Jill Nowacki started her career with credit unions in 2001. She has taken on leadership roles at credit unions and state and national trade associations, including serving as the President/CEO of the Credit Union League of Connecticut. In 2019, Jill founded Humanidei, a people operations firm that helps credit unions build inclusive cultures that attract, develop, and retain top talent—from the front line through the Board of Directors. 

By strategically addressing the value of human capital, credit unions can create environments where people bring their best, authentic selves to work; resulting in diversity in thought, increased innovation, stronger succession planning, and ultimately: Relevant, growing credit unions that expand the economic capacity of the members and communities they serve.  

Throughout her career, Jill has worked with credit union leadership across the country to introduce business and human capital strategies that lead to growth. She is a sought-after speaker and thought leader on the topics of leadership, diversity, and strategic planning. 

Jill holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Montana and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Public Relations from Carroll College (Helena, Montana). She is a certified International Credit Union Development Educator, a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE). 

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 thirty 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.

Frank J. Diekmann is the credit union industry's most experienced veteran reporter, having founded multiple publications within the industry and having covered credit union news from Sydney to Ukraine, and in all 50 states.

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 around the world 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 five books: Cathode Ray’s, The Bawl Game, The Flip Flop, The Last Lyric and 501 Name Tags: How Everything You Need to Know About Business Can be Learned at a Conference & Forgotten in the Trade Show.

Todd M. Harper was nominated to serve on the NCUA Board on February 6, 2019. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on March 14, 2019, and he was sworn in as a member of the NCUA Board on April 8, 2019. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., designated him as the NCUA’s twelfth Chairman on January 20, 2021.

As NCUA Board Chairman, Mr. Harper serves as a voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council and represents the NCUA on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council and the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee.

Prior to joining the NCUA Board, Mr. Harper served as director of the agency’s Office of Public and Congressional Affairs and chief policy advisor to former Chairmen Debbie Matz and Rick Metsger. He is the first member of the NCUA’s staff to become an NCUA Board Member and Chairman.

Mr. Harper previously worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as staff director for the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises and as legislative director and senior legislative assistant to former Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pennsylvania). In these roles, he contributed to every major financial services law, from the enactment of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999 through the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010.

During the Great Recession, Mr. Harper coordinated the first congressional hearing to explore the creation of a Temporary Corporate Credit Union Stabilization Fund. He also spearheaded staff efforts in the U.S. House to secure enactment of a law to lower the costs of managing both the Corporate Stabilization Fund and the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.

Mr. Harper led staff negotiations over several sections of the Dodd-Frank Act, including the Kanjorski amendment to empower regulators to preemptively rein in and break up “too-big-to-fail” institutions and proposals to enhance the powers of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He also developed the legislative framework for the bill that created the Federal Insurance Office to monitor domestic and international insurance issues.

Mr. Harper holds an undergraduate degree in business analysis from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a graduate degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Brian Knight was appointed President and CEO on January 1, 2022. He joined NASCUS in 1998 and has served as NASCUS’ general counsel since 2007. In 2014, Mr. Knight was also named executive vice president. In addition to managing NASCUS’ legal affairs, Mr. Knight oversees NASCUS’ legislative and regulatory analysis, policy development, advocacy, and compliance guidance. He also oversees NASCUS’ professional development department and Accreditation and State Programs department.
With an extensive background in both legislative and regulatory analyses and a comprehensive knowledge of the state and federal credit union regulatory system, Mr. Knight often represents NASCUS speaking at seminars, trade association meetings and conferences. Mr. Knight has testified before numerous state legislatures on behalf of state regulatory agencies and participated in industry strategic planning sessions.
In 2005, Mr. Knight developed a Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering compliance conference for examiners and credit unions. Held in partnership with CUNA, the conference today remains the largest credit union specific BSA training in the country.
Mr. Knight earned his law degree from the College of William and Mary school of law. Prior, he earned a B.A in history and political science from Hope College. Mr. Knight is a member of the American Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar.

