Teri M. Robinson: 2025 Herb Wegner Memorial Award Winner

A Transformational Leader in the Credit Union Movement 

The credit union movement has been shaped by many remarkable leaders and Teri Robinson is one of them. As the driving force behind Ironworkers USA FCU, Teri’s leadership has not only transformed her organization but has also influenced the broader credit union landscape. Under her stewardship, Ironworkers USA FCU has achieved extraordinary growth—expanding tenfold in size in less than 15 years—a testament to her vision and dedication. 

To truly appreciate Teri’s impact, we must journey back to her early days at the credit union, then known as Pacific Northwest Ironworkers. In 2010, shortly after taking on the role of CEO, Teri found herself in a challenging situation. Sitting at her desk in the back of a Portland ironworkers union hall, she came across a daunting letter from the NCUA. The letter stated that the credit union was in net worth restoration and warned that without significant intervention, the agency would be forced to either merge or dissolve the organization. 

In that moment, Teri faced a pivotal question: How could she turn this struggling credit union around and create a sustainable path for its future? 

To answer that question, Teri walked out of her office and into the front of the union hall to help members on the front line. She started talking to them as they came in, listening to their stories and trying to understand their personal finances. She recognized how different their needs were compared to those of typical customers at other financial institutions. 

What Teri came to learn about the ironworker profession was that they lead very distinct and atypical financial lives. Steady paychecks aren’t common. Instead, they depend on the availability of construction jobs that may or may not be local. Often, they must travel to temporary homes to be near their work. Once the jobs are over, they return home and wait for the next project. This pattern of inconsistent wages doesn’t align with what lenders typically look for in borrowers. But that is the reality for ironworkers. Teri knew she needed to incorporate that reality into the credit union’s underwriting procedures if she wanted to make loans to help them. 

Teri established a culture of financial education at the credit union, using every interaction with members—especially those seeking loans—to teach them the principles of leading more financially secure lives. She took it a step further, knowing how frequently her members came to the credit union with loans from payday lenders and finance companies. Teri developed a strategy of scouring ACH reports to identify any payments made to those lenders. Once those payments were discovered, she or her staff would promptly call the member, encouraging them to bring those loans to the credit union. 

In some cases, Teri and her team saved their members so much money by consolidating multiple loans from payday lenders that these rough-and-tough, blue-collar workers would come into the union hall and sit across from Teri’s desk in tears, incredibly grateful for what the credit union had done for them and their families. Thousands upon thousands of ironworkers now know that Ironworkers USA FCU truly understands them. 

As the credit union continued to make this immeasurable impact, the ironworkers themselves started spreading the word. Due to the frequent travel by ironworkers, the reputation of Ironworkers USA FCU began to spill across the country. Teri soon began receiving phone calls from Boston, Florida, Mississippi—everywhere—from ironworkers who’d heard of how the credit union helped people like them and who wanted to join. 

In 2018, Teri successfully applied to the NCUA for a national associational common bond, changing the credit union’s name to Ironworkers USA Federal Credit Union and expanding its ability to serve members across the country. This move led to continued growth and significant impact; since the approval of the expanded field of membership, the credit union has more than doubled its membership. Even more amazing, this was all part of Teri’s plan. Even during the darkest days for the credit union, sitting barely above 4% capital back in 2010, Teri dreamed of turning the credit union into a national organization that served ironworkers nationwide. That dream is becoming a reality. 

“Teri Robinson is a resilient leader who generously shares her insights, ideas, and passion with those around her. She is also a textbook example of a credit union leader who deeply knows and supports her credit union members. Teri can often be found in her office at the credit union, talking through and problem-solving the challenges a specific member is facing. She understands the unique needs of her membership, SEG, and passionately supports her members’ personal growth and financial well-being,” stated Troy Stang, President & CEO of GoWest Credit Union Association.  

With over 35 years in the credit union movement, Teri inspires so many. She is a co-founder of the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance (CUWLA) and serves as a coach for countless CEOs of other small credit unions.  

Teri’s reason for success is her commitment to her members. She understands their financial challenges intimately well and ensures her credit union is properly positioned to meet those challenges. That customized service has led to transformative support and impact that ironworkers greatly appreciate. They share the help they receive, and, as a result, the credit union’s reputation has spread like wildfire. There’s no greater lesson that a credit union of any size could learn: keep the focus on the member, and the growth will follow.