2026 UIS Summit
for the credit union industry

Hosted by United Nations Federal Credit Union

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Event overview
Location & details

Date & time

Tues. 17 Nov
& Wed. 18 Nov
08:00 – 15:30
New York time
Register today for early-bird pricing 

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Locations


Day one (17 Nov): 
320 Park Avenue
New York, NY 

Reception: 18:00-20:00
UN Headquarters, NY

Day two (18 Nov): 
UNFCU Headquarters, 24-01 44th Rd
Long Island City, New York 

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Event overview

If you are looking for durable ways to lead your organization with purpose and progress through unprecedented change, join us at our summit on sustainability solutions. Leading voices shaping new realities will unpack top-of-mind subjects such as climate risk mitigation, artificial intelligence, new regulations and disrupters, better reporting and data gathering, building community strength and well-being, and the transition to a cleaner, more just economy. 

LEARN  how to incorporate values-based Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) into your strategy and reporting.

OBTAIN resources and insight on sustainability in the Digital Age, the culture of inclusion, green products/services, clean energy, and member well-being.

CONNECT with global experts and peers on best practices, ranging from climate risk mitigation to social purpose, building more resilient communities, and more!  

Who should attend:
President/CEO and Board members, managers and officers in retail/product solutions, enterprise risk management, HR/culture and inclusion, facilities/operations, finance, IT, and sustainability.

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Location & activity details

Location

Our two-day summit will take place at two lively locations in New York City. On day one, join us at 320 Park Ave for a day of keynote speakers and engaging panelists. On day two, participate in workshops held at our global headquarters in Long Island City, just across the river from Manhattan.

Activities

Enjoy a complimentary breakfast from 08:00 to 09:00 on both days of the summit.

Join an optional tour of the UN Headquarters from 16:30 to 17:30 on 17 November. Available to the first 60 registrants. 

Reception

Network and celebrate on the first night of our conference at UN Headquarters, Main Atrium, from 18:00 to 20:00.
Note: To enter UN grounds, please bring a government-issued photo ID. UN entry badges and tour tickets will be provided prior to building entry.

Hotels

Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel
Hotel Bonaventure Montreal The Embassy Suites

Program Agenda

UIS Summit, 18 November – Day One
Palais des congrès
08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast/Networking

09:00 – Welcome remarks by Yma Gordon, FVP, Global Impact & Inclusion, UNFCU, and Executive Director, UNFCU Foundation, New York, USA.

09:15 – Fireside Chat Keynote: Wellington Holbrook, President and CEO, Vancity, Vancouver, Canada on the Business Case for Sustainability: leveraging the credit union difference for positive impact; moderated by Yma Gordon, FVP, Global Impact & Inclusion, UNFCU, and Executive Director, UNFCU Foundation.

10:00 – Presentation: Sustainability in the Digital Age: unpacking AI’s impact on the environment, challenges, and opportunities with Golestan (Sally) Radwan, Chief Digital Officer, UN Environment Programme. 
Session facilitated by Dr. Damon Matthews, Professor of Geography, Planning and the Environment, Concordia University, Montreal; Interim Executive Director, Future Earth Canada Hub and Sustainability in the Digital Age

10:45 – Networking Break

11:15 – Our Panel of Experts weighs-in on their perspectives and trends in credit union sustainability with Alison Coates, Director, Climate Strategy and Performance, Vancity, Vancouver, Canada; Simeon Chapin, Chief Community Officer at American Eagle Financial Credit Union, Connecticut, USA; Rodrigoh Henriques, Director, Fenasbac, Brazil; and David Honick, Senior Manager, Climate & Sustainability, UNFCU, New York, USA; moderating Susan Hendershot, Director of Community Engagement, Self-Help Climate Capital Self-Help Credit Union, Illinois, USA

12:15 – Panel: Why the maxim, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” is now more relevant than ever with insights on communicating your values with Chip Lusk, President/CEO, IDB FCU, Washington, DC, USA; Damaris Carroll, Lead DEI and Employee Experience Partner and Michael Summers, EVP & Chief Culture Officer, Velera, Florida, USA; Emma Hayes, Chief Culture Officer, NCSECU, North Carolina, USA; moderated by Carlene Alexander, VP, Global Impact & Inclusion, UNFCU, New York, USA

13:15 – Lunch and Networking

14:15 – Panel discussion – Green solutions: Insights and best practices on bringing new products to market and engaging your members on sustainability. In conversation with Eric Darmanin, Chief Revenue Officer, UNFCU, and Jamie O’Donnell, AVP, Product Solutions Marketing, UNFCU, New York, USA; Dan LeFree, CEO, Harborstone FCU, Washington State, USA; and Laurie Fielder, VP, Green Lending, Eastrise FCU, Vermont, USA; moderated by Marie-Josée Paquette, General Director of the Quebec Council of Co-operation and Mutualism, Quebec, Canada

15:15 –  Spotlight – Bringing Climate Risk into Focus: A deep-dive on insurance, strategies, opportunities, and risk management practices with Steven Rothstein, Chief Program Officer, Ava Gulino. Program Associate, Banking and Financial Regulation, Ceres, Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, Massachusetts, USA; Neda Arabshahi, EVP, Center of Clean Energy and Resiliency, Inclusiv, New York, USA; and Dan Apfel, CEO of Genesee Coop, New York, USA; and Sheila Oveida, Head of Climate & Nature Product, S&P Global, Ontario, Canada

16:15 – Day one of the Summit concludes

17:30-19:30 – Reception Bonaventure Hotel

UIS Summit, 19 November – Day Two Palais des congrès

08:00 – Breakfast/Networking

08:45 – Welcome back – Patrick Siler, host, brief recap Day One of the UIS Summit and what’s ahead.

