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About SCMS

Expanding Horizons. Exploring Possibilities.

Southwest CUNA Management School is the go-to experience for rising and C-suite credit union professionals. The school provides higher academic-style learning and engagement opportunities. With SCMS's blend of in-person, live-virtual, and self-paced learning, students build business acumen, broaden the scope and strategic direction of their credit union, enhance leadership skills, collaborate with other professionals, and grow networks to last a lifetime.

SCMS Team - Administration, Committees & Faculty

Administration & Strategy Team

  • Janine McBee, CMM, CUDE, honorary alum, SCMS Director, Cornerstone League
  • Tamra Gaines, CMM, CUDE, Vice President, Experiences & Events, Cornerstone League
  • Amber Bailey, CUDE, Education Manager, Experiences & Events, Cornerstone League

Core Strategy, Faculty, and Evaluator Team

  • Robert Hamer, chief strategist and evaluator retired president/CEO, Mobiloil CU
  • Eric Mangham, financial management strategist and evaluator CFO, Arkansas FCU 
  • Brian Hamilton, lending  President, CU Direct Connect
  • Amy Herbig, branding  CEO, The BA Group
  • Anne Legg, data analytics  Founder, THRIVE Strategic Services  Author of Big Data/Big Climb: A credit union playbook for leveraging data and talent to achieve revolutionary member relationships
  • Lily Newfarmer, Class of 1999, I-CUDE, mentor President/CEO, Tarrant County’s CU 
  • Jeff Rendel, CSP, adaptive leadership  President, Rising Above Enterprises
  • Suzanne Yashewski, advocacy and compliance strategist Cornerstone League

Faculty, Academic Advisors & Campus Liaison - Texas Christian University

  • Brandon Chicotsky. Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Marketing, Texas Christian University, Neeley School of Business

Historical Timeline

  • 1966 - The first class enrolled, consisting of six one-week sessions. Host campus – University of Houston
  • 1972 - The first graduation
  • 1987 – The SCMS director role transferred from Joe Wasaff to Janine McBee
  • 1992 – Host campus changed to University of North Texas
  • 1995 – Dr. Carl Frederickson brought on as senior faculty advisor and core project evaluator
  • 2000 – Shawn Bailey becomes SCMS director
  • 2002 – Steve Gibbs steps in as SCMS Director
  • 2003 – Host campus changed to SMU
  • 2004 – Texas Christian University became our host campus
  • 2006 – John Vardallas onboards as senior faculty and core project evaluator.
  • 2006 – Janine McBee returns as SCMS Director
  • 2019 – Deborah Rightmire, Senior faculty advisor – ALM and Financial Management retires
  • 2020 – Year of transition.
    • COVID drove the first ever postponement of the school.
    • Senior faculty advisor and core project evaluator transitioning from John Vardallas to Robert “Bob” Hamer
    • Eric Mangham assumes the role of Senior faculty advisor – ALM and Financial Management
  • 2020 - The first SCMSAA virtual business meeting
  • 2021 – Curriculum is redesigned for the first virtual SCMS experience
  • 2021 – First hybrid commencement
  • 2022 – First blended school experience incorporating one in-person and two live-virtual terms to complete one year. Year-round student engagement to enhance learning and foster networking. Combined updated core project assignments with a variety of tools designed to build the student’s toolkit, preparing agile and resilient leaders to grow their credit unions and navigate the next business disruption.

CUNA Management School System

Southwest CUNA Management School is one of four schools in the country. We are jointly governed, independently directed, each with the goal of helping credit unions develop future leaders and a leadership pipeline to their fullest potential.

Graduation from one of the four CUNA Management Schools is recognized throughout the credit union movement as an honor and mark of accomplishment. These schools provide valuable, hands-on comprehensive management training. Contact your league or regional school for more information.

Southwest CUNA Management School

Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX 
Contact: Janine McBee 
469-385-6634 

Credit unions from the following states traditionally attend the Southwest school: 
AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX

Madison CUNA Management School

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
Contact: Jillian Crubel
800-356-9655, ext. 4235

Credit unions from the following states traditionally attend the Madison school: 
CT, DC, DE, IL, IN, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OH, PA, RI, SD, VT, WI, WV

Southeast CUNA Management School

University of Georgia
Athens, GA
Contact: Lauren DeAngelis
919-457-9059

Credit unions from the following states traditionally attend the Southeast school: 
AL, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA

Western CUNA Management School

Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Contact: Nancy Wood
800-472-1702, ext. 6059 

Credit unions from the following states traditionally attend the Western school: 
AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
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