Plymouth, Mich. – Backbone, a national coalition of credit unions, on Thursday announced the addition of veteran credit union executive Corlinda Wooden as community director. 

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Wooden serves as president of Wooden Consulting, and is known throughout the industry as a passionate leader and advocate for the credit union movement. As community director, she will serve as a liaison among Backbone’s nationwide membership, and lead efforts to grow the coalition and build capacity. 

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“Credit unions have an incredible story to tell about putting people first and serving our communities. Backbone is committed to sharing that story, and we could not have a better partner in that commitment than Corlinda Wooden,” Backbone coalition leader and Community Financial Credit Union CEO Tansley Stearns said. “With Corlinda on the team, we’re taking Backbone — and the credit union movement — to the next level.”

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With over 25-years of experience in the financial industry, Wooden was recently named one of American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions. She is widely recognized for her expertise in leadership development, executive coaching, sales and service culture transformation, and driving innovative strategies that deliver bottom-line results. 

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“The Backbone coalition represents the very best of the credit union movement, demonstrating our commitment to families and communities and our abiding belief that collaboration is essential to success,” Wooden said. “I’m honored to join this inspiring team and couldn’t be more thrilled to embark on this critical work.”

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The Backbone coalition consists of 14 credit unions and an association: 

• Credit Union 1 (Alaska)
• OneAZ Credit Union (Arizona) 
• Vantage West Credit Union (Arizona)
• Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union (California)
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union (California)
• Westerra Credit Union (Colorado)
• Ent Credit Union (Colorado) 
• Everwise Credit Union (Indiana)
• Community Financial Credit Union (Michigan)
• FourLeaf Federal Credit Union (New York)
• Cardinal Credit Union (Ohio) 
• WEOKIE Federal Credit Union (Oklahoma)
• Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union (South Carolina)
• Verity Credit Union (Washington) 
• GoWest Credit Union Association 

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About Backbone:

Backbone is a coalition of credit unions championing everyday Americans and their economic and overall health. Fairness and access matter in personal finance, and credit unions put people first. Through education and storytelling, the coalition aims to increase understanding of credit unions’ purpose, services and benefits— especially those overlooked by traditional banking institutions. Backbone is committed to building support for credit unions’ essential role that prioritizes people over profits and invests in local communities.