WASHINGTON—Susan Newton, a 19-year veteran of CUNA’s senior management, will be leaving the trade association sometime in 2016.
Susan Newton
Newton, chief engagement officer and the primary contact person for the state CU leagues, will depart CUNA as the trade association “redesigns the roles of its engagement division,” according to a statement sent to staff by CUNA President Jim Nussle.
According to that statement, Newton will redirect her focus to several initiatives for the next few months, and then will leave CUNA to pursue other opportunities within the credit union system.
“Susan has played an important role in our evolution and our success and she has been a critical contributor to the success of CUNA; most notably with our league partners as their executive director of (American Association of Credit Union Leagues),” Nussle said.
The news of Newton’s departure follows CUNA earlier this month announcing a reorganization that meant the departure of some long-serving executives and well-known people, as CUToday.info reported here.
Nussle said those earlier moves were made to streamline and unite the association to better serve the needs and interests of credit unions.
The trade group said distinctions between internal departments, and between CUNA’s Washington and Madison offices have been replaced by a unified structure and team called 1CUNA.
That change moved Newton from executive vice president of system relations to chief engagement officer, and also eliminated the positions of general counsel (formerly filled by Eric Richard) and senior vice president of communications (formerly filled by Pat Keefe). Bill Hampel is serving as interim chief strategic communications officer.
CUNA said it is in the midst of reshaping the trade association to modernize its structure and meet the changing needs of credit unions, including proposing to eliminate the dual membership structure. Sources commenting on Newton’s departure indicated that as CUNA recognizes it must serve and engage with members and prospective members more than ever before, it must optimize its team structure and transform the membership and engagement processes.