Speakers

Royce is host of the Leadership Experiment with Royce and Mia podcast. Listen on iTunes or anywhere else you get your podcasts or visit www.royceandmia.com.

Mia Perez is the SVP of Culture + Employee Experience at North Carolina State Employees CU, the nation’s second largest credit union. She is the past Chair of the Credit Union National Association’s Marketing & Business Development Council Executive Committee. In 2016, Mia was named as a Woman to Watch by the Credit Union Times and as a Credit Union Rock Star by Credit Union Magazine. She received her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Tulane University, a master’s degree in Leadership and HR Development from LSU, and is a graduate of CUNA Marketing & Business Development Certification School where she earned her Credit Union Certified Marketing Executive (CUCME) designation, where she is currently an instructor.

Mia is host of the Leadership Experiment with Royce and Mia podcast. Listen on iTunes or anywhere else you get your podcasts or visit www.royceandmia.com. 

As the Chief Technology Officer for a Digital Marketing Agency, Derek Barka works with organizations including many financial institutions to define a strategic combination of engaging digital experiences, marketing strategies, data, and technology solutions to deliver personalized 1-to-1 experiences. With decades of technology experience, Derek has helped to create many of the tools that marketers use today to manage websites and digital marketing campaigns. He has helped create numerous award-winning websites and digital experiences.

Mike Bartoo spent 20 years in the credit union industry in numerous executive positions, including VP and EVP roles overseeing Lending, Operations, Marketing & Business Development and Sales & Service. He also concurrently served as President/CEO of a wholly owned CUSO providing personal lines insurance and financial planning products.  
 
For 12 years, Mike was a Regional Sales Manager for MARQUIS. Since 2016, he has been the SVP-Client Relationships and is responsible for assisting MARQUIS client executives leverage their data and focus their strategic sales and marketing objectives on producing results.  He is a nationally recognized speaker, speaking at over 50 Credit Union events over the past 15 years.

Nick Chiamardashas been working with financial institutions since he was 16 (yes, it was legal!). After starting a career in CU marketing out of college, he developed a passion for helping credit unions achieve sustainable growth through invited disruption using marketing communications and strategy, process improvement, product development, digital platform management, and puns. 

Before starting his career, Nick earned a master’s degree in Marketing Communications and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management from Florida State University. 

Natalie Crain leads voice of customer listening strategies, customer research and customer experience consultant practices to build a deeper understanding of our customer, both B2B and B2C. The Customer Experience Management (CXM) capability is charged with building empathy for customer needs and perceptions of their experiences with our business. CXM has developed research and insights tools to enable interactions with customers at multiple levels while translating those insights to inform Design Personas, Customer Journey Maps that enable future state designs aimed at delivering a seamless customer experience. 

Natalie joined CUNA Mutual Group in September 2015. Prior to joining CUNA Mutual Group, she held positions at REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) and Lands’ End. Her roles ranged from Strategy development thru execution of Marketing Communications, Media, Analytics, Co-Op Loyalty, Co-branded Credit Cards and Direct Mail. Natalie has extensive leadership experience in establishing Digital as a core business driver in marketing.

Sean Cunningham has been with Marquis for over 15 years and is currently SVP, Regional Manager. Prior to joining Marquis, Sean was Chief Marketing & Retail Officer with a community bank in Illinois.

Jeffrey Dillon leads Digital Experience for CUNA Mutual Group covering areas including digital development, marketing, servicing, connectivity, and user experiences. He joined CUNA Mutual Group in February of 2018 after spending 15 years with Capital One and HSBC focused on digital media, online experiences, and digital analytics for a wide range of financial products. Over that time, Jeffrey  developed digital solutions for financial products ranging from retail banking to mortgages, pre-paid to credit cards, and small business to commercial banking for consumers across the income spectrum including the unbanked, non-prime, prime, and high net worth. 

Jeffrey earned his bachelor’s degree in Decision Science from Miami University in Oxford Ohio, and his Juris Doctor from Loyola Chicago School of Law. Additionally, he has been featured as a speaker in several digital media, advertising, and user experience forums.

