Are you looking for an opportunity for career growth? The MD|DC Credit Union Association is accepting applications for the 2026 Miriam Rivera Lieb Emerging Leader Award. We’re looking for young professionals, 40 and under, who are highly engaged in the success of their credit union and demonstrate the potential to be one of the next generation of leaders in the credit union movement.

The deadline to apply is Monday, February 16, 2026. You can apply here and read the official rules here.

The winner receives a professional development package sponsored by TruStage that includes:

• Executive Coaching, 3 one-hour sessions for the winner and 1 one-hour session for the runners-up.
• Scholarship to the MD|DC Credit Union Association’s 2026 Tech Summit with accommodations
• Scholarship to the MD|DC Credit Union Association’s 2027 CONNECT Convention with one-night accommodations
• Airfare/accommodations for 2026 visit to TruStage in Madison, WI for networking and professional development
• Appointed to serve a one-year term as an Associate Director on the Credit Union Foundation MD|DC Board of Directors
• Lunch with MD|DC Credit Union Association CEO John Bratsakis and winner’s CEO
• Opportunity to participate in the Association’s YP Summit

If you’re not sure what the trip to TruStage headquarters is all about, well neither did 2024 Emerging Leader Award winner Mike Ches. Here’s how he described it, “the experience has been far and away beyond anything I could have ever imagined!!”

You can read more about how Mike’s experience as the Emerging Leader winner has helped him grow into a stronger, more effective leader: Mike Ches on His Journey as Association’s 2024 Emerging Leader