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• About Me : Greg Cook is President and CEO of UTFCU. A Marine Corps veteran with a Master's in Administration, he focuses on financial literacy and community impact.
• Contact Me : Contact Greg Cook, President and CEO of UTFCU, about credit union leadership, speaking or coaching. Find him on LinkedIn and Facebook.
• Now: What Greg Cook Is Working On : Credit union CEO and Marine veteran Greg Cook on his focus now: the Credit Unions Forum Podcast, the retirement wave and small credit union growth.

Best Posts

Start here to get to know Greg Cook. These pieces share why he is proud to lead University of Toledo Federal Credit Union, how he thinks about developing people, and where he sees the credit union movement heading.

• The Best Investment You Can Make? : Greg Cook uses a CFO and CEO exchange to argue that developing your people is an investment in culture and growth, not an expense for leaders to avoid.
• The Retirement Wave In Credit Unions Is Real : Credit union CEO pay rose 10.2% in 2025 as boards race to retain leaders before a retirement wave hits. Greg Cook reviews the data and succession planning.
• Why I'm Proud to Lead University of Toledo Federal Credit Union : Greg Cook became President and CEO of UTFCU in 2023. He writes about its 60-year history, not-for-profit model, and serving 6,700 members in Toledo, Ohio.

Credit

Posts about lending at credit unions. This is where I share how we can grow lending and serve our members better while balancing profitability, risk and overhead, including the ideas I pick up from lending partners and guests on the Credit Unions Forum Podcast.

• What I Learned at the Credit Union Financial Forum in New York : I attended the Credit Union Financial Forum in New York and had a fireside chat with Rodney E. Hood, former NCUA Chairman and Acting Comptroller.
• What If Your Credit Union Could Expand Lending Without Adding Overhead : Greg Cook talks with LendKey's Jennifer Brown about partnerships that grow lending portfolios, student loan strategies, and tools for veteran education.

General

General posts about credit unions, leadership, and what I am seeing in the industry. This is where I put the broader observations that do not fit a narrower category. "The Retirement Wave In Credit Unions Is Real" is about something I keep hearing about but few people are writing about honestly: the retirement wave in credit unions is real, and credit union boards are paying for it one way or another.

• She Never Needed Saving, Only Seeing : Liz Murray was already strong. What changed was that people finally knew how to help. Why leadership means recognizing potential and clearing the path.
• The Future of Credit Union Leadership: Talent, Culture, and Succession : Succession planning should start years before a leader leaves. Joe Souder and I talk about closing the talent gap and growing your next leaders.
• Why I'm Choosing an Abundance Mindset : I'm choosing abundance over scarcity, not because everything is easy, but because I believe there's more opportunity ahead. It starts with our words.
• Mission, Membership, Math: Balancing Purpose and Performance in Credit Unions : Greg Cook talks with JD Pisula about balancing mission and financial discipline in credit unions. Why the math protects your ability to serve members.
• People Helping People Is More Than a Motto : I challenge fellow credit union leaders to remind their teams often why their work matters. When people believe in it, stress becomes passion.
• What if No One Ever Taught You How to Make Your Money Work? : Greg Cook previews his Credit Unions Forum episode with Christy Vann on velocity banking, HELOCs, and why financial education beats shame.
• The Future of Credit Union Growth : Growth isn't always about size. I talk with Katherine Pratt about deeper member relationships, storytelling, and why relevance matters more than expansion.
• Be the Leader You Wish You Had : No one believed in me early on, so I built my own door. Now I focus on being that person for others: one conversation, one opportunity, one yes at a time.
• Discipline : Greg Cook writes that most people have a discipline problem rather than a motivation problem, and ties today's habits to the life you are seeking.
• Be Demanding, Not Demeaning: The Leadership Lesson That Changes Everything : Greg Cook draws on Deion Sanders to explain why leaders should demand excellence without demeaning people, shaped by his years of leading in credit unions.
• Making Life Beautiful at Credit Unions : Greg Cook reflects on National Making Life Beautiful Day and how credit union service can change a member's future, one conversation at a time.
• Building the Next Generation of Credit Union Leaders : Greg Cook talks with Janice Shisler and Jane Fontaine about credit union succession planning, leadership coaching, and preparing for the silver tsunami.
• The Future of Small Credit Unions: Simplicity as a Superpower : Greg Cook talks with Doug Wadsworth of Tri-CU about how small credit unions thrive through DIY simplicity, niche lending, and regulatory relief.
• Unlocking Growth: Why Business Lending is the Future for Credit Unions : Greg Cook talks with John Skeldon of CBS CUSO about how business and SBA lending, loan participations, and CUSO collaboration drive credit union growth.
• The Governmental Affairs Conference : The Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C. is the largest credit union event, where leaders advocate, connect, and shape the movement.
• The Retirement Wave In Credit Unions Is Real : Credit union CEO pay rose 10.2% in 2025 as boards race to retain leaders before a retirement wave hits. Greg Cook reviews the data and succession planning.

UTFCU

Posts about UTFCU, the University of Toledo Federal Credit Union, where I serve as President and CEO. This is where I share what we are doing, why it matters, and how we are trying to do right by our members. "Holiday Shopping Made Better With UTFCU!" is about a special offer we put together for our members to get a head start on holiday shopping. Practical stuff that actually saves people money.

• Nagi Naganathan: 40 Years of UTFCU Membership : Former UT Interim President Nagi Naganathan visited UTFCU after 40 years of membership, praising the service from Shawna, Dennis, Nicole, and Jamie.
• Holiday Shopping Made Better With UTFCU! : UTFCU offered 5.99% APR on credit cards for 6 months, 2X ScoreCard Reward Points, and holiday loans up to $3,000 at 6.99% APR through December 2025.
• Why I'm Proud to Lead University of Toledo Federal Credit Union : Greg Cook became President and CEO of UTFCU in 2023. He writes about its 60-year history, not-for-profit model, and serving 6,700 members in Toledo, Ohio.