Alumni

If you are looking for a credit union that can vouch for the value of sending future leaders to Cornerstone League’s Southwest CUNA Management School, you won’t find a bigger believer in the program than Communication Federal Credit Union of Oklahoma City.

CFCU SVP and Chief Lending Officer Billy McDaniel, Class of 2005 graduate, was the first of nine CFCU employees to attend the program. All have either been promoted or have taken on more responsibilities in their current roles.

“It’s been a great help in my career, and I’m confident the management skills other leaders and I have learned have helped our credit union fine-tune our management philosophy and strategic direction,” said McDaniel. “SCMS has helped prepare a number of our leaders to take on more responsibility and help drive the growth of our credit union to 100,000 members, over $1.6 billion in assets, and 22 branches in Oklahoma and Kansas.”

McDaniel added that the credit union could not have achieved that type of success without developing leaders who could take on bigger roles.

“SCMS is one of the tools we use to do that,” he said. “It helps build our leaders of tomorrow while allowing them to meet and get to know peers within our region. It has been a true asset for us. We’re glad this resource from Cornerstone is there for our leaders and for our credit union.”

Other CFCU leaders who have attended or are attending SCMS:

• Amy Smoot, SCMS Class of 2015 – VP Accounting
• Bryan Royse, SCMS Class of 2018 – Regional VP Sales and Service
• Christina Titterington, SCMS Class of 2020 – VP Electronic Servicing
• Jenny Stepp, SCMS Class of 2023 – SVP Human Resources
• Michelle Jellison, SCMS Class of 2021– VP Loan Administration
• Stephanie Miller, SCMS Class of 2019 – VP Education and Development
• Stephen Lark, SCMS Class of 2016 – Sr. VP Corporate Development
• Travis Llewellyn, SCMS Class of 2017– VP Network and Security

SCMS is a three-year experience that provides applied leadership and credit union-focused learning for top-level executive development. Students benefit through self-paced mini modules; instructor-led in-person and virtual courses; independent and collaborative assignments; and opportunities to engage with other credit union leaders and grow their professional networks.

“Over the years, we’ve seen how the Southwest CUNA Management School can have a dramatic impact on the career trajectory of credit union leaders and future leaders,” said Janine McBee, director of the school. “SCMS helps build leaders who drive success at their credit unions. Communication Federal Credit Union is a great example of a rapidly growing credit union that has seen the value of SCMS.”

If you’d like to learn more about what SCMS can mean to your leadership team and your credit union, just complete this information form. And don’t hesitate to give Bill McDaniel at CFCU a call.