Credit unions

Town & Country Credit Union named Brad Houle as its new president and CEO. Houle was most recently chief executive of CAHP Credit Union in Sacramento.

As the CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union, Mary McDuffie can never lose touch with the needs of a young membership stationed across the globe.

Scams against the elderly are responsible for more than $3 billion in losses each year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Credit unions say they are seeing more cases, and often the hardest part is getting the victims to admit they've been taken advantage of.

USAlliance Federal Credit Union in Rye, New York, has agreed to merge with Marriott Employees' Federal Credit Union in Bethesda, Maryland, to create a nearly $3 billion-asset organization.

Under Donna Bland's leadership, Golden 1 Credit Union has grown to more than 1 million members and is now the sixth-largest credit union in the U.S. by assets.

Renée Sattiewhite has played a key role in the African American Credit Union Coalition for more than 20 years. "For me, if credit unions do not embrace DEI, they will die," she said.

Winona Nava, who is retiring next year, took over Guadalupe Credit Union in 1991 when it had dwindled to just above $10 million of assets. Nava's immigrant-friendly policies led some staffers to resign in protest, but that didn't discourage her. "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity," she said.

In its inaugural Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions listing, American Banker is proud to share the stories of 25 of the women leading the credit union industry through times of rapid and unprecedented change.

When credit union leaders are open to feedback from members and employees of many backgrounds, they can strengthen workplace morale and attract new customers, inclusion advocates say.

Wings Financial Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minnesota, has agreed to buy Settlers Bank in DeForest, Wisconsin. It's the third bank acquisition deal Wings has announced, one of which fell through.