Speakers

Dr. Brandi Stankovic

Dr. Brandi Stankovic is an organizational change expert, motivational speaker, artist, and mommy who inspires firms globally with her leadership, engagement, and award-winning education models. Dr. Stankovic is a trusted advisor and strategic planning facilitator who guides CEOs and Boards on risk appetite, organizational health, profitability, and growth. She is the COO of Advisory Solutions and Chief Strategy Officer at CU Solutions Group. Dr. Stankovic is the co-author of The Strategic MVP, a book of 52 growth and leadership tools, and the host of the energizing podcast, The Strategic Hotbox, designed to help executives reach their greatest potential. Dr. Stankovic is a director and co-founder of CU Pride, an industry organization serving LGBTQ+ community and allies. She also serves on the CMN Hospitals Credit Unions for Kids advisory group, HRD Network Board advisor, CUVM Board, and is a Development Educator CUDE and I-CUDE. Dr. Stankovic volunteers for World Young Credit Union Professionals and Global Women’s Leadership Network, World Council of Credit Unions, helping advance young executives and women in leadership across the globe. Dr. Stankovic received her Bachelors in Finance and Economics at the University of Nevada, MBA from the University of San Diego, and Doctorate of Education from Pepperdine University.

Diane Allen

Violinist Diane Allen is an Award-Winning International Speaker and Thought Leader who speaks on increasing the meaning, joy, and fulfillment in one’s work and life by accessing the flow state. Years before neuroscientists discovered the positive impact the flow state has on achieving peak performance, Diane had already experienced the power of flow in her own career as a violinist. During concerts Diane easily slipped into flow and performed her best. However, it eluded her during auditions preventing her from being hired for the fulfilling work she was already qualified to do. While flow is known to be elusive, Diane had to figure out how to get into flow, on demand. It was her unique approach to solving this problem that landed her a spot on the TEDxNaperville stage as well as features on TED, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Associated Press, Boston Herald, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global. With this “superpower” now reliably accessible, Diane became the Concertmaster of The Central Oregon Symphony for 15 years, a sought-after Violin Teacher of 28 years, and the author of 16 Music Workbooks sold worldwide.

Juan Bendana

Juan Bendaña is a renowned speaker, trainer and entrepreneur. Every year, he delivers electrifying keynotes at conferences and trainings internationally. He speaks to over 100,000 people annually, helping them discover the strategies for lasting engagement and inspiration. He empowers high performing leaders to build confidence for the future of work.

Bendaña is the creator of the Confidence Cycle — a science-backed framework to build enduring self confidence and engagement. He has built leadership programs for organizations such as Disney, Sotheby’s International, Sony Pictures, and the Siegried Group. He has coached entrepreneurs, actors, and Olympians on building confidence.

Bendaña uses the art of storytelling, interactive activities, and humor to create an unforgettable experience. Going beyond the standard keynote presentation, he creates a customized experience that will have your audience leaving energized and inspired.
With over 10 years of experience on countless stages, Bendaña has honed his skills and knows exactly what is needed for each event. His dynamic presentation style is tailored to the needs of your audience, whether it is a keynote in an arena for 10,000+ or a deep-dive training for an executive leadership team of 20.

Curtis Hill

Growing up in Chicago, Curtis easily drifted into a life of violence and crime and quickly rose to become one of the city’s most recognizable and notorious gang members. While dealing drugs earned him a six-figure per month bankroll, it cost him everything when he witnessed the cold-blooded murder of his best friend and came face-to-face with the immense suffering it caused in his community.

That’s when Curtis turned to education to springboard his street smarts into solid business acumen. After earning four degrees, including a Master of Arts in Teaching, an Educational Specialist in Administration and Supervision, and a Black Belt in Six Sigma, Curtis now travels the globe helping businesses and associations manage the chaos of people, practices, and profits. His unique way of communicating complex issues like race and division with humor and humanity keeps audiences both laughing and learning.