Mike Dinneen is SVP of Marketing for $4 billion, Philadelphia-based American Heritage Credit Union. Mike oversees a 14-person team responsible for advertising, content, digital marketing, social media, automation, analytics, public relations, and creative services for American Heritage and its CUSO partners. The American Heritage team has been awarded for marketing excellence by CUNA, CrossStates Association, Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association, and Public Relations Society of America, as well as by Financial Brand as a Power 100 Credit Union Using social media. Previously, he was SVP and Director of Marketing, Product and Investor Relations at Sun National Bank, a $2.5 billion institution that operated in New Jersey and New York. Mike holds an MBA from DeSales University, a BSJ from West Virginia University, and Certificate in Strategy and Digital Marketing from Cornell University. Mike is a member of the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council and serves on the Diamond Awards Committee.

Juliet D’Ambrosio is Managing Director of Strategy for Adrenaline, a brand experience company that creates and implements end-to-end branded experiences through creative and environmental design. A journalist turned strategist, for nearly 20 years Juliet has worked with both B2B and consumer brands in researching their core truths, unearthing their audiences’ needs, and translating those insights into a powerful creative strategy that drives results.

Khalilah Elliott is the Founder & Chief Disruptor of  Gafford Communications, a revolutionary consulting firm focused on providing deliberate and impactful communications strategies that promote equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) throughout all aspects of a client’s business operations with an emphasis on multicultural marketing, brand management, strategic partnerships, corporate social responsibility, as well as ongoing engagement with internal and external BIPOC audiences. 
 
Prior to launching Gafford Communications, Khalilah worked as a marketing executive for major entertainment brands including Disney Theatrical Group and the world-famous Apollo Theater and throughout her career has worked with a number of major brands promoting multicultural initiatives including Coca-Cola, Live Nation, Essence Magazine and Festival, HBO, BET, Fox, MSNBC, ABC, etc.  She has also managed the marketing departments for off-Broadway companies (Atlantic Theater Company and New York Theatre Workshop) as well as developing multicultural marketing strategies for Broadway productions such as Tony-award winners Hadestown and Aladdin.

Ashish Garg is the co-founder and CEO of Eltropy. Ashish lives by three mottos, which has implemented across his company: a commitment to perfection, fearlessness about telling the truth, and transparency in and out. Following his MBA from the Wharton School and a MSEE from UC Santa Barbara, Ashish found himself in high tech early in his career. In this field, he witnessed the ever changing landscape that is technology & was fascinated by the constant evolutions. From this curiosity came Eltropy, with the ambition to to apply the latest technologies to enterprise processes in order to increase efficiency and engagement.

Jim Gilmore is co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping enterprises conceive and design new ways of adding value to their economic offerings. His ideas have been published in many of the world's leading business publications, including the Harvard Business Review, Investor's Business Daily, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Jim is co-author of The Experience Economy: Competing for Time, Attention, and Money (Harvard Business School Press, 2019) and Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want (also by Harvard Business School Press, 2007), and co-editor of Markets of One (Harvard Business School Press, 2000). He also wrote Look: A Practical Guide for Improving Your Observational Skills (Greenleaf Book Group, 2016). Jim is an assistant professor in the Innovation and Design department in the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, a Batten Fellow at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and a Visiting Lecturer in Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California.

Janelle Herrera is a results-driven marketing executive with 20+ years of traditional, digital, social, omnichannel, and eCommerce experience. At On Tap, she creates marketing strategies that leverage data and digital expertise, ensuring personalized and impactful messages are communicated to members based on their needs. As a result, the credit union has experienced a 10X increase in relevant leads to the Credit Union. Before On Tap, Janelle led advertising and shopper marketing for a range of Fortune 500 clients: Pampers, Kellogg’s, Duracell, IHOP, and Coca-Cola. 

With an educational background in broadcast journalism, Anna Hockett has been a national strategic account executive for multiple software companies throughout the last 14 years. She has successfully built her personal brand throughout that time and has used that to help her gain new clients, partners, connections, mentors, strategic alliances, and even friendships.  
 
Using what some might think to be a motivation mindset as well as some self-discovery, Anna believes everyone has something special to share with this world. She will work with you to help figure out "what makes your light shine" and how to share that light with those around you, in conjunctions with building your personal brand. 

