Kathleen Fey Executive Leadership Program
The CrossState Credit Union Foundation’s Kathleen Fey Executive Leadership Program
The Foundation Credit Union Executive Leadership Program is now available through the CrossState Credit Union Foundation to members of the Emerging Leaders, a professional networking group at CrossState Credit Unioin Association.
The Executive Leadership Program was created for the future leaders of the credit union industry and provides more than $15,000 of funding for each participant for a four-year curriculum of credit union leadership development. Each year, two active Emerging Leader members will be selected as Credit Union Fellows to participate in the program. This program is a significant commitment on the part of both the CrossState Credit Union Foundation and the participant. Careful consideration to this commitment should be given prior to applying for this program.
Program Vision: To encourage and advance the capabilities of credit union leaders by providing access to outstanding professional development opportunities and through building relationships with other Fellows and leadership coaches.
Applications are open for 2025.
Apply to Become a Fellow Today!
Applications for the 2025 Kathleen Fey Executive Leadership Program are open! Applications are due February 18, 2025.
Program Description
The Credit Union Executive Leadership Program is an exceptional in-depth series of training opportunities designed for credit union employees who have an interest in and demonstrate the aptitude to assume greater roles and responsibilities. The program also strives to identify employees who aspire to be credit union leaders but also demonstrates the credit union philosophy of people helping people.
The positive impact on an employee ignites a passion that keeps participants motivated as they develop the leader within. They will delve into real life case studies through interaction with peers, developing deep relationships that enhance and strengthen the credit union community. Private one-on-one mentoring/coaching sessions are key to the individual’s success and, thus, the credit union’s success.
This investment in developing credit union leaders directly improves quality, efficiency, and performance within teams, offices, and branches thus improving the credit union’s bottom line. Improved accountability, stronger work ethic, better employee relations, greater retention, and better conflict management are the expected results of participating in this program. It is the direct application of leadership concepts that makes the Foundation’s Executive Leadership Program a valuable professional development opportunity.
Program Details
Leadership Mentors
Fellows will be matched with a different Leadership Mentor every one to two years of the program. Each mentor will be a resource to the Fellow during their journey through this training. By having multiple mentors, participants can garner the greatest breadth of experience and networking.
Four Years of Trainings
The program is divided into two areas of training and covers a four-year time frame. Fellows are sent to the National Foundation for Credit Union’s Development Education Program, and Credit Union Management School. See below to learn more about the breakdown of the program.
Development Education (DE) Program
The National Foundation for Credit Union holds a week-long DE Program in Madison, Wisconsin four times a year. Graduates earn certification as Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) and join a networking group of thousands of graduates from across America and other countries.
Credit Union Management School
In cooperation with the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Business, Credit Union Management School is an intensive management program that helps you learn and implement principles that make you a more dynamic and effective manager and leader. This school allows students to hone their leadership strengths while rounding out the areas where they need more practice. Graduates earn a certification as a Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE).
Year One
The first phase of the Executive Leadership Program is participation in the National Foundation for Credit Union’s week-long Development Education (DE) Program held in Madison, Wisconsin.
Linking our past with credit unions’ present, the DE program brings renewed relevance to the philosophy of “People Helping People.” This unique and transformative training provides critical lessons in cooperative principles, credit union philosophy, and international development issues while incorporating challenges credit unions face today.
Participants are involved in group exercises, field trips, encouraged to ask questions of visiting speakers, and are required to complete team projects proposing solutions for credit unions to help alleviate or eliminate challenging situations in any given area. Benefits of the program include:
Graduates acquire skills in credit union outreach initiatives, problem solving, technical assistance, team building, and public presentations.
Years Two through Four
The final component to the training is enrollment in the three-year Credit Union Management School, previously CUNA Management School. Each July, the University of Wisconsin and the city of Madison become home to credit union professionals who are investing in their careers and the credit union movement’s longest-running high-level educational program. While in Madison, students will have the opportunity to learn from credit union experts as well as professors from the University of Wisconsin School of Business. Students will develop a breadth of skills including leadership techniques, financial operations, and executive responsibilities.
Credit Union Management School is an intensive three-year program for credit union professionals committed to an executive career path. Through in-depth coursework, hands-on projects, and direct mentorship from top industry experts and University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty, participants gain vital skills for leadership in the credit union movement. Each year builds on the last, covering critical areas from financial management to strategic planning and leadership development, with take-home projects and presentations that turn learning into practice.
Graduates who complete the program earn the prestigious CCUE designation, recognized as the pinnacle of credit union leadership excellence. This rigorous program demands dedication that results in lifelong rewards for its graduates.
This school is designed for:
Credit union professionals focused on their professional development with ambitions of leadership roles within their organization.