Skip to main content

Diana Dykstra named President of Western CUNA Management School

Diana Dykstra named President of Western CUNA Management School; Dr. Michael Steinberger named Dean of Academics

Ontario, CA (December 7, 2015) — Western CUNA Management School (WCMS) Board of Trustees have announced that—after 44 years of exemplary service—Dr. James D. Likens will retire at the end of 2015, and have selected California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues President and CEO Diana Dykstra to serve as president of the school. In addition, the Board of Trustees are pleased that Dr. Michael Steinberger has agreed to expand his role and will now serve as the dean of academics.

In this new role, Dykstra will help guide WCMS as the school moves into a new era of credit union leadership development. She will serve as the executive lead and as a direct connection between the school and the credit union movement throughout the Western United States. Partnering with Dykstra in this effort, Dr. Steinberger will serve as the academic lead and be the primary driver in the development of future focused leadership development programs for the students of WCMS.

Dykstra is a 1992 Honors graduate of WCMS and has served as the president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues since 2010. She has been a project reader and a popular instructor at the school for 18 years. Diana is a sought-after speaker and an influential voice in the credit union movement.

“The Board of Trustees is honored that Diana has agreed to serve as the president of WCMS as we make this important transition from 44 years of Dr. Likens’ leadership. Her work on campus and her leadership role in the credit union movement will be critically important as the school works to meet the ever changing leadership development needs of today’s credit unions.” said Gene Pelham, WCMS Board Chairman and president and CEO of Rogue Credit Union in Oregon.

Dr. Steinberger—a highly regarded associate economics professor and recent department chair at Pomona College in Claremont, CA—joined WCMS in 2006 as associate dean. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with majors in economics, political science, and statistics; earned a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and in 2004, joined the faculty of Pomona College. His research has been cited in cases before the US Supreme Court, and he has made research presentations at several government agencies, including at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Dr. Steinberger also serves on the Supervisory Committee of First City Credit Union in Los Angeles and on the board of TRUST for Credit Unions in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Likens—recently appointed by the board of trustees as dean emeritus— commented: “This is great news. Michael will bring to WCMS academic leadership of the highest order. How lucky we are to have him.”

“Michael has been instrumental in building a strong academic program for our students,” said Dykstra. “Under Dr. Likens’ mentorship he has been fully immersed in the schools ethos and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him to build upon the legacy of Dr. Likens.”

“At 13 years of age I followed in the footsteps of my parents and opened my first credit union account. I am a beneficiary of and sincere believer in the credit union ideals of people helping people,” said Dr. Steinberger. “I am honored that the Board of Trustees has chosen me to partner with Diana in carrying on Dr. Likens’ work at WCMS preparing the next generation of credit union leaders.”

“We are fortunate to have a credit union movement icon like Diana leading our administrative efforts and an award-winning educator like Michael leading our academic efforts,” said Pelham. “Diana and Michael have been instrumental in WCMS’ past success and we are so excited about what this partnership means for the future success of the students and faculty of WCMS.”

Dr. Likens’ official retirement date is December 31, and Dykstra and Dr. Steinberger are already at work building the strategic plans and curriculum for the 2016 session of Western CUNA Management School.

About Western CUNA Management School

WCMS serves credit unions in the 13 western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. It is sponsored by the Alaska Credit Union League, California Credit Union League, Credit Union Association of New Mexico, Hawaii Credit Union League, Idaho Credit Union League, Montana Credit Union Network, Mountain West Credit Union Association, Nevada Credit Union League, Northwest Credit Union Association, and Utah Credit Union Association, in cooperation with Pomona College in Claremont, CA. Graduates who have developed their skills and knowledge at the school occupy positions of leadership and responsibility at some of the nation’s leading credit unions.

Contacts

Nancy Wood
Director of School Administration
Western CUNA Management School
909-212-6059
nancyw@wcmspomona.orgwww.wcmspomona.org

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Credit Union Profits Climb 21% As Margins Widen, NCUA Reports

  If you don't read anything else, read this:  Performance By Asset Category WASHINGTON—Federally insured credit unions posted a sharp rebound in profitability through the third quarter of 2025, with net income up 21% year over year to an annualized $19.1 billion, according to new NCUA data. The increase—one of the strongest gains across the agency’s quarterly metrics—came as institutions benefited from rising interest income, wider net interest margins, and relatively stable credit costs. The NCUA reported that Q3 data show interest income climbed 7.6% over the period while the systemwide net interest margin expanded nearly 13%, helping credit unions absorb higher operating expenses and modest increases in loan-loss provisioning. The earnings surge outpaced the credit union system’s 3.7% asset growth and came amid a mixed lending environment in which residential mortgage balances rose sharply, but auto lending weakened. The industry’s aggregate net worth ratio also im...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sunday Reading - What happened at Pearl Harbor?

