2027 Foundation Gala

“Hundreds of women have found mentorship, confidence, and community because Lily believed they deserved it.” Linda White, Executive Director, Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance

Lily Newfarmer has built a legacy of making sure others have the opportunity to lead. As President & CEO of Tarrant County’s Credit Union since 2001, she has grown significantly while building a culture grounded in service, innovation, and the belief that every member deserves dignity and opportunity.

But Lily’s influence reaches far beyond her own institution. She has become one of the movement’s strongest champions for small credit unions, helping extend innovation, research, and resources to institutions that might otherwise be left behind. When she saw the lack of support and community for women CEOs of smaller credit unions, she helped build the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance. Today, that community is creating mentorship, connection and new pathways for leaders across the country.

Her legacy isn’t simply what she has built. It’s how many others are stronger because she built it.

“Cathie Tierney stood up for credit unions and their members when no one else would.” Larry Blanchard, former Chairman, UBIT Steering Committee

For nearly five decades, Cathie Tierney has shown what can happen when putting people first becomes more than a philosophy. It becomes the way you lead. She began at Community First Credit Union as a receptionist and teller in 1976 and rose to President & CEO, helping grow the organization from $156 million in assets and 48,000 members to more than $6.4 billion and 166,000 members. But as her nomination makes clear, the numbers were never the point. The lives behind them were.

Cathie has invested deeply in financial education, communities, and the strength of fellow credit unions. And when the cooperative model itself needed defending, she stepped forward. Her leadership in a landmark legal challenge against the IRS helped secure a victory benefiting state-chartered credit unions nationwide—putting her own name and reputation on the line for something much bigger than her own institution.

Her legacy is one of showing up—for members, for communities, for credit unions and for the movement itself.

“NLCUP is not simply hosting events or providing resources. It is changing who is seen, who is heard, who leads.” Vicky Garcia, President & CEO, Latino Community Credit Union

What began in 2006 as a group of Latino credit union professionals creating a space that did not yet exist has grown into a nationally recognized force for representation, leadership, and financial inclusion. NLCUP is working to ensure Latino voices are present and elevated at every level of the movement while helping credit unions build the cultural understanding and practical tools needed to better serve Latino communities.

And that work is accelerating. NLCUP has grown from 25 dues-paying institutional members in 2022 to 127 credit unions and industry organizations, reaching an estimated 1,100 professionals nationwide. Its mentorship program has grown 525% in four years, while initiatives including its ITIN Lending Workshop are helping credit unions expand responsible financial access for immigrant families.

NLCUP isn’t simply expanding representation. It is helping change who is seen, who is heard, who leads—and who the credit union movement is equipped to serve.