Schmidt
  As consumer expectations shift, the approach to understanding, reaching and connecting with them needs to evolve. Join in to learn from the latest statewide research, both quantitative and qualitative, and how those insights intersect with evolving generational behaviors, media habits and community-driven forms of influence. Attendees will explore themes emerging from early data, conversations with younger audiences and real-world testing happening across Michigan and see how these signals are shaping the next wave of awareness efforts, from refreshed messaging to new approaches in digital storytelling, local activation and creator-driven engagement. The landscape is changing quickly, and learning is happening in real time. This session offers a forward-looking, insight-driven discussion to help build smarter, more relevant marketing strategies for whatever comes next.
• The Intelligence that Compounds: AI Decisions Powering Smarter Member Journeys
  Gerald R Ford Ballroom  
  Amanda Bardonner
  Sponsored by Scienaptic
  Most credit unions treat underwriting as a checkpoint. The best ones treat it as a foundation. But the real strategic opportunity goes further: building a single system of intelligence that learns continuously from every loan decision, member interaction and portfolio outcome, and turns that learning into competitive advantage that compounds over time. Take a look at how a production-ready AI decisioning layer transforms underwriting from a transactional function into the connective tissue of a smarter institution. The same engine that evaluates applications faster and more accurately can also power prequalification, embedded fraud detection, exposure and limit management, targeted cross-sell and bundled offers, early warning signals and enhanced auto lending. When these capabilities share a common system of intelligence rather than operating as disconnected point solutions, the institution stops carrying the weight of compiling insights across silos and starts making decisions that improve on their own. Come discover concrete metrics from live credit union deployments and explain the governance mechanics that keep lifecycle decisioning explainable, auditable and regulator-ready, without sacrificing speed or member experience.
• Winning Wallet Share: Earning Relevance and Primacy Across Generations
  Vandenberg A
  Paul Marston
  Sponsored by CUSG
  Convenience, digital experience and everyday money movement now decide which financial institution earns wallet share across Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers. Attendees will dig into why members quietly shift activity, where credit unions tend to lose primacy first and how fees, friction and the ease of moving money can outweigh tenure or brand trust. The discussion offers a practical framework for becoming more relevant in members’ daily routines, improving accessibility and defending wallet share against digital-only competitors that increasingly control the paycheck, the app and the habits that drive financial loyalty.
• Recruitment & Compensation:
  Using Labor Market Insights to Make Confident Pay Decisions
  Vandenberg B
  Rebecca Jary
  Sponsored by CUSG
  Recruitment success hinges on clear compensation practices and fast, informed responses to the market. This discussion connects today’s recruiting pressures, including pay transparency, rapidly shifting demand and rising expectations for fairness, to a practical approach for building and maintaining a competitive pay program. Participants will examine how to use real-time job posting intelligence to identify pay trends, apply percentile-based benchmarks to their compensation structure to strengthen offers and convert market insights into a sustainable salary framework that supports merit planning and equity awareness. A straightforward workflow will also be shared to help HR and talent teams improve offer consistency, strengthen retention and make more confident merit and equity decisions. 
• ALM for Boards
  Grand View
  Frank Santucci
  Sponsored by Stifel
  Effective balance sheet management is central to a credit union’s success, making a return to asset-liability management fundamentals valuable for both seasoned financial leaders and newer board members. Attendees will review the core principles of ALM and interest rate risk management, including the nine components of a credit union’s earnings. Participants will also explore two common methods for measuring interest rate risk and learn how changes in rates can affect net interest income and net interest margin.
• DARE: Dashboard Abuse Resistance Education
  Thornapple
  Maggie Chopp
  Sponsored by Gemineye
  Credit  union teams are dealing with more data requests than ever before – with  the traditional default being “pull a report” or “can I have a  dashboard of this?” But the real question: What is the best way to deliver the insight business teams are asking for? Participants will learn about the hidden cost of the wrong delivery method, the pros and cons of specific delivery strategies and simple frameworks for choosing the right method for the roadmap. Enjoy an interactive learning format, gain a detailed understanding of this critical part of data strategy and walk away with a written handout to help be guided to best practice principles. The most successful credit unions do not just ship data; they design systems that deliver the right information, in the right format, to the right person, at the right time.
