Print
September 2026 DE cohort photo from the National Credit Union Foundation.
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Madison, Wisconsin, where I completed the National Credit Union Foundation’s Credit Union Development Education (DE) program and earned my Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) designation.
As the Maine Credit Union League’s Director of Communications & Social Impact, much of my work centers on telling the credit union story, strengthening communities, and helping advance the financial well-being of Maine people. DE gave me an opportunity to step away from my everyday responsibilities and explore those pieces of our mission from an entirely new perspective—and it was quite literally one of the most transformative weeks of my career to-date.
I entered the week nervous about participating in an intensive training alongside 53 strangers, with no agenda provided in advance. Within hours, however, the impact of the program—and the relationships we were beginning to build—quickly outweighed those nerves.
Throughout the week, we were challenged to think differently about our movement, our communities, and the people we serve. We explored how our cooperative principles and values can guide our work, while also examining the importance of understanding the true needs of our members rather than relying on assumptions. When we take the time to understand the challenges people are actually facing, we are better equipped to meet them where they are and help elevate them toward greater financial well-being.
Simonds (right) harvested tomatoes with some of her team.
While I don’t want to spoil the magic of DE for anyone who has yet to join a DE cohort, I do want to share one experience I won’t soon forget: volunteering at Forward Garden, a volunteer-run program working to supply 40,000 pounds of food to Madison-area pantries this year for families experiencing food insecurity. Given our work with Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, the experience was especially meaningful and reinforced something I see throughout our movement every day: when people unite around a shared purpose, we can create tremendous impact.
A group of volunteers gathered at Forward Garden to support Madison’s food insecure population.
DE also transformed the way I think about my own ability to make a difference. I realized that I’ve had more within me all along—I simply needed an experience that challenged me to unlock that potential. I returned to Maine with greater confidence, new friendships with credit union professionals from across the country, and countless ideas for creating stronger communities here at home.
Perhaps most importantly, DE reinforced that you don’t need a particular title, years of experience, or an enormous platform to create meaningful change. At any level and with any amount of experience, each of us has the ability to make a lasting impact and work toward a better tomorrow.
I am now serving the League and our credit unions feeling more rooted in purpose and connected to something bigger than myself. That is something I believe all of us who work within the credit union movement share. Whatever our individual roles may be, people are at the very center of our mission.
I truly can’t say enough about the DE experience, and I encourage credit union employees across Maine to consider participating in a future class. Keep your eye out; 2027 registration is launching this fall!
DE is an opportunity to challenge yourself, expand your perspective, build meaningful relationships with peers from across the movement, and reconnect with the purpose behind the work we do every day. Whether you are just beginning your credit union career or have been part of the movement for years, there is something incredibly valuable about stepping outside your day-to-day role and exploring what it really means to put our cooperative values into action.
Some of my biggest takeaways from the “Best Week Ever” with the “Best Class Ever” were simple but powerful:
- Lessons leave, but relationships stay.
- If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
- Make a difference whenever and wherever you can.
- Let your values guide you.
- And, perhaps most importantly, trust the process.
For Maine credit union professionals interested in taking that next step, I encourage you to learn more about the DE program and explore the just-launched scholarship opportunities for 2027.
I am incredibly grateful to the National Credit Union Foundation and the DE facilitators and mentors who created a space where our class could learn, grow, be vulnerable, and discover a deeper sense of purpose. I’m equally grateful to my League leadership for giving me the opportunity to experience DE and grow both personally and professionally.
And to my fellow DEs, I hope you’ll reach out! I would love to continue building connections, sharing ideas, and finding new ways to put what we’ve learned into action.
I returned home inspired, energized, and ready to get to work. The opportunities ahead to strengthen our credit unions, improve financial well-being, and create stronger communities across Maine are vast. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together.
Simonds’ team from the Best Class Ever!