Q & A: Christopher Morris on Councils

America's Credit Unions is pleased to announce Christopher Morris as the new Vice President of Councils. With more than 20 years working in the credit union industry, Christopher brings a wealth of knowledge, a vast network, and a national and international perspective to this dynamic community.

A self-proclaimed credit union nerd (if you ask nicely, he might just tell you about his time in a credit union band), Christopher fell into the industry by accident. Connecting with the purpose of the movement, Christopher quickly found himself connecting credit unions to impact through the National Credit Union Foundation, TruStage, and numerous Membership and Engagement roles at America's Credit Unions. No stranger to Councils, Christopher shares the unique value he finds in this community, the opportunities it provides to credit unions, and his vision for the future of Councils.

You have worked in many organizations across the industry. Is there a common thread to what led you here today?

Definitely! Something that has woven its way through my 20-year credit union career is connections and networking with people. The positions I have held at the National Credit Union Foundation, TruStage (then CUNA Mutual Group), and over the last seven years at America's Credit Unions (formerly CUNA) has reinforced that connection and desire to foster connection at the national and even international level. What I love about that is how much that thread can be found at the core of Councils. Being able to provide all these different ways to essentially give tools and resources and connect leaders to each other for the benefit to the industry and serve their members is everything.

Many may not realize that you have actually worked for Councils before. Does this feel like you are coming home in a way?

Those three years when I was first engaged with Councils were huge in my development and in my ability to build a network across the industry. So to come back and take on the role of vice president does feel like a coming home in ways that I couldn't even imagine.

I was just on a call with a member credit union and someone in that meeting mentioned that they remembered when I worked at Councils. It was back in 2008 when I helped move Councils from listservs to their first online community platform. That was my first big project with a lot of blood, sweat, tears, but the outcome is still standing today and one of the many flagship connection tools for the Councils. Now here we are today, as I enter into this new role now and say, OK, yeah, now we're upgrading the community. What other tools and resources are out there in 2025 and what can we anticipate for the next five, 10, 15 years? So, it's pretty exciting.

What are the important opportunities Councils provides that make it worthwhile?

Most of the time, people don't realize all of the connections and resources they have at their disposal when you join Councils. When I have met with credit unions in a Membership engagement capacity and shared their membership benefits, especially those involved in Councils, they often realize they are probably only using a tenth of what they have access to. I want to dig into that more and bring more awareness around what it really means to leverage their Councils' membership.

I am certain not everyone realizes they get discounts on conferences. Or realize there is a mentor program, that there are white papers available, that there are roundtables to participate in. And so on. Council members pay a few hundred dollars for access to Councils, but if you use one or two of the opportunities Councils offers, you're getting so much more in the long run.

How do you see Councils exemplifying our industry value of people first?

One of my go-to phrases is "keep purpose constant." Anyone who meets with me over Zoom will see a plaque on my wall behind me with that phrase in big bold letters. To me, the purpose of Councils is to connect people to people and to connect people to resources. That purpose is kept constant in Councils.

Not only does Councils showcase the credit union difference but it exemplifies in real-time every day the sixth cooperative principle, which is cooperatives working with other cooperatives. Those two things sit at the core of Councils. I have seen this in action. A credit union marketing leader is running out of ideas and reaches out through the online community and without hesitation, 10 marketers will speak up and say, "Hey, here is my marketing plan. Hopefully, this is helpful." I mean, that's truly amazing. I don't know of many other industries that offer and foster connections in this way.

Why do you think Councils is able to be collaborative in this impactful way?

There is a secret sauce to Councils: the countless committees made up of credit union professionals. These committees are really the heart and soul of Councils, guiding it to the future. They are the ones helping identify the hot topics that our events focus on. They might be the ones informing and contributing to white papers that become key resources. And when I think about those people, that is why Councils is so successful. Also, a big shout out to the Councils staff, who are the backbone of it all.

What is your vision for Councils?

There is such a great foundation already in place. So at the core of my vision is to elevate this great work in a way that brings in more voices, fresh voices, diverse voices, young voices to continue to drive the success of this unique community. In addition to that, the two questions that I want our team to work with Councils to find solutions for are 1) how can we do more for our Council members? and, 2) how can we reduce friction to make connecting easier?

The final thought I really want to get across is that I know there has been a lot of change. And while I intend to embrace it, I know there are some people who want to or need to talk this through. I want to connect. I want to learn. I can be reached here.

Whether you're looking to advance your career, expand your network, broaden your skills, or strengthen the industry, a Councils membership can set you up for success. Learn more about what's included in your Councils members or sign up for your Councils membership here.

Curious about what Councils can do for your career? Read what Buddy Bennett from Cyprus Credit Union has gained from the community and how it shaped his career.