Columbine FCU’s Wickes Earns Scholarship to CUNA GAC

Tina Wickes, vice president of lending for $68.5 million Columbine Federal Credit Union, is super excited to join the throngs of credit union leaders heading to CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference, Feb. 26 – March 2, in Washington, D.C. Her participation was only made possibly through a scholarship from CU Prodigy, the leading cloud-based, open architecture core processor CUSO.

Columbine FCU VP of Lending Tina Wickes

“I’m excited to finally be able to go and meet people in person for the first time,” Wickes, a 13-year credit union veteran, said. “I’d like a better understanding of how much the political landscape affects the credit union movement and our credit union. Small changes can have a huge impact on how we serve our members.”

CU Prodigy announced its scholarship program late last year that will send one credit union employee to GAC, Credit Union Development Educators Certification with the National Credit Union Foundation, and one year of Western CUNA Management School. The CUDE Scholarship opportunity opened for applications on Jan. 23, and WCMS will be open for applications later in 2023.

CU Prodigy CEO Amber Harsin

“We are not just another core processor – we live and breathe the credit union and CUSO philosophy,” CU Prodigy CEO Amber Harsin explained. “We operate according to the 8 cooperative principles, the fifth of which is education, training and information. We do all we can to ensure the prosperity of credit unions and their leaders, which is why we started this scholarship program. We’re so excited to see Tina at GAC this year!”

Smaller credit unions are resource strapped, so their leadership often has to miss out on crucial educational and networking opportunities. CU Prodigy believes keeping our up-and-coming leaders engaged and informed is critical to the future of the movement. This CUSO puts its money where its mouth is.

“I would not have been able to go without the scholarship from CU Prodigy,” Wickes said. “Credit union advocacy and education regarding compliance will continue to be important for all of us in the credit union movement. By attending this conference, I will be able to gain insight and exposure through the various breakout sessions and communicating with lawmakers about how our economy and politics impact credit unions across the country.”