• Guest Program: The Power-Up Pour
  Pantlind
  $25 per person
  Shake, stir and sip the way through a guided mixology class led by one of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel’s head banquet bartenders. Participants will create three mini cocktails, progressing from simple to more advanced, while learning professional techniques and insider tricks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4
8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast and Breakouts: Education Sessions
Amway

• CUSOs: Partnering for Growth, Speed and Scale
  Berkey
  Jeff Rendel
  Sponsored by Structure First
  Credit union service organizations are evolving quickly by expanding services, modernizing platforms and helping credit unions compete in a rapidly changing marketplace. Participants will explore what credit unions need most from CUSOs today and how the CUSO landscape is shifting in response. Attendees will leave with practical ideas and peer insights to strengthen credit union–CUSO alignment, improve execution and build future-ready collaboration.
• Cybersecurity in 2026: Compliance Is Not Protection
  Emerald
  Jen Anthony
  Sponsored by NetCov
  In 2026, regulators are asking harder questions, boards are demanding clearer answers and attackers are moving faster than most security road maps. Many credit unions are exam-ready but not breach-ready, and compliance results do not always reflect real resilience. Get ready to cut through checkbox security to focus on what reduces risk in practice, including the issues examiners are pressing, the gap between policy and operations and how tool sprawl can increase exposure instead of shrinking it. The discussion will highlight the core controls credit unions must operationalize, not simply purchase, and what boards should be seeing to govern cyber risk effectively. Participants will leave with a practical lens for evaluating whether a cybersecurity program is truly lowering risk or merely satisfying compliance requirements, plus a blueprint for strengthening resilience without endlessly expanding the budget. 
• The Loyalty Advantage: Turning Data into Deep Member Relationships
  Gerald R Ford Ballroom
  Eric Loehr
  Sponsored by Reseda Group
  In a crowded financial marketplace, member loyalty is not just earned, it is engineered. Today’s credit union members expect more than seamless transactions. They expect their financial institution to know them, understand their needs and deliver value at every turn. Attendees will explore how credit unions can build long-term member relationships by using data-driven insights, emerging digital tools and fintech collaboration to create personalized experiences that drive loyalty, relevance and growth. 
• Why Most AI Automation Fails and a Proven Method to Get Results
  Thornapple
  Andres Klaric
  Sponsored by Fuse
  Across the credit union industry, many AI pilots stall or underdeliver, and the cause is rarely the technology. The bigger barrier is process design: AI is often layered onto workflows that were never rebuilt to let automation replace work. Using AI document reading as an example, teams may validate accurate extraction and still keep manual reviews “just to be safe,” continuing to open the same files and follow the same checklists. The result is predictable: added steps, limited efficiency gains and confusion created by competing processes. This discussion reframes the challenge, from picking the best tool to building the right operating model. Attendees will be introduced to a clear five-step method used with credit unions of varying sizes, including a client example that processed 82% of documents automatically in six weeks while handling more than 50,000 applications per month. Participants will learn the common traps that derail AI initiatives, what a healthy automation program looks like and how to structure a rollout that delivers measurable savings and faster decision-making using tools credit unions may already have in place. 
• AI is Here: Now What?
  A Credit Union Playbook for Responsible Adoption
  Vandenberg A
  Amy Travers
  Sponsored by Illuma Labs
  From generative AI to voice-driven interactions, artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept and it is actively reshaping how credit unions operate today. But while the technology is advancing rapidly, governance, ethics and risk frameworks are often lagging behind. Come to cut through the hype to be provided a clear, practical understanding of AI and its real implications for credit unions. From exploring how AI has evolved, to what generative AI enables today and how these capabilities can enhance member experience while introducing new risks, this is an opportunity to focus on how to implement AI responsibly. Attendees will learn how to build governance frameworks that ensure fairness, transparency, privacy and accountability while still driving innovation.