    What happened at Pearl Harbor? On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii ( watch visualization ). The strike marked the culmination of a decade of rising tensions as Japan expanded its empire   across East Asia and the Pacific. With its industrial capacity unable to match the United States in a long-term war, Japanese leaders opted for a preemptive blow designed to cripple American naval power.   The attack—which permanently sank three American ships, damaged 15 more, and killed 2,403 Americans—was a tactical success but a strategic failure. Japanese forces did not hit the base’s oil reserves, submarine facilities, or repair yards, all of which proved crucial in the months that followed. The US Navy ultimately refloated all but three damaged ships, returning many to combat . Pearl Harbor was the deadliest attack on US ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Federal Reserve Board announces pricing, effective January 1, 2026

  December 04, 2025 Federal Reserve Board announces pricing, effective January 1, 2026, for payment services the Federal Reserve Banks provide to banks and credit unions For release at 5:00 p.m. EST Share The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced pricing, effective January 1, 2026, for payment services the Federal Reserve Banks provide to banks and credit unions, such as the clearing of checks, automated clearing house (ACH) transactions, instant payments, and wholesale payment and settlement services. By law, the Federal Reserve must establish fees to recover the costs, including imputed costs, of providing payment services over the long run. The Federal Reserve expects to recover 108 percent of actual and imputed expenses in 2026, including the return on equity that would have been earned if a private-sector firm provided the services. Overall, price changes for 2026 will result in an estimated 0.9 percent average price increase for established, mature services. The entire ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Fed’s Powell: Strong hiring could force further rate hikes

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday that if the U.S. job market further strengthens in the coming months or inflation readings accelerate, the Fed might have to raise its benchmark interest rate higher than it now projects. Powell’s remarks followed the government’s blockbuster report last week that employers added 517,000 jobs in January , nearly double December’s gain. The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in 53 years, 3.4%. “The reality is if we continue to get strong labor market reports or higher inflation reports, it might be the case that we have to raise rates more” than is now expected, Powell said in remarks to the Economic Club of Washington. Though price pressures are easing and Powell said he envisions a “significant” decline in inflation this year, he cautioned that so far the central bank is seeing only “the very early stages of disinflation. It has a long way to go.” Even as the Fed has raised r...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

New Podcast Series -3 Succession Planning Podcasts

https://www.ncofcu.org/podcast Join/Upgrade Check out some of NCOFCU's additional features: First Responder Credit Union Academy Financial Literacy Podcasts YouTube Mini's Blog Job Board
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

SFDEFCU celebrates 75 years In business in 2025

The Syracuse Fire Department Employees Federal Credit Union (SFDEFCU) is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025. SFDEFCU, chartered on March 24th, 1950, is hosting a 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown on Saturday, March 29th. Tickets may be purchased by calling, visiting the Credit Union, or going to www.syrfirecu.com/75th-Anniversary-Celebration . Additional events include their Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 13th, a Kids' Day for members under 12 on Saturday, June 21st, and Member Appreciation Week from August 11th, 2025 through August 15th, 2025; all at their Wilkinson Street location. The Annual Member Bake will be held on Friday, October 3rd at The Spinning Wheel A 75th Anniversary Committee of ten Credit Union members is assisting in planning the festivities. In February 2025, members can purchase SFDEFCU branded clothing from an online store, for details, visit https://sfdcu75.itemorder.com/shop/home/ . A small, in-branch store is selling 75th A...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Tracking Firm Reports Foreclosures Down in 2011 – But Not Really

“Foreclosures were in full delay mode in 2011, resulting in a dramatic drop in foreclosure activity for the year,” said Brandon Moore, CEO of RealtyTrac. “The lack of clarity regarding many of the documentation and legal issues plaguing the foreclosure industry means that we are continuing to see a highly dysfunctional foreclosure process that is inefficiently dealing with delinquent mortgages — particularly in states with a judicial foreclosure process." *** Tracking Firm Reports Foreclosures Down in 2011 – But Not Really : " 'via Blog this'
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Housing Forecast 2026: Mortgage Rates Remain Above 6%, but Affordability Improves Modestly

  Mortgage rates will continue to average above 6% next year, but affordability will improve modestly as the typical monthly payment falls below 30% of a household's income for the first time since 2022, the  Realtor.com®  economic research team predicts in its  2026 housing forecast . The forecast predicts  mortgage rates  will average 6.3% across 2026, a slight improvement from the 6.6% full-year average expected for 2025, but still well above the 4% historic average recorded from 2013 to 2019. Nationally, home prices will continue to grow 2.2% through the end of next year, after rising by 2% in 2025, the forecast indicates. However,  incomes  and overall inflation are expected to continue rising faster than growth in home prices, delivering a slight boost to affordability. Read the complete story and review graphs;  HERE    _______________________________________ Join/Upgrade Check out some of NCOFCU's additional features: First ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Liquidity Takes A Dive As Lending Ticks Up

NET LIQUIDITY CHANGE FOR U.S. CREDIT UNIONS | DATA AS OF 06.30.22 © Callahan & Associates | CreditUnions.com   The federal government took a variety of steps to provide economic relief during the first year of the pandemic, including distributing trillions of dollars directly to consumers. As a result, credit union shares grew at record rates – well outpacing loan growth – leading to sizeable increases in liquidity. However, with the pandemic now mostly in the rearview mirror, credit unions are beginning to unwind the liquidity built up during the crisis. Credit unions reported 6.6% quarterly growth in outstanding loan balances as of 2Q22, well outpacing share growth over the same period, leading to liquidity outflows of $82.3 billion since March. This is a large change from 1Q22, when liquidity moderately increased by $16.8 billion.   As economic activity expands, this liquidity is being converted from cash into impactful...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sheehans Consulting LLC - "We only have one goal in mind!"

We have one goal in mind: “What is best for you? We achieve strategic initiatives, develop products, optimize profitability and productivity through best practices, and make our firm a strong asset for professional services.  With over 30 years of experience in public administration, credit union, and association management, I have developed a solid track record in leadership and development.  Please visit us at https://www.sheehansconsultingllc.com/ to learn more about what we can do for you.   _________________________________________ Check out some of NCOFCU's additional features: First Responder Credit Union Academy Financial Literacy Podcasts YouTube Mini's Blog Job Board
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»