A reflection on community and what it really takes to support women in credit union leadership

How can you feel lonely when you’re surrounded by people? It’s a paradox faced by hundreds of women CEOs in the credit union system. 

As Linda White, Executive Director of the Credit Union Women’s Leadership Alliance (CUWLA), explains, “CUWLA was founded in 2020 because at the time, over 60% of credit unions under $300 million in assets were led by women. So how do we help those women show up and have a voice and a safe space to communicate with each other?”

CUWLA addresses a gap in the system, where even though women CEOs of smaller credit unions are in the majority, many of us have led in isolation, without a dedicated community or peer network to turn to for support – support that is essential for growth and success in leadership roles.

Now, CUWLA has expanded to include women CEOs of credit unions with up to $500 million in assets, as well as emerging women leaders preparing to take on a CEO role in the future. It’s all part of the important work CUWLA does to empower the women who power the movement.

Hear from the CUWLA founders

Understanding the importance of community

The conversation around women in leadership often defaults to: how do we get more women into senior roles? But CUWLA’s founders identified a different and arguably more urgent question: how can we better support the women who are already there?

We know all too well that being visible is not the same thing as feeling seen. You can be a busy, popular CEO of a credit union and still feel profoundly alone in your role, especially when the broader structures around you weren’t designed with you in mind.

What women leaders need goes beyond recognition. We need safe spaces where we can be honest, express vulnerability and seek support from peers who deeply understand the challenges and opportunities of being a woman in credit union leadership.

“When you think about the safe space that CUWLA provides these women, it is a platform that I have never seen before,” says CUWLA’s Director of Strategy and Engagement Corlinda Wooden. “I watch these women engage. I watch them share things back and forth. I watch them express vulnerability. And I absolutely love this safe space that everyone has, and they feel like they’re not alone anymore as leaders.”

Evolving to support rising leaders

As CUWLA grew, a new need emerged based on member feedback. Women who weren’t CEOs yet, but who were close, or unsure, or actively wrestling with what their next chapter looked like, could also benefit from the wisdom and support of CUWLA’s communities.

The questions that were coming up were completely relatable: Where do I belong? How do I fit in? Should I pursue the CEO role or go another way?

CUWLA Rise launched in October 2025 to help address those questions and uncertainty for rising women leaders. It brings together women who report to the CEO in credit unions up to $500 million in assets to give them a stronger peer network and mentorship opportunities as their careers develop and progress.

As CUWLA’s Corlinda Wooden describes, “CUWLA Rise is here for you to help talk with other women that are in a similar position and a similar seat at the table as you. And so, whether you’re a CEO or an upcoming leader, we would love to have you at CUWLA.”

Empowering the women who power the movement

Credit unions have always been about people over profit. CUWLA is an extension of our system values, supporting women leaders to be more connected, more confident and more capable as they carry the credit union movement forward.

Want to learn more? Explore our programs and become a member.