Kansas City, Mo., Feb.27, 2025 — Members Development Company (MDC), a future-focused network accelerating credit union success, is pleased to announce Ashley Kohlrus has joined the organization as Chief Operations Officer. With more than two decades of leadership in the credit union industry, Kohlrus brings a wealth of relevant experience to her new role.
As COO, Kohlrus’s focus is on owner engagement and strategic execution, ensuring MDC continues to deliver value-driven solutions tailored to each owner’s evolving needs. Her commitment to strengthening the credit union industry – and improving the lives of credit union members – has been a driving force in her career, ultimately leading her to MDC.
Previously, Kohlrus served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operations & Digital Officer at Allegacy Federal Credit Union, where she played a key role in shaping strategy and innovation. She also championed the credit union industry on a national scale as the Director of Membership for America’s Credit Unions.
“Ashley’s passion for the credit union movement and her extensive leadership experience make her the perfect addition to the MDC team,” said Ned Tobey, CEO of MDC. “Her strategic mindset and deep industry knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to empower our owners with forward-thinking solutions.”
Beyond her professional achievements, Kohlrus is actively involved in her local Winston-Salem, North Carolina community. She earned her bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a master’s degree in organizational change and leadership from Pfeiffer University. She also holds several credit union-specific designations, including CUES’ Certified Innovation Executive.
About Members Development Company
MDC is the credit union network’s multi-million-dollar R&D department. We scan the horizon, research the issues, and create actionable solutions to solve problems for today – and tomorrow. By pooling the resources of approximately 80 credit union and CUSO owners, MDC delivers meaningful solutions efficiently and affordably. We learn the lessons of what does and doesn’t work — without exhausting our owners’ budgets and resources for exploration and development. We also believe that our research must be driven by our owners, for our owners. While we do the heavy lifting, our credit union and CUSO owners both advise and participate in our innovative work not just as investors but as trusted partners.