• AI Is Only as Good as the Data:
  What to Know Before Buying Another AI Tool
  Pearl
  Will Mayfield
  Sponsored by Aunalytics
  Credit union leaders are under mounting pressure to adopt AI. Most are discovering AI investments stall or fail if the underlying data is not ready to support it. Michigan's credit union leaders are hungry for practical, honest guidance on how to move from AI curiosity to AI results. Join in to learn about the importance of adopting an outcome-first perspective in the industry with a clear framework for auditing data readiness and identifying how AI-ready data drives deposit growth and member engagement. This conversation will equip credit union leaders to lead their organizations confidently into an AI-driven future.  
• The Empathy Advantage:
  Redefining Member Connection in the Age of AI
  Governor’s
  Tamanna Kottwani
  Sponsored by WithClutch
  For credit unions, empathy is not just a buzzword, it is a design principle. When powered by AI, it can help deliver the kind of care members can feel. Attendees will explore how technology can be used not to replace relationships, but to recognize needs, respond thoughtfully and remove friction at every step of the member journey. Participants will learn how to better recognize members as individuals by interpreting patterns, needs and life moments in real time. Attendees will discover how insight can be turned into action through personalized, timely and human-feeling interactions, while removing the hurdles that stand between members and their goals to create seamless, effortless experiences. When empathy drives innovation, AI becomes more than automation, it becomes amplification. Join in to discover insight into how credit unions can use AI to help members feel seen, supported and understood. 
• Behavioral Banking:
  Unusually Cost-Effective Ways to Drive Engagement and Growth
  Grand View
  Jorge Campos
  Sponsored by Exagens
  Banks and credit unions are under pressure to boost engagement, retention and growth with tighter budgets and little appetite for large-scale technology change. Too often, the default response is to add tools or launch new platforms, efforts that can be costly, slow and prone to delays with uneven ROI. Behavioral banking offers a different path, using behavioral science to make small, targeted changes in everyday interactions that can drive outsized shifts in customer behavior. Instead of trying to optimize entire journeys, the focus is on identifying the few decision moments that shape confidence and follow-through. Attendees will see how many challenges framed as strategic or omnichannel are often behavioral problems in disguise, and how concentrating on a handful of high-impact moments can uncover unusually cost-effective opportunities for engagement and growth. Grounded in real-world examples shared by fellow bankers, the discussion equips leaders in digital, retail and marketing with practical strategies that work within existing systems and constraints. 
• The Importance of Distinguishing Between Governance and Management
  Imperial Ballroom
  Tom Sakash
  Looking ahead, credit unions will face stiffer competition, rapid technology change, regulatory and tax uncertainty and succession challenges across the workforce. Volunteers and management will be expected to think strategically about how to thrive in a market that may look very different from today and to prioritize the capabilities that matter most across a range of scenarios. Clear roles and strong alignment between the board and management will be essential. Attendees will identify board development opportunities, pinpoint management gaps and strengthen strategic focus on the credit union’s future. 
• Grow Your Own: Turning Today’s Team into Tomorrow’s Leaders
  Vandenberg B
  Jill Nowacki
  The future of a credit union won’t be found in a recruiter’s inbox: It is already sitting in the office. During this motivating, actionable session, leaders will reimagine succession planning as an everyday leadership practice rooted in growth, coaching and connection. Discover how to spot hidden potential, cultivate confidence through stretch opportunities, and build a culture where development is not an event, but a way of life. Attendees will leave with tangible steps to start growing their next generation of leaders from within, ensuring their credit union’s legacy of service, culture and community continues to thrive for years to come. Come to learn how to identify emerging talent and turn everyday work into leadership development opportunities by shifting from “succession planning” to “succession growing” with embedded coaching and making learning a daily routine. Everyone will walk away with actionable steps to strengthen the pipeline, retain the best people and ensure the mission endures.
