Speaker | VP, Talent Development Programming
Credit Union Executive Society
Chad Helminak is the Vice President of Talent Development Programming at CUES (Credit Union Executive Society). He focuses on leadership engagement and growth through strategic business development initiatives in this role.
Chad has two decades of leadership experience and has supported credit unions in trade associations, nonprofits, and business consultancy roles. His previous employers include the National Credit Union Foundation, TruStage, Filene Research Institute, and Wisconsin Credit Union League. He has facilitated leadership development programs and experiential workshops for hundreds of credit union leaders across the U.S. and the globe. He is passionate about empowering others and creating environments that align purpose with impact.
Chad has a BA in Communications from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He lives in Wisconsin with his family and enjoys exploring the outdoors and listening to new music.
Chad has two decades of leadership experience and has supported credit unions in trade associations, nonprofits, and business consultancy roles. His previous employers include the National Credit Union Foundation, TruStage, Filene Research Institute, and Wisconsin Credit Union League. He has facilitated leadership development programs and experiential workshops for hundreds of credit union leaders across the U.S. and the globe. He is passionate about empowering others and creating environments that align purpose with impact.
Chad has a BA in Communications from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He lives in Wisconsin with his family and enjoys exploring the outdoors and listening to new music.
Speaker | President & CEO
Cornerstone League
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.
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.
Facilitator | Facilitator | President / CEO
Tarrant County's Credit Union
Lily currently serves as President and CEO of Tarrant County’s Credit Union, a community-based credit union in Fort Worth, Texas, and has spent her entire career serving in the credit union industry.
She graduated from the University of Madrid, Spain in 1985 with a B.A. Degree in Business/Finance and obtained her Credit Union Development Educator designation in 2008. A 1999 graduate of Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS), Lily has been part of the SCMS faculty for over 20 years.
Lily served as a Board Trustee with the Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation for 17 years and served as a CUDE Advisory Trustee. She also served on Filene’s Research Council, CUNA Mutual Group’s Select CU Council, CUNA’s World Affairs Committee, and as a Director for the Cornerstone League. She currently serves on Cornerstone League’s International Relationship Committee, CUNA’s Small Credit Union Committee and is a Director on the National Credit Union Foundation, Filene Research Institute, and Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance Boards.
She is a founding member and Chair of the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance (CUWLA).
Lily was named the 2017 Credit Union Professional of the Year by the Cornerstone League.
In August 2022, she was one of twenty women inducted into the newest exhibit at the America’s Credit Union Museum, “Credit Union Women Making History: Herstory.”
She graduated from the University of Madrid, Spain in 1985 with a B.A. Degree in Business/Finance and obtained her Credit Union Development Educator designation in 2008. A 1999 graduate of Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS), Lily has been part of the SCMS faculty for over 20 years.
Lily served as a Board Trustee with the Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation for 17 years and served as a CUDE Advisory Trustee. She also served on Filene’s Research Council, CUNA Mutual Group’s Select CU Council, CUNA’s World Affairs Committee, and as a Director for the Cornerstone League. She currently serves on Cornerstone League’s International Relationship Committee, CUNA’s Small Credit Union Committee and is a Director on the National Credit Union Foundation, Filene Research Institute, and Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance Boards.
She is a founding member and Chair of the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance (CUWLA).
Lily was named the 2017 Credit Union Professional of the Year by the Cornerstone League.
In August 2022, she was one of twenty women inducted into the newest exhibit at the America’s Credit Union Museum, “Credit Union Women Making History: Herstory.”
Facilitator | Executive Director
Cornerstone Foundation
Courtney Moran is executive director of the Cornerstone Foundation, providing leadership and strategic direction based on the Foundation’s goals, philosophy, and mission. Moran promotes financial education among credit unions, educators, and partner organizations and oversees financial wellness, credit union development, grants and scholarships, and fundraising. She serves as an advisory board member of the University of Texas at Arlington’s Financial Literacy and Personal Finance Center and was elected to the TriUnity Foundation board. Moran earned a CUDE in 2009, an I-CUDE in 2013, and a CCUFC in 2012. Cornerstone named her the 2006 and 2019 “Manager of the Year” and Credit Union Magazine named her a Credit Union Rock Star in 2014.
