Join us for our December CTC Friday Conversation: "2025 AACUC Strategic Partnering: A Conversation with Credit Union League Presidents."

This discussion comes at an ideal time, as you will have just returned from the AACUL Winter meeting. During this program, we will explore the vital partnership between AACUC and the credit union leagues, focusing on how this collaboration advances unity, advocacy, and the financial well-being of diverse credit union members and communities. Our shared objective is to strengthen the credit union movement, expand access to financial services, and promote inclusivity.

Our esteemed panelists are:

• Juan Fernandez, President/CEO, Luminate
• Samantha A.M. Beeler, President, The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates
• Ronald McLean, President/CEO, Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA)
• Murray Williams, President/CEO, Iowa Credit Union League

Brad Miller, President/CEO of American Association of Credit Union Leagues will moderate this conversation.

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Keep reading to learn more about our panelists and moderator. 

Juan Fernandez
President & CEO
Luminate

Juan Fernandez currently serves as the President/CEO of Luminate Louisiana Credit Unions. His service to the credit union movement began over 20 years ago working as a teller while pursuing his college degree. In the cooperative business model, Juan found his passion and has since been dedicated to helping credit unions and cooperatives thrive.

In our movement he has worked in a variety of positions (frontline, community development, league services, government affairs, strategy, leadership) in individual credit unions across the country and in three of in our state league/association systems in New York, New Mexico, and Louisiana. He has a uniquely broad and deep understanding of our movement’s purpose, its functions, and its promise to our members. He has used this understanding and his dedication to our mission to help credit unions seize opportunities to serve unmet needs in their communities, help their members, and achieve sustainable growth. He and his team are credited with drafting – and passing! – legislation to lower the compliance burden to enable credit unions to reach more markets and communities, and capping interest rates to blunt payday lenders.

Mr. Fernandez has spent his career building coalitions and forging the relationships needed to drive effective change by bringing people together to achieve consensus across political lines and ideologies. Credit unions are inherently a community endeavor, and Juan knows that we thrive when we embrace our communities. His experience across segments of the cooperative movement and economic development initiatives has led him to pursue vibrant collaboration across the movement.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico to immigrants parents who taught him the power of honest and hard work, Juan knows the challenges and successes of our members because he has lived them. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Binghamton University and MBA from Western Governors University. His personal, professional and educational background influence his daily drive to help credit unions better fulfill our missions to our members.

Samantha A.M. Beeler
President
The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates

Samantha A.M. Beeler serves as President of The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates. She has worked in credit union advocacy and trade associations for over a decade. In her role as President, Samantha manages The League, which serves as the advocate for nearly 400 credit unions representing 32.7 million members and $453.6 billion. She also oversees the Credit Union Impact

 Foundation and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Samantha serves on numerous industry boards and committees including as Chair of the AACUL Advocacy Committee, League Infosight Board, Credit Union Risk Intelligence Board, Credit Union House Board, the National Advocacy Fund Steering Committee, and the Florida Statewide Council on Human Trafficking. She is a Credit Union Development Educator and believes deeply in the ‘people helping people’ mission of credit unions. She is also a facilitator and speaker on Adaptive Leadership and is certified in moral and ethical leadership coaching.

Prior to her work in the credit union industry, Samantha led communications for a Government Contracts Practice group in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Washington State University and did an emersion program in International Relations at Peking University in Beijing, China. Additionally, she is a Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Education graduate. She has lived in more than ten states and served in more than 30 countries.

Ronald McLean
President & CEO
Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA)

Ronald McLean serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA), a regional trade organization representing nearly 200 credit unions across Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Under his leadership, the CCUA advocates for member credit unions at both the state and federal levels, representing institutions with more than $72 billion in combined assets and over 5 million members. In addition to its strong advocacy presence, CCUA delivers critical support in compliance, education, communications, and business solutions that empower credit unions to thrive.

Since joining CCUA in 2019, Ron has guided the organization through a dynamic period of transformation and growth, strengthening its role as a leading voice in the credit union movement. His commitment to collaboration, innovation, and member engagement continues to shape the Association’s strategic direction and impact.

Prior to CCUA, Ron served as Senior Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer at the New York Credit Union Association, where he led initiatives to elevate member value and advance the credit union mission.

Currently, Ron serves on the boards of League Infosight and MemberClose, reinforcing his long-standing dedication to the credit union system. A native of Massachusetts, Ron began his career in financial services with State Street Bank & Trust in Quincy and later joined Putnam Investments in Boston. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Providence College and an M.B.A. from the College of Saint Rose.

Residing in Massachusetts with his wife Sheila, Ron is the proud father of three children.

Murray Williams
President/CEO
Iowa Credit Union League

Murray Williams serves as the President & CEO of the Iowa Credit Union League (ICUL). He also serves as board chairman and CEO of Affiliates Management Company (AMC). In these roles, Murray provides strategic leadership and governance oversight for AMC's family of companies, board and executive teams. Murray has been with AMC/ICUL since 1996. He earned his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation through the American Society of Association Executives and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Program. Murray also received his MBA and BA with honors from Iowa State University.

Murray serves as chair of the World Affairs Committee for America’s Credit Unions.  He also serves on the SHAZAM board and has served on the CUNA Strategic Services board along with other industry leadership roles. Murray has been inducted into the International Executive Volunteer Corps for the World Council of Credit Unions and is a recipient of the Leadership and Support Award by the Network of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals.

Brad Miller
President & CEO
American Association of Credit Union Leagues

Brad Miller is president and CEO of the American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL), the national association representing state and regional credit union leagues and associations across the United States.

With more than 30 years of experience working with credit unions, national associations, and related financial services organizations, he has served as President and CEO of Palmetto Cooperative Services, Southeast Corporate Federal Credit Union ($4B), and Treasurer State Corporate Credit Union ($350M).

Miller holds more than three decades of leadership experience in the credit union and financial services industries.