Caroline Willard is president and CEO of Cornerstone League, one of the largest and most influential trade associations in the United States. She took the helm of the association – which represents credit unions in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas – and its subsidiaries, Cornerstone Resources and Cornerstone Foundation in April 2017. As president and CEO of Cornerstone, she is responsible for growing both the for-profit and not-for-profit sides of the organization and strengthening its value proposition through relevant services and support at the state level and in Washington, D.C.

Willard serves on the Credit Unions for Kids and American Association of Credit Union Leagues boards of directors. Prior to 2024, she served as chair of Credit Union National Association’s Advocacy committee for 2023 and on the CUNA board of directors, most recently as vice chair before the CUNA-NAFCU merger.

Prior to joining Cornerstone, Willard worked for CO-OP Financial Services (now PSCU/Co-op Solutions) as executive vice president, markets and strategy. During her tenure, she also handled mergers and acquisitions, relationship management, marketing, product development, and strategic planning. Willard has worked at financial institutions, as well: Downey Savings in Newport Beach, Calif., and American First Credit Union in La Habra, Calif.

Willard earned a Bachelor of Arts at California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Business Administration at Pepperdine University.