March, 2026
The Quiet Forces that Decide Every Loan
A loan can be approved and still leave a borrower feeling diminished. In this second executive insight report, Joe Brancucci examines the small, often invisible experiences that shape trust long before and long after a decision is made. From public exposure and the anxious middle to repeated documentation, staff emotional load, and leadership posture, he reveals the emotional architecture that determines whether lending becomes a relationship or remains a transaction.
February, 2026
SkyPoint Federal Credit Union
When SkyPoint prepared for a CEO transition, the board needed more than an experienced executive. They sought a bilingual, locally rooted leader with proven community development expertise who could build on recent certification, grant success and regional expansion. A rigorous, data-informed and human-centered search resulted in the placement of a mission-aligned CEO with deep community ties and a long-term vision.
November, 2025
Lending Is Dead: Long Live Lending
Explore why traditional lending is no longer enough, and what it takes for credit unions to become truly compelling. In this CU Results Executive Insight Report, veteran credit union leader Joe Brancucci dives into how your institution can move from product to purpose, policy to possibility, and control to empowerment. Plus, the companion Leadership Workbook brings the conversation to action with team-friendly exercises and discussion prompts.
September, 2025
Amplifying Your Credit Union’s Mission: Financial and Community Impacts of Being a CDFI
There are nearly 500 CDFI-certified credit unions nationwide, all dedicated to strengthening their communities and expanding financial inclusion. This brief takes a closer look at both the opportunities and challenges of CDFI certification and what it means for credit unions, their members, and the communities they serve.
July, 2025
O Bee Credit Union
When O Bee needed a new CEO, the board wanted to ensure it would be a leader who could protect that uniqueness, grow the business and carry forward its mission of community impact. And they wanted to find that leader in under 90 days. CU Strategic Planning ensured they found the proper fit for their credit union, even on an accelerated timeline.
April, 2025
Fort Randall FCU
Fort Randall FCU’s journey shows what’s possible when a credit union leads with heart, embraces its purpose, and isn’t afraid to ask for the right kind of help. With a strong foundation, the right partners, and a clear vision for their community, they’ve turned strategy into action — and action into impact.
November, 2023
Buckeye State CU
Nearly 80% of Buckeye's activities are directed to low-income members in northeastern Ohio. CEO Michael Abernathy says of the $136.5 million credit union, "We take risks on people every other financial institution has left behind." Since becoming a CDFI in 2017, Buckeye has served its membership in part using the nearly $7.5 million in grant funding earned with our assistance.
May, 2023
New Orlean's Firemen's FCU
With our help, New Orleans Firemen’s FCU credit union has received six awards totaling more than $15.5 million from the Community Development Financial Institution Fund since 2019. It leverages these CDFI awards to “aggressively serve designated low-income areas,” in the words of CEO Judy DeLucca.
CU Strategic Planning has over 15 years of unlocking opportunities for credit unions to change lives and their communities. Let us show you how we've helped our clients succeed, and how our clients have helped their members succeed.
Our Impact
Terri Hendrix, Vice President Business Development & Community Engagement, Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union
"Their foresight and vision have reframed how credit unions think about community development – that it is the catalyst to improving lives."
Jeff Conrad, CEO/President, Pelican State Credit Union
“Pelican has benefitted from their exceptional grant writing and program creation skills in winning over $11 Million in CDFI Financial Assistance grants since 2010. …Without these funds, Pelican and many other CDFI credit unions would be limited in our ability to serve members in dire need.”
Michael Abernathy, President/CEO, Buckeye State Credit Union
“[CU Strategic Planning] has been a vital partner to us and the success we have had in changing the financial lives of thousands of people in distressed northeast Ohio communities.”
Jon Jeffreys, President & CEO, Callahan and Associates
“The leaders at CU Strategic Planning are “credit union people.” They come from credit unions, corporate credit unions, or trade associations. The values they lead with are fueling credit union impact.”