Ray Lancaster began his career as a credit union volunteer. But looking back it seems inevitable Lancaster would become a credit union CEO one day.

Lancaster embodies the credit union spirit. As CEO of $167 million asset Pyramid Federal Credit Union in Tucson, Ariz., he’s always looking for a way to help others.

One of his greatest inspirations was the National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education (DE) Program. It was during the Foundation’s DE training in 2014 that Lancaster realized how many Americans are one misstep away from financial disaster.

“The DE program just resonated in my heart,” Lancaster says in this episode of the CUNA News Podcast. “It just provided me with a higher realization of why we're here and the meaning of credit union life: how we should be the best deal for our members.”

That epiphany served as the catalyst for many of the programs that are in place at Pyramid Federal today. In a true reflection of Lancaster’s leadership, there’s not a level of the credit union that doesn’t in some way better people’s lives.

Lancaster was named a 2019 Credit Union Rock Star by Credit Union Magazine in a special issue sponsored by Fiserv.

You can listen and subscribe to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple’s iTunes Store, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio.

In this episode:

1:14: How Ray Lancaster began his credit union journey

2:53: About Pyramid Federal Credit Union

4:00: Pyramid Federal's strategic priorities

5:53: How Ray was inspired by National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education (DE) Program

10:10: Why he tries to keep people involved in the credit union movement

12:16: Engagement programs at Pyramid Federal

14:30: Pyramid Federal's Living Wage program

19:10: Pyramid Federal's participation in a payday loan program that involves other community organizations