2025 Annual Meeting Details

Carla Decker is President & CEO of SkyPoint Federal Credit Union, a Community Development Financial Institution with over $200M in assets serving low- and moderate-income families in the greater Washington, DC metro area.

She previously served as Chief Operating Officer of the IDB Global Federal Credit Union. That credit union serves employees of the InterAmerican Development Bank in the United States and abroad. For two decades before that, she served as Chief Executive Officer of DC Federal Credit Union, a community charter credit union focused on building financial inclusion among ethnic minorities in the District.

Carla is a Credit Union Development Educator. She is the immediate Past Chair of the Board of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA/CLUSA). She represents NCBA/CLUSA, and the U.S. cooperative movement as Vice Chair of Cooperatives of the Americas, a region of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).

Originally from Perú, her immigrant experience informs and energizes her Credit Union’s initiatives to address and advocate for financial inclusion and the well-being of the local Hispanic community. In 2019 and 2020, she was named to the list of the 100 Most Influential People to the Hispanic Community by “El Tiempo Latino” – the principal Spanish-language news publication in the DC marketplace. In 2023, she was inducted into the African American Credit Union Coalition’s Hall of Fame.

Carla’s undergraduate studies concentrated on Finance. She holds a master’s degree on International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University in Virginia.

Nicole Brusewitz is a seasoned leadership expert and coach in personal development with over 20 years of experience transforming leaders across various industries. Passionate about the intersection of self-awareness and effective leadership, Nicole has dedicated her career to empowering individuals to lead themselves with authenticity, clarity, and purpose.

Nicole combines the learnings from her master’s degree in holistic health education with her bachelor’s degree in business administration and coaching certification, alongside decades of real-world leadership experience to simplify the science of why we create the patterns we do, where they come from, and how to change them to amplify results.

Nicole’s 16 years of credit union experience, most recently as Chief Engagement Officer at GoWest Credit Union Association, grew her expertise in developing leaders in an industry rooted in a social mission. She continues to serve coops in her current roles as Vice President of Leadership Development, Learning & Consulting Services at FCCS.

Cathy Statz (she/her) is a cooperative educator with over 30 years of experience educating young people and emerging leaders about the cooperative business model.

She is a part-time outreach specialist for the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, and also supports the Cooperative Development Foundation and NCBA CLUSA International on projects including the Cooperative Leaders and Scholars (CLS) program. An advocate for the cooperative education of youth, she spent over twenty-five years as education director and camp director for Wisconsin Farmers Union and continues to co-coordinate the National Farmers Union College Conference on Cooperatives (CCOC).

Cathy serves on the boards of the Ralph K. Morris Foundation (for whom she also supports communications and projects) and the InSPIREation Foundation. She is a member of Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) and is a member and past president of the Association of Cooperative Educators (ACE). She completed the Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) program with the National Credit Union Foundation.

A lifelong singer and enthusiastic traveler, Cathy holds a double degree from Lawrence University with a BA in English and BMus in voice performance and is a member and volunteer with Rotary International.

Contact: cathy.a.statz@gmail.com | +1 715-944-5272  www.linkedin.com/in/cathystatz 

 Kali Wicks was raised on a dryland wheat farm in northcentral Montana where she cultivated her key values of trust, integrity, and relationships. Kali holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a Master's in Communications and Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Kali also graduated with honors from the Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Montana where she also completed a Certificate in Public Health.

Prior to founding Treasure State Strategies, Kali spent a decade working in Government Relations for the state's largest health insurance company serving more than 400,000 members. This work included expertise in a multitude of areas across the spectrum of public affairs including building long-lasting relationships on both sides of the aisle and across administrations, developing and executing plans to pass or defeat legislation, writing legislation, direct lobbying, performing grassroots and issue advocacy, coalition building, community and regulatory relations, tribal relations, and managing a federal political action committee. She worked closely with related health plans in several states on joint initiatives and legislative campaigns and advised on state and federal matters relating to rural health and business issues.

As a former Helena Commissioner, Kali also has broad experience in local governance policy. During her time as a Commissioner, Kali focused on improving city services, updating internal city policies, budgets, zoning and economic development. She also served as a member of the 2020 Census Committee, Montana Business Assistance Connection Board, The City Zoning Commission, and the Helena Chamber of Commerce Board.

Prior to her work in the private sector, Kali worked within state government in a variety of roles including positions at the Montana Department of Commerce (Housing/Community Development), The Montana Department of Labor (Workforce Development), and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (Two-Year & Tribal Career Technical Education).

