CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec Finalists Announced

The judges’ results are in! The five Finalists for the 2015 CUES® Next Top Credit Union Exec challenge are:

  • Danielle Buscher, West Community Credit Union,  O'Fallon, Mo., United States 
  • Garrick Throckmorton, Allegacy Federal Credit Union, Winston-Salem, N.C.,  United States
  • Hayley Badeaux, Shell Geismar Federal Credit Union, Giesmar, La., United States
  • Jimese Harkley, America's First Federal Credit Union, Birmingham, Ala., United States
  • Kris Wanner, Conexus Credit Union, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada 

A combination of public vote and a judging panel determined the Top 15 entrants. Since the results of that vote were announced in late July, all 15 young professionals have been providing updates to their projects at www.nexttopcreditunionexec.com. These updates and entrants’ earlier video applications were evaluated by a judging team composed of Deedee Myers, CEO of DDJ Myers, Phoenix, and two credit union executives.

“Our judges’ task of determining which of the Top 15 to move through to the Finals in the competition was a difficult one,” said John Pembroke, CUES’ president/CEO. “These five Finalists were selected from a varied and highly capable group. We thank all of our applicants for their hard work to this stage of the competition, and for the outstanding ideas they are bringing to their credit unions. Now, as we congratulate the Finalists, we also look forward to learning about their particular projects’ progress between now and their final presentations at CEO/Executive Team Network in November.”

In addition to two coaching sessions provided by challenge sponsor and CUES Supplier member DDJ Myers, the five Finalists each receive registration, accommodation and airfare to CUES' CEO/Executive Team Network™ in Scottsdale, Ariz., November 8-11, 2015. There, the Finalists will face off for the grand prize, a CUES educational package valued at $20,000, and the honor of being named 2015 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec on November 11.

CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec team

2015 Competition, UpdateCUES Next Top Credit Union Exec Team