Tracy Jackson, Founder and CEO of HR E-Z, Inc. is a highly engaging human resources leader, executive, and speaker. With over 20 years of business experience, and more than 15 years as an executive, she has extensive knowledge building and overseeing top-performing HR departments and teams across a variety of industries. She is a graduate of San Diego State University and has achieved the designations of Senior Professional in HR (SPHR) and Senior Certified Professional from Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP). Before starting her own company, she was CHRO at SAFE Credit Union, and VP of HR at Golden 1 Credit Union.  
 
Tracy is an advocate for foster youth, children, women, people of color and other underrepresented groups. She is a member of numerous boards and advisory groups. Tracy has spoken at numerous conferences, seminars including CUNA and has been interviewed on various podcasts.

Ben Maxim joined MSU Federal Credit Union in 2007 and currently serves in a dual role as Vice President of Digital Strategy and Innovation for MSUFCU and as Chief Technology Officer for MSUFCU’s wholly-owned CUSO Reseda Group and its subsidiaries Spave and Ever Green 3C. He is responsible for assessing emerging trends, providing strategic direction for digital channels, and facilitating innovation throughout the Credit Union including leading their innovation center The Lab at MSUFCU. He is also responsible for the technology and product pillars of Reseda Group and its subsidiaries including Spave, a financial wholeness fintech and Ever Green 3C a financial education and consulting CUSO.  Maxim began work initially as a Web Developer and in 2014 became E-Commerce Manager before moving into roles including AVP of Software Development. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a professional certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Stanford University.

Chris Otey is the Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at CU 2.0 and the Chairman of the Board at South Bay Credit Union. In his role with CU 2.0 Chris is looking to create partnerships between FinTech providers and credit unions to allow them to compete and thrive in a constantly changing digital environment. Chris has been on the Board of Directors at South Bay Credit Union since 2007 and became the Chairman in 2017. He earned a BA in Communications from California State University, Northridge. 

Nikkia is Director of Consumer Insights at Netflix. Nikkia is a visionary, thought leader and change agent in the arenas of innovation and marketing strategy, product development, organizational design and team culture enhancement. She is incredibly passionate about leaving everything she touches - people + product - better than she found it and has found success doing so by artfully challenging the status quo, thoughtfully asking the questions which others are often afraid to and dedicating her time to coaching and mentoring young people, often those in marginalized groups, so that they can grow and thrive, not just in their day-to-day team environments, but also in their careers.

Financial services marketing veteran and Pannos Marketing President, Jim Pannos, has led the agency in its journey to becoming an industry pioneer since 1994. As a former banker with over 30 years of bank marketing and sales experience under his belt, Jim has a comprehensive knowledge of the ins and outs of the financial world.  
 
This expertise, in conjunction with his strategic mindset, creative eye and knack for creative thinking, has proven to be invaluable to clients looking to gain a competitive edge. Jim has a passion for initiating and fostering lasting business relationships with clients to help them achieve ultimate success. He cultivates a professional working environment in which the team is encouraged to push boundaries and explore innovative ideas.

After 15 years of serving credit unions from the vendor side, Chris Stengle joined Canvas Credit Union and the credit union movement in 2012. Since then, he has been largely responsible for managing and nurturing relationships with the credit union’s many SEG and community partners including Colorado State University, the University of Denver, and Denver International Airport. In addition, Chris frequently represents Canvas in the business community, serving on the boards of numerous community focused organizations; most recently as Board Chair for the Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau. He is a 2017 graduate of Western CUNA Management School in Pomona, California, and has become a passionate advocate for furthering the ambitions of Canvas and the entire credit union movement.  

Samantha “Sam” Strickland knows credit unions. After leading marketing for 13 years at First Commerce CU, Sam started The Pod, a creative services firm with expertise in the credit union industry. Sam’s Emmy-Award-winning team provides services like branding, website development, video production and more for credit unions of all sizes. 
 
Before starting her professional career, Sam earned master’s and bachelor’s Degrees in Communications from Florida State University. 

Paul Tonnelli has over 25 years of creative leadership, strategy development, and brand building experience, having led campaigns for numerous national brands as well as many community-based Financial Institutions across all channels. With a focus on utilizing audience insights to develop targeted messaging and visual stopping power, Paul has delivered successful brand campaigns in the traditional, broadcast, and digital lanes. His extensive background driving national marketing campaigns for Goodyear Tire, GMAC Financial (Ally Financial), General Motors, AT&T along with other well-known brands brings valuable insight, guidance, and leadership to his current role as VP, Creative Director for Pannos Marketing - rebranding, refreshing, and reinforcing the power of brand. 