Melia Heimbuck

Melia began leading the Credit Union Association of New Mexico as its President & CEO in May 2023. Before taking on this role, Melia led the Association’s legislative, political and regulatory advocacy efforts, assisted member credit unions with all aspects of compliance and risk management, directed education and training programs, and guided governance activities within the Association. Prior to her work with the New Mexico Association, she was the Principal of Risk Management Solutions and Strategic Advisor for CU Solutions Group (CUSG). In this role Melia actively worked with Leagues/Associations and credit unions across the country to develop sound risk management solutions and was responsible for leading the Governance, Risk and Compliance suite of products offered by CU Risk Intelligence. Prior to CUSG, Melia spent over 18 years supporting credit unions in Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming through the Mountain West Credit Union Association (MWCUA). Melia held various positions at the MWCUA, which included the responsibility for driving the AffirmX partnership that created a sustainable compliance management tool for credit unions of all asset sizes, providing compliance guidance and assistance to credit unions, development and delivery of strategic planning, leading small credit union initiatives, providing training, asset/liability management, budgeting, fundraising, grant writing, board of director management and regulatory advocacy. Melia possesses small credit union experience and has a consumer and commercial lending background.

Melia is a licensed attorney in New Mexico with a Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law, Master of Business Administration in Business Finance from Regis University, Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance from the University of Northern Colorado, as well as holds the Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) and Development Educator of the United Kingdom (DEUK) designations from the National Credit Union Foundation.

Carlene Frimer

Carlene describes herself as insatiably curious, sometimes witty… and a little bit weird. She is passionate about credit unions, cooperatives, learning & development, and inspiring others on their journey. After a full-time credit union career of 25 years, Carlene continues to facilitate and consult on learning & development strategies. Her primary focus is supporting People Leaders to coach and support their staff with Member relationship-building skills.

Carlene also has a passion for continuous improvement (lean). She holds a Lean Blackbelt (Lean Sensei International), and has developed Whitebelt, Bluebelt & Yellowbelt programs for credit union teams.

Carlene is a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE in Madison, Wisconsin in 2007, DEUK in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2008 and iCUDE designation in 2012.) She currently supports Canada DE (St. Mary’s University, Nova Scotia) as a facilitator/mentor.

Carlene is thrilled to be facilitating a workshop for ICUCCC and looks forward to connecting with and learning from new credit union colleagues.

Andy Ramos

Andy Ramos, President and CEO of State Employees Credit Union based in Santa Fe, NM, is a passionate leader with 35 years of experience in the credit union industry. His career has been defined by an unwavering belief in the power of credit unions to transform lives and provide hope. For Andy, credit unions are more than just financial institutions—they are community pillars, offering people the opportunity to achieve their financial goals while staying grounded in values of trust and mutual support.

He holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Chapman University, which has informed his strategic vision for sustainable growth while maintaining the heart of the credit union’s mission—people helping people. His focus is always on empowering Members and ensuring their long-term financial well-being in an ever-changing landscape.

Outside of his professional achievements, Andy is a proud grandpa who enjoys spending time with his family, and he’s been happily married to his beautiful wife, Christine, for 30 years. His love for classic cars reflects his respect for tradition and craftsmanship, values that also influence his leadership style. Whether at work or at home, Andy’s dedication to excellence and his genuine care for people remain at the forefront of all he does.

Susan Mitchell

Susan is a passionate believer in making a difference! CEO of Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates, innovative consulting services, strategic planning, board governance, and online education. She is a successful entrepreneur who started two companies and forged alliances with Fortune 500 companies nationwide. Mitchell facilitated the Global Future Forum, an international CU think tank and created the Underground to engage thought leaders in authentic dialogue regarding impactful business practices. Susan is on the Board for the Worldwide Foundation and is the founding Chair of GWLN, with 5,000 members from 90 countries. In 2017 GWLN received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given globally for credit union service. Susan received the inaugural Diversity and Visionary Award from the CA/NV CU League. In February 2018, Mitchell was recognized for her activism with the prestigious NCUF’s Outstanding Individual Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022, Susan was inducted into America’s Credit Union Museum HERstory.