✈ Let me tell you where I was last week! ✈
I went to Minneapolis to speak on a panel for the National Credit Union Association’s DEI Summit on Sustaining DEI with a Diverse Board. This year's theme was Here to Stay!
I was joined by my colleague Stephanie McCaine as representatives for the Hudson Valley Credit Union, Amy Nelson, Oscar Porras, I- CUDE, and Peter Hand, who represent Point West Credit Union. The phenomenal Lynette Smith from Quantum Governance, L3C was our moderator.
🥡 Here's my 3 takeaways from the session 🥡
☑ Commit to the DEI discipline on a board level. Financial inclusion is the responsibility of all credit unions as a "cooperative of people helping people." The purpose is to create pathways for access and sustainable prosperity for everyone, no matter their socio-economic status or identity. How will your board be a catalyst to bring this to fruition?
☑ Elect Board Members who reflect your membership (or desired membership); admittedly, your Board may never fully represent your community, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Solicit candidates based on skills and gaps (even cultural ones) required to meet your business, #equity, and #inclusion goals. Board members serve as a critical voice in the management of the organization and need to be equipped with the people and tools to deliver impact.
☑ Don't stop. Despite the distorted rhetoric around DEI, lean in. Ensure management bakes it into their strategic plans, regularly reports on progress, and that you hold each other accountable. You can only do this by creating an environment of trust and mutual understanding, so don't be afraid to have a frank dialogue about what is being done well and what needs to be improved. Everyone is at different starting points, and that's okay. Just keep moving forward and aspire to be better than before.
There are so many more takeaways, but I have to watch the video to remember! It was incredibly inspiring to be surrounded by so many people who truly cared about the importance of creating financial inclusion for all and saw DEI as their responsibility as major financial institutions serving their communities.
NCUA Chairmen Todd Harper said it best, "If done correctly, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives can and will narrow the income gap, support a robust and growing middle class, advance equity, and make our democracy stronger and more resilient."
➕ BONUS ➕ :
It also happened to be the week of the Gala Choruses Festival, which attracts the LGTBQ+ community, so the city was brimming with people from across North America and the world, plus all those who came to the DEI Summit. It was truly spectacular to see so much diversity in one place and be enveloped by Minnesota's niceness!
Photo credit: Thank you to the wonderful woman who shared this photo with me.
#NCUA #HVCU #DEI #Boards #Leadership #NCUADEISummit2024
Credit union marketing executive
5moAux loves small credit unions!