Thank you for joining us for our March CTC Friday Conversation, "In Celebration of Women's History Month: Empowering Stories, Illuminating Impact, Transformative Leadership."

The 2026 theme for Women's History Month is "Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations." This dynamic session will feature women leaders, board members of billion dollar credit unions who will share insights about their leadership journeys, strategies for transforming conflict into opportunities for productive dialogue that strengthens professional relationships, and methods for leveraging obstacles as catalysts for growth and success.

Our esteemed panelists were:

• Barbara Heyward, Board of Directors, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union
• Joan Nelson, Board Chair, Coastal Credit Union
• Kristine Wetzel, Board of Directors, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union
• Sandra DeVoe Bland, Board Chair, SRP Federal Credit Union
• Stelfanie Williams, Board of Directors, State Employees' Credit Union

Erin Coleman, Vice President of Industry Impact for Callahan & Associates moderated this session. 

**RECORDING COMING SOON**

Keep reading to learn more about the panelists and moderator. 

Barbara Heyward
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union

Barbara Heyward serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union, bringing more than 35 years of combined Air Force and Civil Service experience to her leadership. A distinguished Human Resources professional, she is known for cultivating strong teams, strategic governance, and mission-focused execution. She is a committed advocate for inclusive leadership, professional growth, and community engagement. Barbara is actively engaged in nonprofit initiatives and serves as a dedicated fitness professional, promoting wellness and personal empowerment. Her multifaceted expertise and steadfast commitment to purposeful service, delivers a broad, thoughtful perspective to leadership, service, and organizational impact. 

Joan Nelson
Board Chair
Coastal Credit Union

Joan Nelson retired from IBM after more than three decades of experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Juris Doctorate from NCCU School of Law. She has been a member of Coastal’s Board of Directors since 1995 and has been a volunteer since 1993. Joan currently serves on Coastal’s Board of Directors as Chairwoman.

Joan has been active in the credit union industry by participating in the Governmental Affairs Conference, has her Credit Union Development Educator designation, earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, was named a Distinguished Director by CUES in 2021, and was inducted into the African American Credit Union Coalition Hall of Fame.

She has also served on the board of several nonprofits and is currently serves on the boards for United Way of the Greater Triangle, Southlight Health and Triangle Women in STEM.

Kristine Wetzel
Board of Directors
SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

Kristine Wetzel began her volunteer service at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union in 1996. She is a founding Member of the President's Forum and is a current director. She holds a Certified Credit Union Board Member (CCUB) designation from America's Credit Unions, a trade association for state and federally chartered credit unions. Mrs. Wetzel serves the educational community as a high school teacher. Mrs. Wetzel holds a bachelor's degree in English.  She is a veteran educator, SchoolsFirst leader, nonprofit founder advancing pediatric brain cancer research.”

Sandra DeVoe Bland
Board Chair
SRP Federal Credit Union

Sandra DeVoe Bland, a distinguished professional with over 35 years of leadership, management, engineering, and technical experience at the Savannah River Site (SRS), is the first female and African American Chairman of SRP Federal Credit Union’s Board of Directors. She has over 27 years of SRP FCU board experience, mastering governance and consultative leadership utilizing strategic thought to execute her duties. She is employed by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the Management and Operations Contractor for SRS. Sandra is also the founder of S. J. DEVOE & Associates.

Beyond her board duties, Ms. DeVoe Bland is deeply committed to promoting financial literacy and stewardship within the community and throughout the southeast. She builds high performing teams and inspires others. She is actively involved in teaching financial education, champions the credit union movement, and advocates for members’ interests.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a master's degree in project management from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Stelfanie Williams
Board of Directors
State Employees' Credit Union

Stelfanie Williams has served on the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Board of Directors since 2017 and the SECU Foundation Board of Directors since 2016. She is vice president for Community Affairs for Duke University and Duke University Health System. She presents nationally, consults on leadership and workforce development, and actively participates on numerous public and private boards.

Williams previously served as president of Vance-Granville Community College, a four-campus institution in Northeastern North Carolina, and has served in various faculty and administrative roles within the North Carolina Community College System.

She is a graduate of Duke University and completed her doctoral studies at North Carolina State University, where she also serves as adjunct faculty in the College of Education.

Erin Coleman
Vice President of Industry Impact
Callahan & Associates

Erin Coleman serves as Vice President of Industry Impact at Callahan & Associates, where she leads with collaboration and a strong commitment to advancing the credit union movement. In this role, she forges strategic relationships, delivers high-impact consulting engagements, and furthers Callahan’s mission to help credit unions enhance the financial well-being of their members and communities. With more than 30 years of experience, Erin is a seasoned facilitator, relationship builder, and speaker who transforms insights into action. She also serves on the AACUC Southern Regional Chapter Board, the Advisory Board for Member Shared Services CUSO, and is active in NLCUP, GWLN, and CU*Pride.