Byron Gangnes is UHERO Senior Research Fellow and Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 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 several prestigious institutions and has been an affiliated researcher with 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 effect of COVID-19 on trade and the economy, 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 he is an alumni member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has served in volunteer leadership roles with academic, religious, and community organizations.

Byron and his wife, Hilary, now live in New Mexico. They have two adult daughters.

Kris Kovacs leads Constellation Digital Partners as its Founder and CEO, bringing over 30 years of rich experience in the credit union industry. His background is marked by a robust combination of technology and operational expertise, which has been instrumental in his deep understanding of the evolving financial sector.  Before establishing Constellation Digital Partners, Kris dedicated 25 years to serving in credit unions. His tenure was divided between Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, VA, and Coastal Credit Union in Raleigh, NC. At Coastal Credit Union, he held the pivotal role of Chief Information Officer, where he was responsible for driving technological innovation and strategic operations.
 
As a respected voice in the industry, Kris is a frequent speaker on topics relating to technology and innovation. He combines his extensive industry experience with thought leadership in his role as the host of the Fintech Combine Podcast. Further highlighting his commitment to innovation, Kris is a CUES Certified Innovation Executive (CIE), a testament to his expertise and dedication to the field of credit union technology and innovation.

Sarah W. Anderson owns SWA Law LLC and www.LegallyCyber.com, representing public and private entities on cyber incident response, regulatory compliance, and contract negotiations involving technology products and services. Sarah teaches seminars on cybersecurity law across the United States, for non-profits, corporations, trade associations, and government entities. Assisting with over 100 cyber incident responses, Sarah advises leaders and technology professionals on preventing and mitigating liability before, during, and after a cyber incident. She is the author of several items of cybersecurity legislation in Louisiana, recipient of the United States Secret Service Director’s Honors Award for Cybersecurity, and is GIAC certified in the Law of Data Security and Investigations. She is a veteran, continuing to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Prior to founding SWA Law, Sarah was in-house counsel with a technology non-profit and a “big law“ equity partner, focused on toxic tort and property litigation. Sarah is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and Texas, with applications pending in Pennsylvania and Illinois. She graduated from Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center cum laude and the University of Georgia Honor’s College, magna cum laude, where she was also a Distinguished Military Graduate.

Shonda Clay is an executive vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and chief of product and relationship management for Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS). Clay leads integrated product development for the Federal Reserve’s portfolio of payment products and FRFS engagement and communications with financial institutions and the industry more broadly, including customer relations, customer experience, marketing communications and research, and the Federal Reserve’s payment system improvement initiatives. Clay also serves on the Bank’s executive committee, the Bank’s senior decision-making body, and serves as an executive sponsor of a cross-Bank group focused on payments and financial stability.

Prior to her current role, Clay was an executive vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and product manager for the Customer Relations and Support Office (CRSO) and served as director for the Federal Reserve’s Strategies for Improving the U.S. Payment System. Clay’s more than 30-year career with the Federal Reserve began at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. In 2001, she transitioned to the CRSO, headquartered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Since then, Clay has held several leadership positions with increasing responsibility in the areas of customer relations, marketing, industry relations, customer set-up and support and FedLine®.

Clay holds a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University, J.L. Kellogg School of Management, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Texas.

Rex Frazier serves as President of the Personal Insurance Federation of California. He represents PIFC’s member companies before the California State government and provides advice on legislative, regulatory, litigation and political matters.

Prior to joining PIFC, Mr. Frazier was an attorney in Los Angeles with the law firm of Pillsbury Madison & Sutro, focusing on insurance and banking issues. Mr. Frazier previously served as Deputy Insurance Commissioner with the California Department of Insurance as well as legislative staff in the California State Assembly.

Mr. Frazier’s current community service activities include:

• Board Member, California State Firesafe Council, 2022 – Present
• Member, Climate Insurance Working Group, California Department of Insurance, 2019 – Present

Mr. Frazier graduated as valedictorian from McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific, and was an Adjunct Professor there for seven years. In addition, Mr. Frazier received graduate and undergraduate degrees in public policy from the University of Chicago.

