Richard is an academically trained futurist and chief executive of Vision Foresight Strategy LLC (VFS), a foresight and strategic analysis firm based in Honolulu.  His professional interests include the futures of governance, conflict and security, and industrialism.  VFS’s current project work includes supporting foresight efforts in the US Department of Defense, a national effort to rethink health in the US, and modeling and forecasting for a $10 billion educational institution.  Richard’s current and recent work for the Department of Defense includes research and concept work for distributed warfare, the F-35 Lightning II Program Office, the SOF community, and research and foresight work in support of Strategic Capabilities Office – West, as well as speaking at the Naval War College, SOFWERX and the Association of the United States Army LANPAC Symposium. 

Richard has worked with a wide variety of non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, and government agencies on foresight, strategy development, and strategic thinking.  He has conducted foresight and strategy work on projects for organizations such as the European Commission, the UK government, the US Department of Defense, NASA, and PepsiCo.  He has helped organizations apply foresight and develop strategy for endeavors ranging from the restoration of ancient Hawaiian island land management divisions to crowdsourcing foresight development to helping educators in the US anticipate the long-term futures of learning. 

Richard is the author of 4 Steps to the Future: A Quick and Clean Guide to Creating Foresight and his contributions were featured in the book Thinking about the Future: Guidelines for Strategic Foresight (2006).  He has been published in the Journal of Futures Studies, the journal Futures, and the International Journal of System of Systems Engineering.  He is the co-creator of the Verge General Practice Framework for foresight work, a framework used by foresight practitioners throughout the UK, in Europe, Africa, and Asia for horizon scanning, scenario development, and visioning work.   

Richard is an Affiliated Scholar at Georgetown University.  He holds a PhD in Political Science from the futures studies program at the University of Hawai‘i.  His dissertation research focused on developing a conceptual framework for designing future governance systems.

James This is a nationally recognized consultant, facilitator and trainer in the areas of strategic planning, leadership development, interpersonal communication and marketing.  Jim is one of the principals of James L. This and Associates.  He is probably best known as a founding partner of The Paragon Group – one of the most respected consulting firms in the credit union industry.  Through these companies, Jim has helped credit unions for over twenty-five years.

Jim’s specialties include strategic planning, executive recruitment, leadership development and executive assessment.  He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and schools and one of the creators of the Volunteer Leadership Institute.  The Institute is the premiere source of continuing education for credit union volunteers.

Jim earned his BA from Wake Forest University and his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.  He holds the title of Senior Professional in Human Resources from the Society for Human Resource Management.

Jim’s career has found him in three arenas—financial services, teaching and management consulting.  During his long association with the Washington State Employees Credit Union he held key positions as Marketing Manager and Executive Vice President.  He has taught at the University of Southern California, the University of Texas, Permian Basin, St. Martin’s College, South Puget Sound Community College and The Evergreen State College.

Jim is an avid golfer and proud grandfather.

Born on Christmas Day, 1964, the world should never have heard of Devon Harris. He was raised in one of the most violent slums of Kingston, Jamaica yet he graduated from the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England and served as an officer in the Jamaica Defence Force. He started off as a barefoot boy trying to win a track race and became a member of his country's first Olympic bobsled team. Circumstances and others constantly told him it was impossible but at every step of the way he, kept on pushing and found a way to make it possible.

Encouraged by his commanding officer, Devon tried out for and was selected to the first Jamaican bobsled team which competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary, Canada. Their exploits inspired the Disney blockbuster movie Cool Runnings. Devon also competed in and was captain of the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France and the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan.

The Keep On Pushing Foundation which he founded in 2006 aims to support and enhance the education of kids in disadvantaged communities by providing practical solutions to the challenges that are preventing them from getting educated. Devon's work has made a significant difference in the lives of the students attending his old elementary school as well as other schools in the communities surrounding his old neighborhood.

As an ex-serviceman, Devon understands the commitment, sense of duty and sacrifices made by those who volunteer to serve. As a private citizen he is cognizant of the fact that the freedoms he enjoys are paid for by the courage and sacrifice of these men and women. As a result he has also devoted time to visit the troops serving in the Persian Gulf and around the United States.

