Don Arkell
CU Lending Advice
Owner
Don Arkell, CU Lending Advice, has a unique consulting style and passion for sales and leadership that have made him a sought-after speaker, trainer, and strategist for individual credit unions, professional associations, and industry providers. As a credit union COO, he reduced operational expenses and increased loans, total assets, and net income by moving the credit union to remote delivery for consumer loans and member service. Today Arkell works with credit unions around the country helping them grow their loan programs by improving organizational design, enhancing lending technology, and strengthening strategic planning.
Member Centric Loan Personalization
General Session: Lending in the New Economy

Sue Landauer
Forensic Accounting Services Group
Partner
Susan Landauer is a certified public accountant, with over 35 years of experience in the accounting and the financial services industry, most recently focusing for 20 years on forensic investigations. These forensic investigations include the tracing of hidden assets, net worth evaluations, embezzlements, and marriage and partnership dissolutions. Her client base has included various industries such as banking, manufacturing, medical practices, construction companies and others. She has qualified and testified as an expert witness in both federal and local courts.

Susan is a presenter of numerous fraud topics, financial statement interpretation, risk management, internal controls, compliance and board of director / supervisory committee responsibilities for various organizations, including Americas Credit Unions (formerly CUNA), the Association of Credit Union Internal Auditors (ACUIA), various state leagues, various chapters of the Institute of Internal Auditors and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and regional conferences for Board of Directors and Audit Committees. Most recently, she co-authored the curriculum and conducts a four-day course and exam for participants to achieve a Certified Credit Union Internal Auditor certification, which has graduated more than 1,200 students. She is also an adjunct professor at the State University of Albany, where she is a professor for the Master of Accountancy- Forensics program.
Fraud in the World Today – The Frauds of 2025

Gene Marks
The Marks Group P.C.
President & CEO
A past columnist for both The New York Times and The Washington Post, Gene now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Hill, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Times and The Chicago Daily Herald.

Gene also hosts two very popular podcasts: Thrive and Small Biz Ahead where he interviews politicians, economists, policy makers, celebrities and entrepreneurs that impact business.

Gene has written 5 books on business management, specifically geared towards small and medium sized companies. His most recent is Want More Cash?: 100+ Ideas And Strategies For Increasing Your Company’s Cash Flow This Year.

Nationally, Gene appears regularly on Fox Business, MSNBC, as well as CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor and SiriusXM’s Wharton Business Channel where he talks about the financial, economic and technology issues that affect business leaders today.

Gene owns and operates the Marks Group PC, a highly successful ten-person firm that provides technology and consulting services to small and medium sized businesses.

Prior to starting the Marks Group PC, Gene, a Certified Public Accountant, spent nine years in the entrepreneurial services arm of the international consulting firm KPMG in Philadelphia where he was a Senior Manager.
Navigating 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Moves for Your Industry

Karen McCullough
Karen McCullough is a nationally known keynote speaker and expert on change, generational opportunities, and workforce trends. Karen helps organizations cut through the generational biases and get back to reality by leveraging their team’s strengths, enriching the work environment, and driving better results. Each of her presentations brings a realistic perspective on workplace trends, employee engagement while offering actionable content. BONUS! She’s fun! She creatively blends current research with humor, concepts, and stories, moving participants to take action. For the past 15 years, Karen has shared her insights to top organizations such as VMware, Procter & Gamble, US Department of Justice, JPMorgan Chase, Symantec, McGraw-Hill, National Homebuilders, Shell Oil, Mercedes Benz, The World Bank, American National Insurance, Humana, United Way, American Heart Association and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Before speaking and early in her career, Karen owned and operated several retail fashion stores in Houston, Texas. Often, she hired many young employees with no workplace experience and zero in the retail industry. Karen had the keen ability to identify inexperienced workers who had the potential to become great employees- and they did, many staying on for years.! Little did she know that these early years were the foundation for her passion understanding and managing all generations. She began speaking in 2000 and began to learn more and study generational differences. Today her interest in the generations has become her passion and mission. Her programs include case studies, current research, and upto-date new information and discoveries about Millennials and soon-to-be in the workforce Gen Z.
Closing Keynote: Change is Good- You Go First!

Eric North
Moore Brewer Wolfe
Attorney
Eric North is an attorney with the law firm of Moore, Brewer & Wolfe, A.P.C., and his law practice has focused on the representation of credit unions for more than 40 years. Prior to becoming an attorney, Eric worked within the consumer finance industry in management, and in lending, collections, and operations departments. He became involved with the credit union movement while in law school.

Eric is licensed to practice in California state courts, in all U.S. District Courts in California, and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and has appeared pro hac vice in courts outside of California.

Apart from his law practice, Eric spends much of his time helping credit unions stay out of court by working to help them understand and comply with the laws that govern them through programs for national, state and local credit union leagues and associations, as well as through conferences and webinars provided by his separate business “NorthLegal Training and Publications.”
The Problem Credit Unions Have, But Don’t Know About with GAP
Common Repossession Related Errors and Q&A

Stephen Shapiro
Stephen Shapiro began his journey in innovation 25 years ago, founding and leading a 20,000-person innovation practice at Accenture. Today, as the author of seven books, including his latest, PIVOTAL: Creating Stability in an Uncertain World, he continues to challenge the status quo and inspire creative breakthroughs. His Personality Poker® card game has been played by over 250,000 people, helping organizations create high-performing innovation teams. Stephen’s expertise has been featured on major television networks like CNBC, USA Network, and TLC, making his work as dynamic on-screen as it is on stage. Offstage, he channels his passion for innovation into magic, blending creativity with the art of making the impossible possible. With presentations in over 50 countries, a 2015 induction into the Speaker Hall of Fame, and his role as a Senior Research Fellow with The Conference Board, Stephen’s impact is as far-reaching as it is transformative.
Welcome & Opening Keynote: Personality Poker