In the often-overlooked arena of cooperative finance, few leaders have inspired as enduring a legacy as Thomas (Tom) Lent. As President and CEO of Southland Credit Union in Orange County, California, Lent has spent nearly two decades coaching his team through remarkable growth and quietly championing the credit union movement. His planned retirement in 2026 will close a chapter defined...
From the Corner Office
Eric Petracca: Redefining Leadership in the Credit Union Movement
Every movement has its quiet architects—the leaders who shape culture and strategy not with noise, but with a steady hand and a clear vision. Eric Petracca, President and CEO of iQ Credit Union, is one of them. His path from teller to the corner office is not just a story of professional ascent; it’s a lesson in how humility, humor,...
Featured Stories
The Death of the Primary Relationship: Competing for Member Attention in a Multi-App World
Why “owning the checking account” no longer means owning the member. For decades, credit unions organized their strategy around a...
From Balance Sheets to Ecosystems: The Next Phase of Cooperative Growth
Why the future of credit unions will be built on connections, not capital. For most of their history, credit unions...
Lending in a Zero-Growth World: Competing for Volume in Shrinking Markets
Why the next era of lending won’t be about chasing growth—it’ll be about earning it smarter. For the first time...
Lending in a Zero-Growth World: Competing for Volume in Shrinking Markets
Why credit unions must rethink growth strategy when loan demand is no longer expanding. Credit unions have long relied...
The War for Talent Isn’t Over: Credit Unions vs. Fintech vs. Remote Work
Why talent strategy is becoming as critical as balance sheet strategy in the next decade. Talent used to be an...
Is Member Ownership Still a Differentiator—or Just Nostalgia?
Reexamining the cooperative promise in an era when every institution claims to put customers first. “People over profits” has been...