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As president/CEO of CUES, John Pembroke came full circle in his career. His first exposure to business was a high school internship working in his father’s church credit union. He developed a deep connection to the impact credit unions make on their members’ lives. That experience and being raised by parents with advanced degrees taught him to value education, faith, relationships, and personal growth.  

These values, combined with a progressive mindset, a desire to innovate, and an entrepreneurial spirit, were central to John’s success, allowing him to build a unique brand. Known for driving organizational growth and profitability, he leveraged his diverse business skills, relationship-building expertise, and leadership ability at PSCU, Cox Enterprises, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, and Procter & Gamble.  

Under John’s leadership, CUES membership tripled, member loyalty increased, new and innovative talent development offerings were developed and launched, and the financial condition of the organization was improved. Also, CUES came to be viewed as an industry thought leader in talent development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In addition, he worked with his board to evolve its governance efforts and make DEI a priority throughout the entire organization.  

One of John’s favorite quotes is by Greek philosopher Heraclitus: “Change is the only constant in life.” He lived by this maxim, consistently embracing opportunities to improve himself, his life, and the lives of others. For more than 25 years, he led companies with the same enthusiasm and was a trailblazer in the financial services, technology, consumer products, media, and non-profit industries.  

John held a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Policy Studies from the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago.  

Whether watching sports, traveling, spending time with friends and family or enjoying listening to new music—which was something he did every Friday—John considered having fun vital to a full life. He will be missed.  

John is survived by Monica, his wife of 27 years. 

Charitable donations can be made to St. Mark United Methodist Church, Chicago, IL – John Michael Pembroke Memorial Fund.
 

Tony joined CUES in April 2017 as SVP/Chief Marketing Officer where he is responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to CUES marketing initiatives.  Tony and his team ensure that CUES marketing plans, digital strategies, lead generation efforts and corporate communications are aligned with Membership and Sales initiatives to deliver a premium experience to CUES members.

No stranger to the credit union industry, Tony served as VP of Marketing for two familiar industry names–PSCU and Trellance.  In these roles, he helped to strengthen and elevate their brands while executing strategic marketing plans to drive business growth.

Tony’s experience includes over 25 years in branding, marketing, and sales across a diverse set of industries and companies including AT&T and Occidental Chemical Corporation.  Tony holds both an MBA and bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University.

Dawn Abely joined CUES in 2007 and has held the positions of Vice President/Conferences and Institutes and Senior Vice President/Chief Learning Officer. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President/Chief Sales and Member Relations Officer.

In this role, Dawn oversees the CUES member facing teams, including Sales and Executive Education and Meetings. Dawn and her team of dedicated professionals lead our sales efforts and ensure the CUES experience is most effectively delivered to CUES members through professional development opportunities.

Prior to joining CUES, she had her own strategic planning firm, D3 Results, specializing in the hospitality and tourism industry. Dawn spent five years in Washington, D.C. where she served as Executive Vice President of the Washington, D.C. Convention and Tourism Corporation and Executive Director of The American Experience Foundation producing such events as America Celebrates the Greatest Generation, the Pageant of Peace Gala and The Taste of D.C.

Dawn held similar positions in Milwaukee, WI, where she was recognized for her leadership in the community by receiving several awards including a City Council and Mayoral Proclamation and the “40 under 40” award by the Milwaukee Business Journal.

As SVP/ Chief Administrative Officer, Jerry Saalsaa is a visionary, results-driven steward leader with deep marketplace knowledge. A 26-year veteran of the credit union industry, he has been a champion and active contributor to its advancement. His North Star is to “leave the credit union system and the people within it better than today.”

Jerry’s steward leadership mindset propels him to lead with people, values and profits front and center. Without the first two, the third is possible but not sustainable. He leads with a vision of CUES not only today but tomorrow. It’s a concept that is easy to imagine but more challenging to execute. Jerry’s breadth of experience in finance, technology, strategy, business development, and human resources has created a unique skill set, allowing him to lead CUES with a 50,000-foot to 500-foot view, resulting in improved efficiencies and increased sustainable profitability. 

An empathetic and collaborative leader, Jerry embraces the diversity of thought and contributions from staff, acknowledging them as essential to strengthening the organization and driving membership growth. A devotee to personal and professional development, he is equally enthusiastic about mentoring and supporting the professional growth of his teams and individuals in the organization.

Jerry counts his family, including his wife of 21 years, Julie, and three children, Chloe, who is out of the nest and married; Naomi, who is heading to college in the fall of 2023; and Grady, who is still at home, as his proudest personal accomplishment. An avid Midwestern outdoorsman, he enjoys hunting, fishing and archery. He also enjoys the study of artificial intelligence as a passion project. 

Jerry holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Upper Iowa University and has completed leadership courses from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; CUES CEO Institute program; The University of Virginia Darden School of Business; The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University; and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Christopher currently holds the title of SVP/Chief Learning Officer. He has previously held the positions of Professional Development Manager, Director of Professional Development, Vice President of Marketing & Professional Development and Vice President of Professional Development & Innovation.  

Prior to joining CUES, Christopher developed multimedia online training courses and coordinated e-learning projects for leading companies in financial services, manufacturing and media. Christopher earned his Executive MBA from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; additionally, he earned his CIE designation by attending CUES Strategic Innovation Institute™, held at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.