Devon also works with Right to Play as an athlete ambassador, supporting Right to Play's efforts in using sports and play in refugee camps around the world to enhance child development and build community capacity.

He is the author of the motivational children's book, Yes, I Can! and the semi-auto-biographical motivational book Keep On Pushing: Hot Lesson From Cool Runnings.

Frank J. Diekmann is Cooperator-in-Chief and co-founder of CUToday.info, a digital news and collaboration platform that is now the #1 provider of organic reporting, opinion, analysis, video and other resources to credit unions than any other provider.  Mr. Diekmann has an extensive background in credit union industry reporting and editing. Prior to founding CUToday.info, Mr. Diekmann founded Credit Union Journal, and prior to that cofounded Credit Union Times.

Before covering credit unions, Mr. Diekmann covered the nation’s banking industry. He began his editorial career working as a sports reporter with the Cincinnati Post, before making the natural segue into credit unions.  Mr. Diekmann is a frequent speaker, having addressed CU meetings from Sydney to Prague and all of the U.S., and also regularly serves as a judge in various organizations’ marketing and awards competitions. He is the only journalist to ever graduate from the National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education program, and is now certified as an International Credit Union Development Educator.

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Diekmann is also the author of three books: Cathode Ray’s, The Bawl Game and The Flip Flop.

As the Chief Experience Officer at Callahan & Associates, Alix Patterson continually pushes the firm’s technology, marketing and media, and advisory services teams to consider how to create a better client experience.

Alix has dedicated more than 20 years to helping Callahan support credit unions and supplier organizations, and she has had a strong hand in shaping the industry-leading resources the firm offers today. She helped launched Callahan’s Executive Roundtables program in 2011 and continues to ensure the discussion, networking, and camaraderie opportunities they offer make them among the best events offered in the industry.

Coursework completed while earning an MBA from Oxford highlighted for Alix the link between social entrepreneurship and credit unions, which she sees as the original drivers for community-based solutions to social, cultural, and environmental issues. When she’s not leading the charge for a better client experience or moderating roundtable discussions, Alix can be found speaking at credit union conferences, facilitating strategic planning sessions, and hosting webinars. The relationships she’s cultivated with credit union leaders allow her to identify common challenges, which Callahan then addresses through data, research, articles, and more.

Alix is a recognized leader in the credit union industry, but her desire to improve the lives of others doesn’t end with the cooperative movement. As president of the Wilson Crew Boosters, she helps athletes in the D.C. Public School system compete at the highest level of youth rowing. In her time away from credit unions and crew, Alix enjoys reading, photography, and exploring the world with her two sons and husband of 19 years.

Matt Fullbrook is a board effectiveness researcher and consultant, and is the manager of the David & Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation at the Rotman School of Management. Under his direction, the Rotman School has evolved into the central hub of governance research in Canada. Matt oversaw the development and execution of all of the Centre’s projects, including the Globe & Mail's Board Games governance ratings, various Pay/Performance studies, credit union board research, and an ongoing study of the governance of family firms. As an independent consultant, Matt has advised dozens of boards of directors as an educator, facilitator and researcher, helping them to maximize their effectiveness through the development and implementation of valuable governance processes, policies and structures.

Michael Carter has more than 20 years of executive technology leadership ranging from early-stage start-ups to international organizations. His career in financial services stretches over 30 years. He was the CMO for the S1 Corporation and served in several management roles at ACI Worldwide including an assignment in London overseeing product development, management and marketing in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  As an executive vice president at SRM, he is responsible for long term strategy, serves as a subject matter expert on digital banking strategies and trends and is product owner for SRM’s AI-powered solutions.

Carter has been featured as a speaker at Finovate, NetFinance, NetFinance Interactive, CBA Live and Future Digital Finance.  He is regularly quoted in the media regarding trends in payments, mobile wallets, consumer experience, digital banking strategies, Millennials, data analytics, P2P payments, bill pay, and banking as a platform.  Carter also contributes content as a guest writer in industry publications and as a featured guest on podcasts.  