Publications include: California’s Ban on Climate-Informed Models for Wildfire Insurance Premiums, UC Berkeley Ecology Law Quarterly, October, 2021
Capital Lawyering & Legislative Clinic, Duquesne Law Review, Winter, 2017

Mr. Frazier lives in Sacramento with his wife, April. They have two sons.  

A credit union financial expert with a knack for making mundane accounting rules exciting, Roger A. Jones, CPA, CGMA, is the founding partner of Hauser Jones & Sas PLLC (HJ&S). Simply put – Roger knows credit unions and the issues facing these institutions. He has more than 30 years of experience studying and teaching accounting principles and credit union strategy. He prides himself on keeping up to date on the latest challenges that impact the industry and providing proactive solutions to his clients. A well-respected authority within the industry, Roger frequently speaks to professional groups on accounting and taxation matters. He is an active supporter of the GoWest Credit Union Association and the GoWest Credit Union Foundation.

HJ&S is one of the premiere accounting firms in the greater Puget Sound region. HJ&S is known for providing elite audit, tax, accounting, internal audit and compliance services to credit unions across the western United States.

Dr. Lamont Black is a finance professor at DePaul University in Chicago and a recognized expert on emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and the metaverse. He recently joined Filene Research Institute as a Fellow and is now doing research on “The Credit Union of the Future.” Dr. Black is a regularly invited speaker for conferences, strategy sessions, and the media to discuss the impact of emerging technology on business strategy. His award-winning teaching has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and includes courses on business technology, data analytics, and cryptocurrency. Prior to joining DePaul, Dr. Black was an economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. during the financial crisis. He received a Ph.D. in finance and economics from Indiana University and a B.A. from Stanford University. His personal website lamontblack.com has additional information about his speaking, teaching, and research. And you can now watch Dr. Black on AmazonPrime and AppleTV in the new crypto documentary “The Highest of Stakes”!

John DeLoach is the Managing Shareholder of the Corporate Compliance Practice Area of the Williams Gautier law firm in Tallahassee, Florida (http://www.williamsgautier.com).  Williams Gautier attorneys have represented more than 100 credit unions in Florida, Georgia and throughout the United States over the last 40+ years. John has focused his practice for 30 years on helping credit unions find solutions for compliance, contract, transaction and corporate matters. He also conducts numerous seminars and training workshops throughout the country on credit union laws and operations and, in particular, the various compliance issues facing credit unions.

Amy Hillman is a professor of corporate strategy and former dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.  She received her PhD in Strategic Management and Business & Public Policy, holds an MBA, and is a world-renowned management expert and active consultant in the areas of corporate strategy, corporate governance and ESG. She leads The New Governance Lab at Arizona State University, a research institute designed to advocate for better forms of governance. She also leads Filene’s Center of Excellence in Leadership, Strategy and Governance for credit unions.

Amy brings a unique combination of scholarly and personal expertise as a director of multiple public, private and not-for-profit organizations. Amy has published over 30 peer-reviewed publications on the topics of corporate strategy and governance.  She’s a founding Fellow of the International Association of Corporate Governance and a Fellow of the Academy of Management and the Strategic Management Society. She also serves as Past-President of the Academy of Management, an association serving over 10,000 faculty of management in over 110 countries. Amy has served on two Nasdaq-traded boards, chairing Nominating/Governance for over 8 years and has served or continues to serve on four private company boards. With experience living or working in Europe, Canada and China, Amy brings a global perspective to the organizations she serves.

Byron Gangnes is UHERO Senior Research Fellow and Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 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 several prestigious institutions and has been an affiliated researcher with 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 effect of COVID-19 on trade and the economy, 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 he is an alumni member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has served in volunteer leadership roles with academic, religious, and community organizations.

Byron and his wife, Hilary, now live in New Mexico. They have two adult daughters.

