JOSHUA MCAFEE

Joshua McAfee is a Credit Union Advisor at Callahan & Associates. He oversees a portfolio of credit union clients that spans over $600 billion in assets and over 30 million members. Josh also facilitates consulting engagements and strategic planning sessions with credit unions, offers topical insights during industry speeches, and hosts executive roundtable discussions that span a broad range of core disciplines.

Joshua joined Callahan in 2019, bringing with him over eight years of credit union and industry executive leadership experience. During his time in credit union leadership, Josh successfully completed two years in the Filene Research Institute’s i3 innovation program, served as the CUES Greater Southern Council Chair for 3 years, was named a Credit Union Rockstar by Credit Union Magazine, and a Next Top Credit Union Exec finalist by the Credit Union Executives’ Society. Since joining the Callahan team, Josh has welcomed over one-hundred new credit union clients to Callahan’s data analytics and market resources. His experience as a credit union leader has helped Callahan clients to glean a better understanding of how to connect benchmark analysis to positive strategic outcomes.

Credit unions are the more socially and fiscally-responsible consumer finance option, but many are challenged by an ineffectiveness at telling their story (both outside their walls and in). Josh believes that establishing a greater sense of alignment about purpose from the boardroom down to the most recently hired representative helps the cooperative to tell its story and more importantly, live it in the community. He also understands that contributing to long-term equity through a sustainable earnings model creates room for greater near-term impact on all stakeholders.

Joshua grew up in Arkansas but lived throughout the mid-south, as his father was a preacher for much of his early years. Frequently meeting new people at a young age gave Josh a well-rounded point of view on the diversity of life experience. Often growing up in very under-educated, low income areas of the rural southeast also provided a framework for him to understand the critical role credit unions play in the “real economy”.

He and his wife of 13 years met and married in college. They now have three young children and live in Jackson, Tennessee. When they’re not standing on the sidelines of a soccer field or throwing a ball in the yard, they enjoy vacationing on the Florida gulf coast or a hike in the Appalachian mountains. Joshua also serves as a Board Director for Youth Town, a faith-based substance abuse non-profit that seeks to rehabilitate young men and women and re-integrate them into society.

Here are a few of Joshua’s topics:

• Why Purpose Matters
• Credit Unions’ Strategic Advantage
• Strategy and Performance Analysis
• Customized Reporting and Benchmarking Dashboards