Dan Tyre is a 14-year-veteran of HubSpot, hired as employee number six. While initially the first salesperson, Dan has since helped expand the sales team through management, recruiting, and training. He is also a frequent contributor to the HubSpot Sales Blog and coined the term "Smarketing" to describe the necessary alignment between sales and marketing.  
 
Outside of HubSpot, Dan leverages his 42 years of multidisciplinary business experience in sales, marketing, and service to help scale fast-growing companies and coach those that want to harness the power of Inbound Marketing to improve their bottom line. In April 2018, he published a book with Wiley Business Press with Todd Hockenberry called Inbound Organization: How to Build and Strengthen Your Company's Future Using Inbound Principles, and he regularly shares his knowledge through guest appearances on podcasts and as a speaker at worldwide events.  

Tonita Webb was named the CEO of Verity Credit Union in early 2021, the first woman and the first Black American to be named CEO in the organization’s history. She continues to move Verity forward in socially responsible banking to create vibrant communities. Tonita brings a strong vision for harnessing financial tools, data, and technology, with a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion, to enhance the lives of underserved members of the community.

As an Air Force veteran, an MBA and mother of four, Tonita leads by example and gives herself freely to her community work. She currently serves the boards for Southeast Effective Development (SEED) and Pioneer Human Services. She is a champion of diversity and inclusion and is a frequent public speaker on the subject.

Ariel Bilskey has been in the industry since 2001 – first as a credit union marketer and now as the Sr. director of learning strategy at CUNA. She’s a past president of a WI credit union chapter, as well as a recipient of multiple industry awards including a CUNA Diamond award, two Dora Maxwell awards, and numerous League Marketer’s Choice awards. She earned the CUDE designation in 2019. Ariel was honored with the President’s Award from the Stateline Boys & Girls Club for her dedication to giving back to her community. She’s also a two-time Tough Mudder finisher.  
 
Ariel holds a BA in Mass Communications with an emphasis in PR from Winona State University. She also earned her EMT-B certification from Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, WI and was a volunteer EMT. 

Carol Cochran founded Horse & Dragon Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2014 with her husband Tim (and the bankers). She has a degree in Human Biology from Stanford and in secondary education from the University of Alabama – neither of which prepared her for entrepreneurship. With Horse & Dragon, Carol and Tim are learning of the challenges and uplifting possibilities that accompany starting and running a small manufacturing business that is focused on the triple bottom line. With an enormous appreciation for the community of Fort Collins and the Horse & Dragon team, she counts herself lucky to be doing what she's doing.

Kathryn Davis is President and CEO at Valley First Credit Union, one of the Central Valley’s leading financial service providers, where she is committed to delivering banking services with a purpose. As a credit union veteran, she has spent nearly 30 years working in financial cooperatives as a consumer advocate for affordable financial products, access to fair credit, and affordable housing. Her passion for financial health started during her early years in credit union marketing. 

Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University California of Riverside and a Master of Arts degree from Chapman University. She also holds a Certified Chief Executive designation through studies from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, and Darden, University of Virginia.

Chronicles Distilling is a veteran-owned family distillery, run by Chase and Aaron Lesher, two Marine Corps veterans who also happen to be brothers. The Cheyenne, Wyoming-based distillery produces corn-based spirits, distilled in-house, that are bottled and sold for sale to go, as well as used to make cocktails for sale in their bar on the main level. Chase spent five years as a machine gunner and squad leader with 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. As a member of the “Alpha Raiders,” he specialized in amphibious assaults and training foreign military troops. Today, Chase makes the booze, oversees bar operations and bottle sales, manages the distillery’s social media presence and is the face of the distillery in the community.  Our company motto is “Share Your Stories”, because everyone has an interesting story, and you need something to drink while you share it.

Jason Lindstrom has been working in credit unions for over 25 years. He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Evergreen Credit Union in Portland, Maine. Jason is a Credit Union Development Educator and Mentor, a graduate of Western CUNA Management School, a Filene i3 graduate, and the past Chair of the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Long Beach State and holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from University of South Florida. Jason is also serving on the Maine Credit Union League Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, Maine where he is the current Board Treasurer.