Kali is a strong proponent of servant leadership and giving back to Montana communities. She has served on advisory boards for Montana HOSA-Future Health Professionals (current chair), the MPA Program at the Alexander Blewitt III Law School in Missoula, the Awareness Network, the Montana Business Assistance Connection, Helena Symphony Board (past president), Women's Foundation of Montana (past president), and the Career Training Institute in Helena (past president). Kali is a member of the Montana Ambassadors (Gubernatorial Appointment) and has presented guest lectures on lobbying and policy work at Carroll College and the University of Montana.

When she's not hard at work in Helena, you can find Kali camping, exploring Montana ghost towns, or visiting one Montana's many parks and public lands with her husband and son.

Gerry Singleton has dedicated his career to the credit union movement, and  he brings that passion and dedication into his role as President/CEO of  Montana’s Credit Unions (MCU). Gerry plans and directs the financial,  operating, and human resources for the Montana Credit Union League,  Montana Credit Unions for Community Development, and the League  Service Group. He also serves as a board member of the Montana Credit  Union League Group Benefits Trust and oversees its operation. Under  Gerry’s leadership, MCU continually delivers quality advocacy, programs,  and services across the state. Previously to joining Montana’s Credit Unions, Gerry spent 25 years as the  VP-Credit Union System Relations at CUNA Mutual Group, working closely alongside leagues, CUNA, and  other key system partners to build a thriving credit union system. During his time in the credit union  movement, he has served on various national boards of directors and advisory groups, including the  Board of the National Credit Union Foundation, the Board of the CUNA Mutual Foundation, Credit  Unions Building Financial Independence (CT), the Advisory Board of the CUFinHealth Fund, and as an  active Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE), with designations for International DE, CaribDE and  Africa DE. Singleton is a long-time resident of Bozeman, Montana, who loves spending time with his family, hiking,  and connecting to his community  

 Gary is a native of Glasgow, having been born there and graduating from Glasgow Senior High School.

A graduate of the University of Montana with a degree in journalism, Gary worked in the newspaper business in western Montana for nearly 10 years and later served in Washington D.C. as an energy aide to then eastern district Congressman Ron Marlenee. He was hired by Montana Electric Co-ops’ Association in 1993 and was promoted to CEO in 2019.

In addition to his regular CEO duties, Gary also serves on a national co-op association committee monitoring the impact of proposed federal EPA regulations. He is currently chairing a statewide association task force seeking to elevate wildfire liability as a national issue for electric co-ops. Gary also serves on the board of the Montana Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

His wife, Pamela, is a native of Billings. They have two grown children who are married and live in Montana, and they very much enjoy time spent with their four grandchildren.

Bridger Mahlum is General Manager at BroadbandMT, representing locally owned, community-based broadband providers that serve rural Montana.  Bridger has nearly a decade of experience advocating on behalf of trade associations and corporations, six of  those years having represented Montana’s business climate as government relations  director for the Montana Chamber of Commerce.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in political  science from Wake Forest University in North Carolina.   Bridger grew up in Bigfork, Montana and has lived in Helena since 2016.  He enjoys riding  bicycles, listening to vinyl records, and watching passerby react to a full-scale replica of a  Sinclair green dinosaur that is prominently displayed on his front yard. 

Brad Gjermo currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain Supply Inc. located in Belgrade, MT.  He is responsible for providing the oversight of the entire operation as well as carrying out the strategic direction of the company as established by the Board of Directors.  RMSI is a locally-owned diversified farm, ranch and consumer supply cooperative with approximately $160 million in sales.  RMSI currently employs approximately 165 employees who serve approximately 4,000 active members.  Brad is a native of Deerfield, WI growing up on a diversified farm just outside of Madison, WI.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1987.  After graduating from UW-Madison, he embarked on a career in the cooperative system.  He began his career as a Credit Manager of a local cooperative, then moving into sales, sales & marketing management and operations management roles.  All of this to prepare him to ultimately lead a local cooperative as a General Manager/CEO.  Brad realized this when he became the General Manager of the Grand River Cooperative in Markesan, WI in December 1998.  He has since led cooperatives in Buffalo Lake, MN and Burlington, WI.  He began his role as CEO of Rocky Mountain Supply on March 16, 2015.  

Brad recently served as the President of the Western Region Manager’s Association.  He has also served the cooperative system as part of the the Land O’ Lakes Ag Executive Council representing Region 5, serving as Nominating Chair during his time on the council.  He also serves on the Co-op 401K Board of Directors representing District 6.  Brad and his wife Dana have one daughter, Ashley, age 27.