  
  

THURSDAY, JUNE 4
9:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Keynote | The Octopus Organization
DeVos, Ballroom D
Jonathan Brill
Sponsored by CUSG

Over the next five years, organizations that fully integrate AI will pull significantly ahead of those that only experiment with it. Companies willing to embrace change, evolve their thinking and adapt quickly are positioned to define the future of their industries. In a world of constant change, resilience alone is no longer enough. Participants will learn why organizations must move beyond endurance to agility by developing the ability to sense market shifts early, respond intelligently to member needs and adapt faster than competitors. Agility is not about moving faster, but about thinking faster through decentralized intelligence, AI-augmented decision-making and empowered teams at every level. Attendees will explore how rethinking traditional hierarchies can unlock a more agile model, structured like an octopus. A central brain provides strategy and oversight, while each arm operates with autonomy and market awareness. Coordinated in real time, this approach enables faster, more informed decisions across the organization. Participants will take away practical insights from organizations already moving in this direction and learn why success comes not from simply automating tasks, but from reimagining how organizations function at every level.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4
3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Education Sessions: Win Big!
Amway

• Serving Small Business Owners to Boost Deposits, Lending and Community Impact
  Thornapple
  Edgar Hernandez
  Sponsored by TruStage
  Small business owners (SBOs) are some of the greatest job creators, community builders and untapped financial partners in neighborhoods. However, SBOs are traditionally either underbanked or overlooked by traditional lenders. According to the Small Business Administration, 98% of all U.S. businesses are sole proprietors or employ under 20 people, and over 5 million new business applications were filed last year. Small businesses are on the rise and multicultural and women-owned businesses are leading this growth, opening new opportunities for mission-driven institutions like credit unions. Come explore the attitudes and needs of minority-owned SBOs, what industries they are serving, what is their projected growth and how to identify entrepreneurial segments in communities using geospatial data and insights.
• SAS Success Playbook Roundtable: Building a Stronger Standalone Credit Union
  Grand View  
  Jeff Rendel 
  Sponsored by MSHDA  
  What does it truly take to operate a successful credit union under $400 million in today’s environment? This interactive roundtable will explore the core architectural elements of a sound, resilient and sustainable business model — from growth and capital, to leadership, technology and operational efficiency. Grounded in a national model and shaped by Michigan credit union executive input, this presentation invites candid discussion about what matters most for long-term independence. Participants will help prioritize the first sections of the SAS Success Playbook and shape a practical guide for smaller credit unions.
• CEO Panel: Using EOS to Drive Strategic and Operational Clarity and Accountability
  Emerald 
  Panel Members: Martha Fuerstenau, Darlyne Keller, Kris Lewis and Michele Makley
  Sponsored by Marquis
  Convenience, hiring and accountability are no longer nice-to-haves, they are competitive advantages. In this panel discussion, credit union CEOs will share how they use the Entrepreneurial Operating System to bring focus to priorities, set clear expectations and build stronger accountability across the organization. Attendees will hear practical ways EOS can help put the right people in the right seats, run more effective meetings and address issues earlier, with takeaways to consider strengthening team performance and supporting the credit union’s long-term direction.
• 2026 Elections and Advocacy Fundraising 101
  Berkey
  Kieran Marion
  Sponsored by NFP
  Discover how the 2026 elections are shaping up in Michigan, and how credit unions can best assert their voice in Michigan and Washington, D.C. through effective grassroots advocacy.  Explore the role advocacy fundraising plays, with a focus on mechanics, legal guardrails and strategic considerations executives and board members need to know to build a culture of advocacy within their credit union. Bring questions and leave ready to make an impact, strengthen advocacy and ensure the members we serve are represented where decisions are made in a high-stakes cycle.
• The AI-Powered Leader
  Kendall
  Paul Marston
  Sponsored by CUSG
  Many managers spend too much time on work that technology can handle. AI can serve as a leadership amplifier by reducing routine tasks and giving leaders more time to coach, support and develop people. Through side-by-side examples, attendees will see how AI-enabled leaders personalize development, spot burnout earlier, strengthen feedback and recognition and make better-informed talent decisions. The discussion will also cover advanced prompting as an emerging leadership skill and show how AI can support timely, bias-reduced performance conversations. Attendees will leave with practical ways to eliminate robotic work and lead with more focus and humanity. 
