Collaboration with April Clobes (#237)

“My biggest goal is that the industry wins, thrives, and survives. You don't do that alone. That's a whole movement.” – April Clobes

Welcome to episode 237 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jilly Nowacki, co-founder, president and CEO of Zealyst.

This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more at Trellance.com!

In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too.

For this episode, we welcome back April Clobes who was a previous guest in episode #73. April is the President and CEO of MSU Federal Credit Union, and she joins us today to talk about the importance of collaboration in the credit union space. Listen in as we discuss how she has grown the credit union from 100 to over 1,200 employees while keeping a strong focus on inclusion, shared ownership, and creating space for every team member to contribute. April shares how curiosity and “what if” thinking have affected everything from new member experiences to experimental concepts such as her organization’s kid-focused Money Lab.

We also explore what it takes to build trust across a fast-moving organization (and across an entire industry). April explains why showing up consistently, listening intently, and co-creating solutions can help speed up innovation far beyond what any single organization can achieve alone.

April also opens up about the reality of leadership being imperfect—including missed blind spots, the importance of feedback, and learning to slow down and bring others in earlier. We discuss shifting workplace expectations, where employees are increasingly comfortable asking “why” and challenging decisions and how that shift is reshaping leadership styles.

Finally, we talk about a more personal side of leadership and how networks of peers, mentors, and board relationships help counteract the loneliness that can sometimes come with executive roles. April leaves us with a clear invitation: collaboration isn’t just a strategy for growth, it’s a commitment to showing up for each other so the whole industry can do better together. We hope that you enjoy this insightful conversation with April Clobes!

Connect with April:
April Clobes, President and CEO of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
msufcu.org
April: LinkedIn | april.clobes@msufcu.org
MSU Federal Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

Show notes from this episode:
Sponsor: Trellance
Shout-out: CUES Directors Conference
Shout-out: Jack Henry
Shout-out: Scimitar
Shout-out: the lab at MSUFCU
Place mentioned: Lansing, Michigan
Shout-out: CUDX
Shout-out: Chase
Shout-out: Scott Simpson
Shout-out: Bank of America
Shout-out: Jilly's friend Brent
Book mentioned: Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges by Otto Scharmer
Shout-out: Jilly's son Crosby

Previous guests mentioned in this episode: April Clobes (#73); Mark Zook (#230); Patty Corkery (#112 & #213);  Tracie Kenyon (#12, CUInsight Network episode #64, & #209); Steph Sherrodd (#46); Linda Armyn (#178)

In This Episode:
[2:24] - April argues that collaboration strengthens outcomes by combining different perspectives and skills.
[3:32] - Hear how, as April's organization grew, intentional communication kept employees engaged and up to date.
[6:03] - A culture focused on mission helps inspire employees to improve members' lives while supporting one another's success.
[8:54] - Great leaders embrace feedback, admit imperfections, and continually course-correct alongside their teams.
[10:43] - Jilly asserts that employee resistance often reveals overlooked opportunities that strengthen ideas via collaboration.
[12:08] - Resetting with fresh perspectives can help uncover blind spots and turn setbacks into good outcomes.
[14:25] - Hear how industry trust grew via consistent contributions and a strong commitment to collective success.
[17:31] - April explains how strong vendor partnerships can lead to faster innovation as well as better collaboration and outcomes for members.
[20:20] - Curiosity sparks ideas, but collaborative teams then transform them into impactful innovations.
[21:48] - April asserts that greater industry collaboration and shared data could strengthen AI and better serve members collectively.
[24:49] - April believes that anonymous data sharing could strengthen industry success.
[27:31] - Hear how meaningful relationships and peer networks make collaboration, learning, and leadership more effective.
[30:17] - April believes that it's important for today's leaders to embrace inclusion, transparency, and employees who confidently ask "why."
[33:56] - Hear how AI reduces routine work, freeing employees to focus on higher-value thinking and innovation.
[36:06] - In closing, April adds that collaboration thrives when leaders openly share knowledge, resources, and support across the industry!