Virginians Among Credit Union Innovators Selected for Filene's i3 Program

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Holly Fearing
hollyf@filene.org
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The new 18th wave welcomes 23 credit union leaders while Wave 16 graduates

Madison, Wis. – Twenty-three of the credit union industry’s most innovative leaders come together to form the newest cohort of the Filene i3 Program, including Virginians Marella Nardotti, (NextMark Credit Union), Justin Stoddard (Chartway Credit Union) and Heidi Worker (Chartway Credit Union).

Now in its 18th year running, Filene i3 is a two-year innovation leadership program equipping top credit union professionals with the mindset, tools, and network to lead and shape the credit union of the 21st Century.

Filene Fellow Dr. Jeffrey Robinson of the Center for Innovation & Incubation describes innovation as applied creativity and states that, “while it’s nice to have ideas, turning them into practices, products or approaches that improve upon something else is what defines innovation—and credit unions will need to focus on innovation within their organizations to remain competitive.” Filene’s i3 program provides industry leaders and innovators with a methodology to creatively apply innovative ideas through incubation and implementation.

“The program’s applied learning model teaches participants Filene’s method of innovation by guiding them through the development of a prototype solution for a challenge facing their respective credit union or community,” said Filene’s President & CEO, Mark Meyer. “With access to Filene’s research, experts and fellows—plus technical assistance on designing solutions and opportunities to build on successful prototypes—participants are set up for maximum success personally and to bring maximum value to their organizations.”

Joining the ranks of more than 300 credit union leaders already within the Filene i3 community are:

• Dave Bodmer, WSECU, VP of Product
• Melissa Choi, SkyOne Federal Credit Union, Director of Retail & Business Development
• Thomaz DeMoura, Digital Federal Credit Union, Innovations Manager
• Shawn Dunn, Arrowhead Credit Union, VP of Business Intelligence 
• Anthony Fletcher, American Airlines Federal Credit Union, VP of Payments & Digital Strategy
• Greg Gallaway, Spokane Teachers Credit Union, Director of IT Engineering
• Stephen Green, Class Act Federal Credit Union, VP of Lending
• Wayne Hartman, Idaho Central Credit Union, Principal Software Architect
• Alicia Huerta, Christian Financial Credit Union, Senior Product Officer & Planner
• David Hullet, WEOKIE Federal Credit Union, VP of Commercial Lending & New Business Ventures
• Vladimir Jovanovic, PSCU, Manager of Innovation
• Kory Kunze, Together Credit Union, VP of Remote Services & Payments
• Katie Leute, Salal Credit Union, Creative Brand Manager
• Korey McMahon, WEOKIE Federal Credit Union, Chief Growth Officer
• Lis Mulcahy, Truliant Federal Credit Union, Director of Member Satisfaction
• Marella Nardotti, NextMark Credit Union, VP of Marketing
• Anthony Norman, Jr., Local Government Federal Credit Union, Accounting Processes Manager
• Katie Schrooten, Credit Union 1, Marketing Manager
• Sandy Selewski, Zeal Credit Union, Chief Operating Officer
• Mitchell Speer, Teachers Credit Union, Manager of Business Intelligence & Business Transformation
• Justin Stoddard Chartway Federal Credit Union, Director of Partner Services
• Nicole White, Advantis Credit Union, VP of Digital Banking & Remote Channels
• Heidi Worker, Chartway Federal Credit Union, Director of Communications 

“Joining i3 offers me the opportunity to connect and collaborate with diverse, forward-thinking credit union thought-leaders and change-makers,” said David Hullet, VP of Commercial Lending & New Business Ventures, and one of two new i3 participants from WEOKIE FCU.  

“It is exciting to be part of a group of credit union professionals who focus on overcoming challenges facing credit unions,” said Korey McMahon, WEOKIE FCU’s Chief Growth Officer. “These connections that are made with other i3ers are going to be beneficial for many years to come.” 

Filene i3 members work in cross-functional teams to explore and address the credit union industry’s most pressing challenges. Participants learn cutting-edge innovation competencies grounded in three core categories: Facilitating Innovation, Accelerating Learning, and Leading Change. Learn more about the program and learning modules at filene.org/i3.  

“I am both humbled and honored to have been selected for the Filene i3 program,” said Marella Nardotti, NextMark CU’s VP of Marketing. “I believe that i3 will help me elevate my fiery passion for the movement and provide me with the tools to tackle industry challenges and gain new insights towards becoming a market leader. I look forward to digging deeper and understanding how and why our members transact with us, what their diverse needs are, and what we can do to better serve them. Ultimately, it’s all about anticipating those needs, and redefining what’s possible.”

The new i3 members begin their two-year development journey following Filene’s GAC Breakfast later this month, and will present their progress to-date to the credit union industry at Filene’s big.bright.minds in October. Meanwhile, i3 Wave 16 completes its second year in the program. A ceremony will be held for the graduating i3 class on March 30 with all active i3 participants and their organizations invited join in celebration of Wave 16’s accomplishments.

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About Filene: Filene Research Institute strengthens organizations through innovative research and incubation to improve consumer financial well-being. As an independent cooperative finance think tank, Filene’s membership network connects a community of leaders and bright minds to change lives through innovation, truth and cooperation. In addition to delivering cutting-edge, actionable academic research, Filene also provides incubators to test and scale solutions, events to spark organizations into action and advisory services to help accelerate and implement innovation. For more information, visit filene.org and @fileneresearch.