An exciting education and recognition program from CUES

Meet the class of 2026

36 emerging leaders. One powerful journey. Follow along as they grow, compete and shape the future of credit unions.

Participant details

Applications for 2026 are now closed. Stay connected and be the first to know when the next cohort opens.

Built on a solid foundation

CUES and Currency Marketing have enjoyed a long-standing partnership dating back to 2010 when, together, we launched the inaugural CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec competition. In 2020, CUES Emerge was launched and built on the success of CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec. Over the past 15 years, CUES has awarded more than $500,000 in prizes and has impacted the lives of countless young credit union professionals.

CUES is an independent, not-for-profit, international membership association. Our mission is to educate and develop credit union CEOs, executives, directors and future leaders.

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Currency Marketing is a leading financial education provider for credit unions, with its flagship program, It’s a Money Thing. We help credit unions attract, educate and inspire young adult members.

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Envision Excellence is a leadership consulting firm and will be providing executive coaching to our winner and runners up.

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Value for all participants

Deepen knowledge through connections with subject matter experts and industry peers

Improve your ability to understand and develop strategic alignment in your organization

Examine issues facing your credit union and ask the right questions to identify the core problem

Research, develop and write a formal business case

Increase your impact through enhanced presentation and speaking skills

Learn to communicate ideas more effectively to senior leaders

Participants have an opportunity to

Earn a designation

All participants that successfully complete the online courses, Mastermind sessions and a business case will receive a Certified Credit Union Manager designation.

Be recognized

Five finalists will be announced in August and move forward with the competition phase of CUES Emerge. These five will receive coaching and present their business case to our judging panel and a live online audience. The top three will receive further education opportunities and coaching.

“I now know how to create a compelling business case and boil down problems into their simplest facets and figure out the path to a solution.”

Ryan Suttles
2025 CUES Emerging Leader

What’s new with CUES Emerge?

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Featured

CUbroadcast: 2026 CUES Emerge Calls All Emerging Leaders to Take the Next Step

CUES VP of Marketing Nicole (Nikki) Morrison and Currency CEO Tim McAlpine joined us on the show to announce the kick off of CUES 2026 Emerge.

The next generation of CU leaders takes shape as applications open for CUES Emerge 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 CUES Emerge leadership development program.

An exciting education and recognition program from CUES

Meet the class of 2026

Built on a solid foundation

Value for all participants

Deepen knowledge through connections with subject matter experts and industry peers

Improve your ability to understand and develop strategic alignment in your organization

Examine issues facing your credit union and ask the right questions to identify the core problem

Research, develop and write a formal business case

Increase your impact through enhanced presentation and speaking skills

Learn to communicate ideas more effectively to senior leaders

Participants have an opportunity to

Earn a designation

Be recognized

“I now know how to create a compelling business case and boil down problems into their simplest facets and figure out the path to a solution.”

What’s new with CUES Emerge?

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