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...
Anchored in financial discipline, community focus, and statewide relevance
Credit unions were never meant to be mini-banks. Yet too many are managing their balance sheets like institutions designed for Wall Street, not Main Street. Somewhere along the way, the movement’s financial engine became more cautious than catalytic. It’s time to reframe lending not as a risk, but as a responsibility—and revisit a once-obvious idea:...
Generating Revenue from Member Data—Ethically, Transparently, and Aligned with the Movement
How Credit Unions Can Leverage Alternative Assets Without Losing Their Soul
Launching CU-Owned Innovation Hubs Without Losing the Mission
Why Liquidity Alone Doesn’t Protect—and What True Agility Looks Like