Kris Kovacs leads Constellation Digital Partners as its Founder and CEO, bringing over 30 years of rich experience in the credit union industry. His background is marked by a robust combination of technology and operational expertise, which has been instrumental in his deep understanding of the evolving financial sector.  Before establishing Constellation Digital Partners, Kris dedicated 25 years to serving in credit unions. His tenure was divided between Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, VA, and Coastal Credit Union in Raleigh, NC. At Coastal Credit Union, he held the pivotal role of Chief Information Officer, where he was responsible for driving technological innovation and strategic operations.
 
As a respected voice in the industry, Kris is a frequent speaker on topics relating to technology and innovation. He combines his extensive industry experience with thought leadership in his role as the host of the Fintech Combine Podcast. Further highlighting his commitment to innovation, Kris is a CUES Certified Innovation Executive (CIE), a testament to his expertise and dedication to the field of credit union technology and innovation.

A credit union financial expert with a knack for making mundane accounting rules exciting, Roger A. Jones, CPA, CGMA, is the founding partner of Hauser Jones & Sas PLLC (HJ&S). Simply put – Roger knows credit unions and the issues facing these institutions. He has more than 30 years of experience studying and teaching accounting principles and credit union strategy. He prides himself on keeping up to date on the latest challenges that impact the industry and providing proactive solutions to his clients. A well-respected authority within the industry, Roger frequently speaks to professional groups on accounting and taxation matters. He is an active supporter of the GoWest Credit Union Association and the GoWest Credit Union Foundation.

HJ&S is one of the premiere accounting firms in the greater Puget Sound region. HJ&S is known for providing elite audit, tax, accounting, internal audit and compliance services to credit unions across the western United States.

Geoff Bacino is a two-time presidential appointee, having been appointed by President Bill Clinton to be on the NCUA Board and by President George W. Bush to be on the Federal Housing Finance Board.  During his time at NCUA, Mr. Bacino was instrumental in the agency adding more underserved areas to credit unions than had been added in the previous five years.  He also spearheaded the Accountability in Management (AIM) effort to cut expenses and reduce the budget.  While at the Federal Housing Finance Board, he worked to reinstitute independent directors to the Boards of the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks and oversaw the agency's response to the financial crisis of 2007-2009.

His firm, Bacino & Associates, works with credit unions on regulatory advocacy, legislation, strategic planning and trade association management.  Bacino & Associates manages two credit union trade groups - the Association of Credit Union Internal Auditors (ACUIA) and the Metropolitan Area Credit Union Management Association (MACUMA).

Gigi serves as the Executive Director for the National Credit Union Foundation (The Foundation), the philanthropic and social responsibility leader of America's credit union movement. The Foundation’s three pillars of work are: Ignite credit unions to place employee, member, and community financial well-being at the center of their strategy; Inspire credit unions to leverage their cooperative values to reinforce an organizational culture that empowers and motivates employees; and Respond when disaster strikes and help credit unions increase their business resiliency through the cooperative value of "people helping people."

In her role, Gigi ignites and inspires credit union professionals to collaborate and incorporate consumer financial health and cooperative principles into their business strategy. She works to help credit unions make themselves part of the strategic architecture of their community's financial well-being, integrating business and benevolence so credit unions serve as a trusted partner to their members and their community in advancing financial well-being for all.

Under her leadership, the Foundation has doubled in asset size, grown its signature event, the Foundation Dinner into a must-attend event during CUNA’s GAC, spearheaded research, catalytic grants and convenings on financial well-being for all and the link between health and wealth, expanded its cooperative values offerings to include virtual and self-study options, and co-founded the CU DEI Collective with many credit union system partners.

Gigi's career in the credit union system spans 33 years - as an advocate, attorney, federal regulator and now, philanthropist. She is a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) and serves on the board of the National Cooperative Bank (NCB). In September 2022, Gigi was inducted into the America’s Credit Union Museum Herstory exhibit which highlights a range of credit union women and their achievements in the credit union industry, and in July 2023, she received the Maurice R. Smith DEI Leadership Award from the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC).