SPEAKER

SUSAN MITCHELL is a passionate believer in making a difference! As the CEO of Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates, a consulting firm that has provided over 5,000 credit unions innovative consulting services, including strategic planning, board governance, and online education. She is a successful entrepreneur who started two companies and forged strategic alliances with Fortune 500 companies nationwide. Susan was CEO and co-owner of O’Rourke, Mitchell, advancing leadership development and executive (search) transitions.

Mitchell facilitated the Global Future Forum, an international CU think tank and created the Underground Collision to engage thought leaders in authentic dialogue regarding industry disruption, innovation, and impactful business practices.

Susan is on the Board for the Worldwide Foundation impacting 297 million members and touching one billion people globally. As the founding Chair of Global Women’s Leadership Network, Susan volunteers with 5,000 members from 6 continents, 86 countries, 150 Sister Societies and 64 scholarships to advance women in society. 

In 2017 GWLN received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given globally for credit union service. Susan was nominated by CU Times for the Final Four Most Influential People in the last 25 years and received the inaugural Diversity and Visionary Award from CA / NV Leagues.  In February 2018, Mitchell was recognized for her industry contribution with the prestigious National CU Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020, she was elected to the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Governing Body for credit unions, joining NAFCU, CUNA, NCUA and major industry partners.

SPEAKER

DENISE WYMORE is a credit union lifer. She started her career as a teller at a credit union in Portland, Oregon over 35 years ago. Denise moved up and around the organizational chart before heading out on her own to start her consulting business.

As a consultant she specialized in helping credit unions tell their story, both internally and externally. She has worked with credit unions all over the US ranging in asset size from $3 million to $3 billion. She facilitated strategic planning and turned “me too” brands into something worth talking about.

She is the author of two books: Tattoos: The Ultimate Proof of a Successful Brand and The 2020 Vision of Marketing.

Denise is a graduate of Western CUNA Management School, a certified Net Promoter® Score Associate and in 2012 was named a CU Times Woman to Watch. On September 29, 2022 she was inducted in the “Credit Union Women Making History….Herstory” Hall of Fame. Denise has spoken for CUES, CUNA, WOCCU and almost every credit union league in the United States.

In New Mexico she spearheaded the Keep It Co-Op campaign that has united all cooperatives in Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Espanola. Denise and her husband both hold an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician license and volunteer with Cochiti Fire Department.

Denise is currently the Field Marketing Manager for Zest AI

FACILITATOR

SARAH SNELL COOKE is principal at Cooke Consulting Solutions, a business and communications strategy firm serving business partners to the community financial institutions market. She has more than 20 years of experience in business, communications and credit unions.

Prior to launching her business in March 2017, Sarah served 18 years at Credit Union Times, progressing from DC reporter to editor-in-chief to publisher/editor-in-chief. She is also the Vice Chair at $620M APL FCU and founding co-chair of the Capital Region Sister Society of WOCCU’s Global Women’s Leadership Network. She was named to the 2015 Folio Top Women in Media and ALM Media’s 2015 Manager of the Year.

Sarah holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in journalism. She has lived in Maryland most of her life and is happily married 22 years to John with whom she has two children – and her first grandchild, a little girl named Amaryllis Belladonna, on the way!