Jim Stickley has stolen credit cards, hacked Social Security numbers, robbed banks, and created fake ATMs. He has broken into armed government facilities and has stolen from teenagers. He is an identity thief, but he is no criminal. Fortunately for all victims involved, Stickley is a cybersecurity expert with over 20 years in the industry who was hired to perform these attacks by corporations testing their security, news agencies investigating security concerns, and other media outlets interested in knowing just how easy it is to commit identity theft. His job is to find security flaws before the real criminals and warn people and organizations about what they can do to protect themselves.

Stickley is a published author and has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers including Time Magazine, Business Week, Fortune Magazine and New York Times. He has also been showcased on numerous television shows including NBC's "Nightly News", CNN's "NewsNight", CNBC's "The Big Idea", Anderson Cooper's "Anderson" and is a frequent guest on NBC's "Today Show.” You can also see Stickley almost any night of the week as the featured cybersecurity expert for LifeLock infomercials.

Frank J. Diekmann is Cooperator-in-Chief and co-founder of CUToday.info, a digital news and collaboration platform that is now the #1 provider of organic reporting, opinion, analysis, video and other resources to credit unions than any other provider.  Mr. Diekmann has an extensive background in credit union industry reporting and editing. Prior to founding CUToday.info, Mr. Diekmann founded Credit Union Journal, and prior to that cofounded Credit Union Times.

Before covering credit unions, Mr. Diekmann covered the nation’s banking industry. He began his editorial career working as a sports reporter with the Cincinnati Post, before making the natural segue into credit unions.  Mr. Diekmann is a frequent speaker, having addressed CU meetings from Sydney to Prague and all of the U.S., and also regularly serves as a judge in various organizations’ marketing and awards competitions. He is the only journalist to ever graduate from the National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education program, and is now certified as an International Credit Union Development Educator.

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Diekmann is also the author of three books: Cathode Ray’s, The Bawl Game and The Flip Flop.

Matt Fullbrook is a board effectiveness researcher and consultant, and is the manager of the David & Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation at the Rotman School of Management. Under his direction, the Rotman School has evolved into the central hub of governance research in Canada. Matt oversaw the development and execution of all of the Centre’s projects, including the Globe & Mail's Board Games governance ratings, various Pay/Performance studies, credit union board research, and an ongoing study of the governance of family firms. As an independent consultant, Matt has advised dozens of boards of directors as an educator, facilitator and researcher, helping them to maximize their effectiveness through the development and implementation of valuable governance processes, policies and structures.

Byron Gangnes is Professor of Economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Senior Research Fellow with UHERO. He specializes in international macroeconomics and forecasting and is also a leading authority on the economy of Hawaii.

Byron earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound and a  Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He has held visiting appointments at a number of prestigious institutions and is an affiliated researcher with Project LINK, the United Nations macroeconomic forecasting program.

He has written extensively on economic policy issues affecting the U.S. and Asian economies. Recent articles study the impact of aging on global patterns of trade and finance,  the effectiveness of US economic stimulus programs, and the implications of global value chain production arrangements.

For his numerous outreach activities, Byron was awarded the Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Award for Faculty Service to the Community. He is the recipient of a College of Social Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, and is an alumni member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Francis School, Honolulu.

Byron and his wife, Hilary, live in Honolulu. They have two adult daughters living on the U.S. mainland.

Lucy Ito is president and CEO of the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS)—the voice for the state credit union system.  NASCUS fosters a unique working collaboration between state credit union regulators and credit union practitioners.  NASCUS advocates for a robust dual charter credit union system that mutually and equitably benefits both state and federally chartered credit unions.  Ultimately, NASCUS works to advance the personal finance interests of American families and businesses by not only maintaining the safety and soundness of credit unions but by also preserving credit unions as a competitive option for consumers and enabling credit unions to respond to state and community needs.

Ms. Ito previously served as executive vice president and chief operations officer of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues (CCUL/NCUL).  She also formerly served as senior vice president of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), where she worked on technical programs and legislative and regulatory issues primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific.