Todd Marksberry has served the Canvas Credit Union family as the President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2015. With more than 25 years of executive experience, Todd has a vision to transform financial services. His strategic leadership, drive, and focus on culture nurture high-performance teams who exude passion and purpose. 

Through Todd’s charisma and love for the credit union movement, Canvas assets have grown more than 136% to $3.6 billion. In addition, Canvas now serves over 269,000 family members, an increase of more than 57% since 2015. It is the culture that Todd has created at Canvas, embracing the goal of Helping People Afford Life in Colorado, and driving new and innovative products and services, that has created significant positive impact. Todd’s energy radiates throughout Canvas. He has cultivated a unique atmosphere within the Canvas family to serve not only members, but also their communities, with a whole-hearted approach.

Tiffany Mutchler was highlighted as one of Sioux Falls, SD Up and Comers in April 2020 by Sioux Falls Business Journal and is now a marketing manager. She started her career in sales at a large corporation and then on to be an account executive with a financial institution focus at an advertising firm. With her background in sales and advertising becoming a marketing manager at a financial institution was an easy fit. Juggling her career and personal life isn't always easy but setting goals and having the drive to learn has landed her in a management position at one of Sioux Falls, SD's well-known credit unions. 

Andy Reed is an accomplished senior executive with 17 years of credit union experience and currently serves as the CEO of Security First Credit Union in Edinburg, Texas. He began his credit union career journey at American Airlines Federal Credit and previously served as the CEO at Baylor Health Care System Credit Union and Texas People Federal Credit Union. Andy was the 2013 recipient of the CUNA Business Development Professional of Year award.  

Adam Remshifski is an Analytics & Digital Marketing Connoisseur. He is fascinated by the science behind marketing – figuring out what members want, when they want it, and how to communicate it. He oversees the strategy, implementation, and enrichment of all marketing technology solutions at his credit union including business intelligence, automation, digital experience, and relational databases. His goal is to discover key data points to create personalized experiences for members. 

Adam graduated from The University of Delaware where he researched how mass marketing narratives influence consumers' perspectives. This is what he has spent most of his career doing, but in the lens of how he can positively change credit union members’ financial lives. His team at American Heritage has been awarded for marketing excellence by CUNA, CrossStates Association, Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association, as well as by Financial Brand as a Power 100 Credit Union Using social media.

Tansley Stearns is a dynamic force of nature, fiercely crusading on behalf of all credit unions while tirelessly driving forward the brand image and family spirit of Canvas. She joined Canvas Credit Union in April 2018 and has spent every moment since amplifying the credit union’s ability to transform lives with her innovative marketing, brand, communications, people, retail, and strategy efforts. Tansley leads the people of Canvas with a bright fire and desire for greatness that is passed down with every interaction with our team.

Tansley brings with her more than 20 years of credit union leadership experience, including roles in research, sales, service, and government relations to Canvas. Immediately before joining Canvas, Tansley served as Chief Impact Officer at Filene Research Institute where she played a pivotal role in building bridges between credit unions, academia, and Silicon Valley. 

Lorrell Walter subscribes to three leadership mantras: Give credit where credit is due; Praise in public, criticize in private; Don’t ask someone to do something if you won’t do it yourself. With 20+ years in marketing/communications and 16 years in senior management, Lorrell has been instrumental in elevating the reputation of her credit union. She is active in her community and in the CUNA M&BD Council. Lorrell is a proud Diamond Award winner and received the council’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year award. She is a Kiwanis member and Girl Scout leader and serves on the board of directors for the Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative, Air Force Association, and Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. 

Originally from Minnesota, Anna Zesbaugh ventured out to Colorado in 2014 to study Hospitality Management at the University of Denver. She had been working in corporate events for two years after graduation when the pandemic hit - events were quickly untenable, and of course her job too. In March of 2020, the mayor of Denver declared liquor stores non-essential businesses and ordered them closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It was like prohibition all over again, people were scared, they were socializing in different ways. People still wanted to connect, but it was likely sitting in the backyard spread out as opposed to at a bar. Anna couldn’t get “Hooch” and “Booch” out of her head - Hooch referring to what alcohol was often called in the 1920s, and Booch referring to kombucha. Daydreams turned into business plans, and Hooch Booch was born.