08:47 – Panel: Partnerships that accelerate impact: the role of community-led innovation and the global replicability of sustainable solutions (Angelina Tracy, Vice President, Strategic Growth & Global Programs, World Council of Credit Unions, sharing results from a just-released study identifying success factors for credit unions in climate finance, capacity building, funding and regulatory frameworks; David McDonnell, CEO, Naomh Breandan Credit Union, Galway, Ireland, Pat Morrissey, Chief Marketing Officer, Synergy Credit Union, Cork County, Ireland, and Tracy Fortino, Director of Sustainability & ESG, First West Credit Union, Vancouver, Canada); moderated by Maggie Stefanowicz, Health, Safety and Environment Specialist, Thales

09:37 – Segue to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bélem, Brazil with Daniela Romio, Communications Officer, Sicredi CU-Brazil

09:45 – Fireside Chat – Data and Disruption: The Future of Financial Health in the Face of Changing Climate and Technology with Dr. Taylor Nelms, Vice President of Research and Insights, Financial Health Network; moderated by Megan Synder, SVP and Chief Impact Officer, Unitus Community Credit Union, Oregon, USA – Liz to intro.

10:15 – Panel – Reporting and Accountability – no greenwashing here: insights from (Shannon McIlhone, Technical Lead, Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, Toronto, Canada; Paul Herendeen, Vice President of Sustainability, Clearwater CU, Montana, USA and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, and Dr. Sonja Novkovic, Professor Emerita of Economics at Saint Mary’s University, and Academic Director of the International Centre for Cooperative Management, on sustainability alignment and reporting; and Elizabeth Dove, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network-Canada – moderated by Jérôme Petigny, Team Lead, Climate Change, Biodiversity and ESG Data at Desjardins, Montreal.

11:15  – Networking Break

11:30 – Spotlight on the Cooperative Advantage with Dr. Leon Prieto, Professor of Management & Founding Director of the Center for Social Innovation & Sustainable Entrepreneurship at Clayton State University, Georgia, USA, Research Fellow at Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation – University of Cambridge, UK 
Facilitated by Juan Fernandez Ceballos, President & CEO, Luminate, Louisiana Credit Union League

12:15 – Panel discussion – Perspectives on Governance sustainability lessons learned leading organizations through operational and policy change with Dennis Cunningham, Manager of Environmental Sustainability, Assiniboine Credit Union, Manitoba, Canada; Dr. Sonia Li Trottier, Director, Canada Climate Law Initiative, Montreal, Canada; and Karen Miner, Managing Director, International Centre for Co-operative Management, Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia, Canada; moderated by Carlos Calderon, President/CEO, OAS FCU, Washington, DC, USA

13:00 Lunch and Networking

14:00 – Social Purpose in Action Presentation: how to fully leverage a key CU differentiator and earn members’ trust with Coro Strandberg, Chair of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, and social purpose and ESG expert, BC, Canada; and Maureen Young, Vice President, Social Purpose, Coast Capital Credit Union, BC, Canada; moderated by Dr. Jennifer Esperanza, EVP of Organizational Strategy at Coopera Consulting, Iowa, USADemo: ESG & Social Purpose Toolkit, published by the Canadian Credit Union Association: a new credit union roadmap to start or advance your journey with author Coro Strandberg and Kerry Ould, CMO and Communications Officer, PenFinancial, Ontario, Canada

14:45 – Wrap up and reflections

15:00 UIS Summit concludes

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Check out previous United in Sustainability Summits

The annual United in Sustainability (UIS) Summit was established in 2018. It serves as a platform for credit unions and industry thought leaders to share information, tools and resources related to sustainability, diversity and corporate social responsibility.

2025 UIS Summit

We hosted our first international UIS Summit in Montreal, Canada, convening Canadian credit union and cooperative leaders from across the country, as well as from Brazil, Ireland, and the US. Event topics included fresh research from the UN Environment Programme on Sustainability and the Digital Age of Artificial Intelligence, and a fireside chat with Vancity’s CEO Wellington Holbrook.

Watch on YouTube

2024 UIS Summit

At the 7th Annual UIS Summit, Credit unions and their associations convened at the UN NY headquarters to discuss actionable strategies and best practices for advancing sustainability – from green financing to ensuring financial inclusion.

Watch on YouTube

2023 UIS Summit

The 6th Annual UIS Credit Union Summit was held at the Organization of American States Main Building in Washington, DC. Learn how to start or advance your credit union’s sustainability journey and how to combat climate change and socio-economic disparity.

Watch on YouTube

Spread the word. Join the movement!

Have questions? Contact  info@unfcufoundation.org

United in Sustainability is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.