Credit Union Conversations
Welcome to Credit Union Conversations podcast with your host, Mark Ritter, a forward-thinking CEO, who excels in helping credit unions, small businesses, and real estate investors succeed.
Join Mark as he explores current trends, interview industry experts, and get fresh insights on optimizing your lending operations and delivering the best possible services to credit union members.
More About Your Host
Mark Ritter is the CEO of MBFS & Nu Direction Lending and an expert in credit unions and business lending. His primary role at MBFS is overseeing the strategy of helping credit unions assist members with business needs and consulting with credit unions on planning the delivery of services to their membership.
In 2002, Mark started a large central Pennsylvania credit union’s business lending program as “one person and a desk” with no policies, products, staff, systems, or business members. That program grew to be one of the top ten in the nation.
In 2012, he took on the challenge of being the CEO of a business lending CUSO. Mark was the fifth CEO in five years for the organization, which lost money every month of its existence. Since joining MBFS, Mark increased the number of credit unions the CUSO and revenue by over 10x and ensured positive cash flow every full year he’s been at the CUSO. More importantly, MBFS has helped countless credit union members gain the financing they need for business and investment needs.
Mark is a native of Berwick, PA in northeast Pennsylvania, where he was a member of his high school’s nationally ranked and state championship football team. After high school, Mark hung up his cleats to work for the Penn State Nittany Lions full-time as a student assistant while attending Penn State as an undergrad. During this time Penn State transitioned to the Big Ten and culminated in Penn State’s first Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Mark remains an avid Penn State supporter. Today Mark lives in Bucks County, PA outside of Doylestown with his wife and two teenagers.
Credit Union Conversations Episodes
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What is Eben Sheaffer Up To These Days?
Mark Ritter sits down with Eben Sheaffer on Credit Union Conversations, talking credit union lending. Eben shares his journey from Wall Street finance to CDFI leadership, explaining how working capital financing and adaptive reuse lending are reshaping underserved communities across the country. From a groundbreaking securitization in equipment financing to revitalizing Detroit through impact-driven loans,…
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Checking In with Andrew Wilson of Navigator Credit Union
What happens when a mid-sized credit union outgrows its comfort zone? Andrew Wilson of Navigator Credit Union joins host Mark Ritter to unpack the strategy behind explosive net income growth, a booming mortgage lending portfolio, and a scrappy new commercial lending division built almost from scratch. Wilson gets candid about surviving NCUA Exams, building trust…
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Checking In With Michael Nagl of Centennial Lending
From bartending in Estes Park to golf lessons to running a multimillion-dollar CUSO, Michael Nagl’s story proves that the best leaders take unexpected roads. He and Mark Ritter dig into mortgage-lending boom-and-bust cycles, why member service still beats automation, and how a niche auto-leasing program now serves credit unions nationwide. They also swap stories about…
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Let’s Meet Kendall from MBFS!
Careers in the credit union industry can take unexpected turns, as Kendall Boyle proves in this episode of Credit Union Conversations. From wedding-planning chaos to underwriting spreadsheets, Kendall’s career path is anything but ordinary. Host Mark Ritter chats with the MBFS portfolio analyst about surviving hospitality burnout, thriving in remote work, and finding calm through…
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Talking With Ian Lampl of LoanStreet
What does it take to leave a prestigious law career, join the most hated government program in history, and then launch a fintech startup with no clients, no marketing materials, and no industry relationships? Ian Lampl did exactly that. Host Mark Ritter welcomes Ian, founder and CEO of LoanStreet, to discuss the evolution of loan…
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Sales Talk with Melissa Kopp from The League of Credit Unions
Are your current vendor relationships helping you solve real problems or just cluttering your technology stack? In this episode, Mark Ritter sits down with Melissa Kopp, Chief Revenue Officer for the League of Credit Unions and its affiliate Leverage, to discuss how credit union fintech partnerships are shifting from standard product pitching to collaborative problem…
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How is 2026 Going?
What does it really take to grow a business lending CUSO in 2026? Mark Ritter and Jeff Lyons pull back the curtain on eight years of organizational evolution, honest reflections on artificial intelligence, and where credit union technology is finally delivering results. From Microsoft Copilot upgrades that went from frustrating to impressive, to AI-assisted hiring…
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Checking in With Jay Murray
Credit union strategy takes center stage as Mark Ritter welcomes industry veteran Jay Murray to Credit Union Conversations. From teller to CEO, Jay’s path through corporate credit union leadership shaped decades of collaboration within the credit union sector. He reflects on the financial crisis, regulatory gaps, and how shared services helped small institutions survive and…
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State of Mortgages With John Giordano
Is your credit union ready for what is happening in mortgage banking right now? In this episode of Credit Union Conversations, host Mark Ritter sits down with John Giordano of First Heritage Mortgage Services to break down the real state of mortgage rates, housing inventory, and home affordability in 2026. With over 1,800 active pre-approvals…
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Checking In With Joe Hyatt of DFTC
What does it take to build a thriving credit union business lending program in today’s market? Mark Ritter sits down with Joe Hyatt of DFTC to unpack decades of experience in commercial lending, loan underwriting, and portfolio diversity. From navigating NCUA compliance to chasing treasury management goals, they share candid insights on what credit unions…
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Checking In With A. Maurice Dawkins of American Spirit Federal Credit Union
What does it take to lead a credit union from the inside out? Maurice Dawkins, CEO of American Spirit Federal Credit Union, built his career on preparation, passion, and people. From growing up in Jamaica to earning an accounting degree in Maine, Maurice never planned to run a credit union, but he proved he was…
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All Box’d In With Nenuca Syquia
What happens when a global HR expert falls in love with the credit union movement? Nenuca Syquia, CEO of Boxd, joins Mark Ritter to challenge how credit unions think about leadership development, change management, and staying relevant in a shifting market. With the average credit union member now 53 years old, the urgency to attract…
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Mark’s Thoughts on the Credit Union Universe
In 2025, credit union business lending quietly staged one of its strongest comebacks in years, and Mark Ritter has the numbers to prove it. From a 25% surge in business loan volumes to a 43% jump in participation loans, the recovery exceeded nearly every expectation. But Mark does not stop at the good news. He…
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Navigating Executive Succession with Amey Sgrignoli of Belco Community CU
Guest: Amey Sgrignoli What does it take to lead a community credit union for over a decade while honoring a 42-year legacy? In this episode of Credit Union Conversations, Mark Ritter talks with Amey Sgrignoli, CEO of Belco Community Credit Union, about navigating executive succession, evolving board governance, and building a standout brand in a…
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Defending All CUs With Doug Wadsworth
Guest: Doug Wadsworth Community finance is under pressure. On this episode of Credit Union Conversation, Mark Ritter sits down with Doug Wadsworth to unpack the realities facing small credit unions, including expanding regulatory burdens, rising compliance costs, and growing competition among credit unions. They discuss why credit union advocacy matters, how the cooperative model must…
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MBFS Quick Hits: Carrie Hutton’s Trivia & Credit Union Lending Success
Guest: Carrie Hutton Join host Mark Ritter for a refreshing twist on Credit Union Conversations as Carrie Hutton, MBFS’s loan origination leader, trades business talk for outdoor adventures and friendly competition. From conquering fears on cliff-side hikes to camping in Montana’s stunning Glacier National Park, Carrie reveals her family’s passion for exploration before facing the…