• MemberXP Best of the Best: Turning Insight into Measurable Results
  Gerald R Ford Ballroom
  Audrey Olzem and Keith Holder
  Panel Members: Jessica Sawyer, Adam Tonge and Serena Johnson
  Sponsored by CUSG
  What separates good member experience from truly great. Get a peek spotlighting ‘best of the best’ credit unions that have turned member insight into tangible results including higher loyalty, stronger advocacy and sustained growth. Everyone will hear how leading teams operationalize feedback, as well as get a first look at new and upcoming MemberXP enhancements, including AI powered insights and platform upgrades built to help credit unions move confidently from data to action.
• Secure by Design:
  Website Hosting, Security & Website CMS Platform Enhancements
  Pearl
  Tim Bohlman and Moayad Naoom
  Sponsored by CUSG
  Join in to explore how CUSG’s website hosting and content management system (CMS) platform support security, reliability and increased website capabilities for credit unions. Attendees will learn about recent security and performance improvements, ongoing CMS enhancements and upcoming platform updates designed to reduce risk and support evolving digital needs. 
• Reframing Growth: Moving Beyond “Underserved” to Strength-Based Strategy
  Governor’s
  Victor Miguel Corro
  Sponsored by Michigan Credit Union Foundation
  Credit unions often describe emerging communities as “underserved” or “unbanked.” While well-intentioned, that language can steer strategy toward deficits instead of growth. Take this opportunity for leaders to be challenged to examine how mindset shapes product design, pricing, marketing and inclusion efforts, introducing a strength-based framework that treats financial inclusion and well-being as drivers of expansion, not side initiatives. Joined by two Michigan credit union leaders using Coopera’s analytics tools, the discussion will show how data-driven segmentation and targeted strategy can connect measurable community impact with sustainable institutional growth. The focus shifts from asking “How to serve the underserved?” to “How to grow alongside emerging member segments?”
• NCUA’s Deregulatory Project
  Vandenberg B
  Michael Christians
  Credit  unions across Michigan and the Midwest are serving communities that are increasingly multilingual and multicultural, yet many digital member journeys, especially onboarding and lending, remain English-only. The gap creates friction for prospective members, increases application abandonment and limits growth.This discussion will examine the opportunity in multilingual and  multicultural engagement for credit unions looking to strengthen member experience, expand access and drive sustainable growth. Attendees will learn how to move beyond translation to design digital onboarding and lending journeys that reflect cultural context, financial literacy and regulatory requirements while maintaining a consistent, compliant experience. Marketing, communication  and operating frameworks will be highlighted, along with how modern origination and onboarding technology can support multilingual experiences at scale without duplicating processes or adding compliance burden. Participants will leave with actionable ideas and a phased approach to improve confidence, reduce friction and strengthen community impact.
• Multilingual Opportunities for Credit Unions
  Reducing Digital Friction and Increasing Trust
  Imperial Ballroom
  JR Pierman and Steve Sauve
  Sponsored by ASAPP Financial
  Credit unions across Michigan and the Midwest are serving communities that are increasingly multilingual and multicultural, yet many digital member journeys, especially onboarding and lending, remain English-only. The gap creates friction for prospective members, increases application abandonment and limits growth. The discussion will examine the opportunity in multilingual and multicultural engagement for credit unions looking to strengthen member experience, expand access and drive sustainable growth. Attendees will learn how to move beyond translation to design digital onboarding and lending journeys that reflect cultural context, financial literacy and regulatory requirements while maintaining a consistent, compliant experience. Marketing, communication and operating frameworks will be highlighted, along with how modern origination and onboarding technology can support multilingual experiences at scale without duplicating processes or adding compliance burden. Participants will leave with actionable ideas and a phased approach to improve confidence, reduce friction and strengthen community impact.
• Strategic Thinking for Effective Boards
  Vandenberg A
  Tom Sakash
  Sponsored by FHLBank Indianapolis
  The focus of this session will be to address the difference between strategic and tactical thinking by covering the importance of strategic governance, providing directors with relevant strategic questions that they should be asking today and offering a framework for increasing the strategic conversation during regular board meetings. Attendees will strengthen their understanding of strategic vs. tactical thinking, clarify the board’s role in strategic planning and learn how to lead more strategic conversations that make board meetings more effective.