The Purpose.

The purpose of the Marketing Exchange is to share and explore ideas on promoting the advantages that credit unions offer as well as discuss the marketing challenges credit unions are currently facing. The Exchange acts in a cooperative way to help your credit union attract—and retain—members. Efforts are focused on getting the most impact from limited marketing resources and budgets.

The Basics.

Quarterly meetings are held with the Credit Union Marketing Exchange. They are conducted via phone, the Web, or in person, as the members determine. The meetings provide collaborative, non-competitive environments in which ideas can be presented, discussed and shared. During the meetings, members of the Exchange determine the scheduling of future meetings.

Each meeting of the Exchange includes the participation of members of professional marketing and advertising agencies. Their expertise in strategic marketing and advertising assist in the Exchange’s discussions and in developing actionable plans.

For more information, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact Allyson McKee at allyson.mckee@cu24.com or (877) 570-2824.

Paul S. Armstrong, CCUE Mr. Armstrong brings 34 years of experience in credit union management to the Credit Union Marketing Exchange, including the past eleven years as General Manager of State wide Federal Credit Union of Flowood, Mississippi. A Certified Credit Union Executive, he has experience in all facets of credit union management and governance. His past experience includes service as both Chairman and Director of the Mississippi Credit Union Association. Mr. Armstrong holds degrees from Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi, and he is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

George Balchev Mr. Balchev has been working for more than a decade in the marketing-andcommunications industry in both Europe and the United States. As the Webmaster of Alliant Credit Union of Chicago, he is responsible for the strategic planning and project management of the online marketing channel. His expertise includes design, information architecture, usability, brand identity, search-engine optimization and user interface design. In 2009 Alliant Credit Union was awarded two CUNA merit awards for online communication pieces developed by Mr. Balchev and his team.

Lesli Bishop Lesli Bishop is the Director of Marketing at Family Savings FCU, headquartered in Gadsden, Alabama. With over 18 years of credit union financial experience, Ms. Bishop held various positions within Family Savings FCU before earning her current position. Ms. Bishops holds a seat on the Board of Junior Achievement of Etowah County and the Board of Etowah Free Community Clinic. She is an active member of the CUNA Marketing Business Development Council and the United Way of Etowah County Loaned Executive Program. Under her direction, Family Savings FCU has won a CUNA Diamond Award of Merit and a 1st Place CUES Golden Mirror Award. Ms. Bishop has a Bachelors Degree in Marketing from Jacksonville State University. She is married with two children.

Jim N. Craig Jim Craig is the Vice President of Marketing at 1st Advantage FCU in Newport News, Virginia. Mr. Craig has more than eighteen years of marketing experience, including fifteen years in financial services and eleven years in management. His efforts have ranged from events and sponsorships to products and promotional activities. A member of the Product Advisory Committee of Geezeo, an online personal-finance resource, he has also served as a marketing consultant at Lifesteps, Inc., a nonprofit agency in Western Pennsylvania. Other previous experience includes serving as Marketing Director at IBM Texas Employees Federal Credit Union (now Amplify). Mr. Craig attended the University of Arizona and Pennsylvania State University.

Kim Deppe Kim Deppe joined Community First Credit Union in February 2008 as Vice President of Marketing. She previously spent 16 years at St. Vincent’s HealthCare in the same role. She has extensive experience in branding, marketing and crisis communications and worked on the communications for the merger (and subsequent dissolution of the merger) between Baptist Health and St. Vincent’s Health System.

Lanet McCrary Lanet McCrary is the Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at Magnolia Federal Credit Union in Jackson, Mississippi. Ms. McCrary is a member of the American Advertising Federation/Jackson Chapter as well as the Mississippi Credit Union Association Statewide Ad Committee. Ms. McCrary is an active volunteer with the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and was named the 2010 Ambassador of the Year. Ms. Crazy is a graduate of the CUNA Marketing School and has a degree in Business Administration/Marketing from the University of Oregon.

Chris Miller Chris Miller is the Marketing Manager for Chesterfield Federal Credit Union. In addition to marketing, Mr. Miller is also the head of the IT and training departments for Chesterfield FCU. He is the President of the Richmond Chapter of Credit Unions and serves on the Marketing Council of Virginia and Community Involvement Committee – both committees for the Virginia Credit Union League. Mr. Miller was co-chair of the Richmond Chapter Marketing Committee, which developed the Diamond Award-winning WhatIfCreditUnions.com campaign. Mr. Miller is an avid tennis player and a graduate of Virginia Tech.

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Neeti Patel Neeti Patel is currently the Senior Product Manager of Card Services at Pentagon Federal Credit Union. The card portfolio consists of two different credit cards (American Express, Visa, & MasterCard), including a variety of affinity cards, as well as debit and ATM cards. Her main focus is driving portfolio growth through card acquisition, cardmember engagement and retention, and new product development. Prior to joining PenFed, Neeti managed financial partnerships within the Hilton HHonors program at Hilton Worldwide. Neeti started her career at American Express as the Product Manager of the Starwood Preferred Credit Card. Neeti earned her undergraduate degree from New York University's Stern School of Business and her MBA from Harvard University.

LaKeisha Ramseur Ms. Ramseur is Vice President of Member Services for Premier Federal Credit Union of Greensboro, North Carolina. A veteran of more than ten years in the credit union movement, she has experience as branch manager, call-center supervisor and operations manager. In her current position, she is directly responsible for research, implementation and enhancement of products and services that serve credit union members. Her responsibilities include assuring that all marketing channels are used efficiently and effectively to reach the target audience.

Marc Wilensky Marc Wilensky is the Vice President of Marketing at Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union in Germantown, Maryland. Mr. Wilensky has over twenty-years of retail marketing experience including two stints working for Blockbuster Entertainment. Mr. Wilensky is a graduate of the University of Maryland in College Park.

Alex Yarnall Since 2000, Mr. Yarnall has served as Marketing and Brand Manager for IBM Southeast Employees’ Federal Credit Union in Boca Raton, Florida. Prior to assuming that position, he was a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, also in Boca Raton. Mr. Yarnall has wide-ranging experience in areas as diverse as newproduct development, management, research and Web design. He is also a member of the Marketing Committee of Florida Credit Union Shared Services, a cooperative network of shared service centers and outlets. Mr. Yarnall holds a degree in marketing and economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.