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Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions to Welcome 18 New I-CUDEs

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Seven countries represented in Class of 2023

Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU) on July 25 will recognize 18 people from seven countries as the International Credit Union Development Educator (I-CUDE) Class of 2023 at a special event held in conjunction with the 2023 World Credit Union Conference in Vancouver, Canada.

A diverse group of professionals from across the international credit union movement met the four required criteria to qualify for this unique designation.

The I-CUDE Class of 2023 is comprised of:

Africa

  • Francis Kandonga – United Civil Servants SACCO (Malawi).

  • Grace Watsiera - African Confederation of Cooperatives Savings & Credit Associations (ACCOSCA).

Caribbean

  • Avinash Bissoondial – Teachers Credit Union (Trinidad & Tobago).

  • Charmain St. Remy – St. Lucia Worker’s Credit Union Ltd. (St. Lucia).

  • Ronnie-Dane Renford – Portland Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (Jamaica).

  • Jamique Flemmings Smith – Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League Ltd. (Jamaica).

  • Menassia Clara Nelson – Jannou Credit Union (St. Lucia).

  • Laverne Francis – Eastern Credit Union (Trindad & Tobago).

  • Lisa Goodman – Jannou Credit Union (St. Lucia).

  • Nicole Haughton – Gateway Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (Jamaica).

Canada

  • Erin Hancock – iNova Credit Union Ltd. and the International Centre for Co-operative Management

  • Tom Vickers – Atlantic Central

  • Sokchiveneath Taing Chhoan - Federation des cooperatives du Nouveau-Quebec.

  • Jo Ha – Community Savings Credit Union.

  • Linda Bowyer – First Credit Union.

United States

  • Monica Belz – Kauai Government Employees FCU (Hawaii).

  • Heather McKissick (Texas).

  • James Hunter – New Orleans Fireman’s FCU (Louisiana).

Each of the 18 designees will be welcomed and recognized by the global development educator (DE) community at the inaugural Global DE Social, a WFCU engagement to be held on Tuesday, July 25, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Steamworks Brew Pub, located directly adjacent to the Vancouver Conference Center.

Visit the event page to get tickets and find more information on how to participate in the Social.

WFCU coordinates the I-CUDE application and review process in partnership with the seven active CUDE programs worldwide. These program partners are:

  • Africa DE (ADE) – Coordinated by the Africa Confederation of Co-operative Savings & Credit Associations (ACCOSCA).

  • Asia DE (ACDE) – Coordinated by the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU).

  • Canada DE – Coordinated by Saint Mary’s University.

  • Caribbean DE – Coordinated by Melvin Edwards.

  • European DE (DEEU) – Coordinated by Robert Kelly & Donald Urquhart.

  • Philippines DE (PHDE) – Coordinated by Dudz Samson and VICTO National.

  • United States DE – Coordinated by the National Credit Union Foundation.

Becoming an I-CUDE requires each applicant to complete their home country’s DE program, in addition to three other criteria.

Credit Union Development Educators commit themselves to living the cooperative principles embedded in the global credit union movement and within each country that is home to credit unions.