Ms. Ito earned a B.A. in economics and Asian studies from the University of California-Berkeley and an M.A. in linguistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her post-graduate work includes research as a Regents’ Fellow at the University of California-Santa Cruz and she is a graduate of the CUES Advanced Leadership Institute at Harvard Business School.

Dennis Tanimoto has been President/CEO of Hawaii Credit Union League and its wholly-owned subsidiary, HCU Services Corporation, since July 1992. Prior to joining the League, he was an officer at two community banks in Hawaii for a combined total of 19 years.

At the League, Dennis is actively involved in advocating on legislative and regulatory matters to create a favorable environment for credit unions, educating credit union volunteers and management about topical issues facing the credit union movement, facilitating credit union strategic planning sessions, conducting research on the financial performance of Hawaii’s credit unions, and assisting credit unions in regulatory compliance. He is also involved in public advocacy to raise awareness of credit unions and what differentiates not-for-profit credit unions from for-profit financial service providers.

Dennis is one of five executives in Hawaii who holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) professional designation conferred by the American Society of Association Executives. He received his bachelor of business administration and master of business administration degrees from the University of Hawaii, and is a life member of Beta Gamma Sigma national honor society. A graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington, he also earned all three certificates then awarded by the American Institute of Banking.

Byron Gangnes is Professor of Economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Senior Research Fellow with UHERO. He specializes in international macroeconomics and forecasting and is also a leading authority on the economy of Hawaii.

Byron earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound and a  Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He has held visiting appointments at a number of prestigious institutions and is an affiliated researcher with Project LINK, the United Nations macroeconomic forecasting program.

He has written extensively on economic policy issues affecting the U.S. and Asian economies. Recent articles study the impact of aging on global patterns of trade and finance,  the effectiveness of US economic stimulus programs, and the implications of global value chain production arrangements.

For his numerous outreach activities, Byron was awarded the Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Award for Faculty Service to the Community. He is the recipient of a College of Social Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, and is an alumni member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Francis School, Honolulu.

Byron and his wife, Hilary, live in Honolulu. They have two adult daughters living on the U.S. mainland.

Kirk Kordeleski is an Executive Benefit Consultant at OM Financial Group. Before joining OM, Kirk served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, the largest community credit union in the Northeast, for 15 years. During his tenure, Bethpage was awarded the largest federal charter in the country and doubled its size every five years, growing from $950M to $6B. 

Among his achievements as CEO, Kordeleski helped create large-scale collaborations in both technology and back room operations, the first such collaborations in the industry. Prior to taking the CEO position at Bethpage, he was the credit union’s EVP for seven years.  Before joining Bethpage, Kirk served as a Director on the Executive Team of Bank Fund Staff FCU for seven years. 

Kirk has started up 2 consulting firms, acted as senior managing partner at an industry leading professional services firm, was instrumental in starting up a blockchain ID CUSO and founded a marketplace lending Fintech. The consulting firms specialized in credit union strategy, digital transformation, CUSOs and data analytics.

Kirk has also held numerous community leadership positions, including Chairman of Long Island’s top business association, Friends of the Arts, and a board position on the United Way, to name just a few. In his spare time, he enjoys music, collects art and runs really slow. 

Dr. Sekou Bermissis is an Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to his position at UNC he was an Associate Professor of Management at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.  He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY), and a M.S. and Ph.D in Management and Organizations from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Dr. Bermiss’ research is in the area of strategic management and organizational theory. Specifically, he investigates how institutional factors shape the perception of firms by critical stakeholders. His research also explores the antecedents and consequences of human capital mobility and how different forms of employee movement impact a firm’s ability to compete with rivals.  He is a Fellow at the Filene Institute where he leads the research efforts of the ‘War for Talent’ Center of Excellence.  His award-winning research has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, and Research in Organizational Behavior. His research has also been highlighted by Harvard Business Review and National Public Radio.  Before entering academia, Dr. Bermiss worked for Deloitte Consulting in New York City.