CUES programs—including this summer’s CEO Institute I—bring together executives who want to grow their knowledge and their organizations. By Noel Andrew Sanger, CSE
What a ride it has been from the first day (in August 2011) that I accepted the position of market vice president/Arkansas at United Federal Credit Union. From purchasing a bank to adding branches across the country, the growth has been amazing. United FCU was named NAFCU Credit Union of the year in 2013, one of the Best Places to Work in Arkansas in 2014 and, as of this year, a top 100 CU! The organization’s growth has been supported by my own professional growth through CUES programs. I earned my CSE designation (certified senior executive) by attending CUES School of Applied Strategic Management in 2013. In that program, we actually “ran” a virtual credit union using a computer simulation. Last year I was a finalist in the CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec (#NTCUE) competition, an awesome personal and professional growth experience. I was excited to learn about winner Alex Castley’s full scholarship to two segments of CEO Institute, CUES’ flagship learning experience for growing executive talent. I thought to myself, “How am I going to be able to go?” That is when CUES stepped up and presented me with a scholarship and United FCU took care of the rest. Come mid-August I’ll be headed to The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for CEO Institute I: Strategic Planning! Receiving the agenda and pre-assignments brought a smile to my face. I am about to spend a week with peers who are also looking to take their credit unions to the next level. We are all here for a common goal: growth! I am excited about the opportunity to network and learn from everyone. We all have different experiences and, by sharing those, we can only become more versed in our roles. I always talk about collaboration, and I’m looking forward to taking part in one of the most collaborative events in the entire credit union industry. On a side note, I’ll make sure to be on my best behavior as our chief human resource officer, CUES member Cindy Swigert, will also be in attendance. Sending both of us shows the commitment United FCU has to the growth of its talent and the organization. #BeInspired CUES member Noel Andrew Sanger, CSE, is market vice president/Arkansas for $1.8 billion United Federal Credit Union, St. Joseph, Mich. Follow him at @playingwisely. Summer CEO Institute I will be held Aug. 16-21. Learn more and register. The deadline for applications for this year’s CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec competition is July 20. Earn your certified senior executive designation when you attend this year's CUES School of Applied Strategic Management, Sept. 14-17 in San Antonio.
