Here’s something you don’t see every day: credit union professionals getting the Shark Tank treatment. Well, sort of.
CUES and Currency Marketing just announced the Final Five contestants who’ll compete for the 2026 CUES Emerging Leader title—and honestly, their journey to get here is pretty impressive. These aren’t just people who filled out an application and hoped for the best. They’ve been through rigorous training, developed actual business cases that could transform their organizations, and now they’re ready to pitch their ideas live to industry leaders.
Think of CUES Emerge as leadership boot camp meets innovation incubator. Participants dive into live and online learning, collaborate with peers who get what they’re dealing with, and work with mentors to sharpen their skills. The goal? Help rising credit union professionals build the confidence and capabilities to pitch innovative ideas that could actually move the needle for their credit unions and the communities they serve.
Meet Your 2026 Finalists
After wrapping up the education phase, participants could choose to level up by entering the competition—submitting their business cases to a panel of industry leaders for review. That panel whittled down the field to these five standouts:
- Nicole Baker, Member Center Manager, Community Choice CU, Michigan
- Christina Mullins, Senior Lending Resources Specialist, State Employees’ CU, North Carolina
- Elizabeth Seelbach, Director of Strategy, Resource One CU, Texas
- Justin Thompson, Marketing Automation Analyst, Royal CU, Wisconsin
- Brandon White, Manager Financial Crimes Analytics, Wings CU, Colorado
“The 2026 CUES Emerge finalists represent the next generation of credit union leadership,” said Maegan Monson, CUES Event Manager. “Their business cases reflect the creativity, strategic thinking, and commitment needed to address real challenges facing credit unions today, and we look forward to seeing them bring those ideas to life during the Pitch Show.”
What’s at Stake
The live action goes down October 7 at 2 p.m. EDT (that’s 1 p.m. CDT, 12 p.m. MDT, and 11 a.m. PDT for those keeping track). All five finalists will present remotely during the CUES Emerge Live Pitch Show, and you can catch the whole thing streaming at CUESEmerge.com.
After the presentations wrap, judges will narrow it down to the Top Three before crowning the ultimate 2026 CUES Emerging Leader. And this isn’t just about bragging rights—each of the Top Three gets a tiered educational package plus scholarships toward the CUES Advanced Management Program from Cornell University. Not too shabby for your professional development résumé.
“CUES Emerge continues to build on a strong foundation of leadership development, peer connection, and practical innovation,” said Tim McAlpine, CEO of Currency Marketing. “The Final Five have already demonstrated the discipline and vision this program is designed to encourage, and the live pitch experience gives them a powerful platform to share solutions with the industry.”
More Than Just a Competition
CUES Emerge launched back in 2020, building on the foundation of CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec—a program born from the long-standing partnership between CUES and Currency Marketing. But it’s not all about the competition. Participants who complete the online courses, Mastermind sessions, and business case earn the Certified Credit Union Manager designation. That’s real recognition for real commitment to their careers and the credit union movement.
Want to follow along as these five leaders make their case? Head to CUESEmerge.com or search #CUESEmerge to track the final stages of the competition and get to know the 2026 cohort better.