California CU Leaders Visit with Caja Popular Mexicana, Exchange Ideas

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Fifteen representatives from nine California credit unions and the California Credit Union League visited with Mexico’s largest and most progressive credit union, Caja Popular Mexicana in October to experience the CU’s operations, discuss how to better reach out to the Hispanic community, and strengthen cross-border CU relationships. They also discussed ideas on encouraging use of IRnet, internships, other opportunities for California CUs to host CPM employees and for California CU employees to visit CPM, and ATM networks and shared branching. Since a large portion of California’s Hispanic Community comes from Mexico, CCUL Manager of International Relations Letty Cordon-Hernendez said it’s important for credit union leaders to experience the culture of the country so they’ll have a better understanding of it and of how to serve the people living in the U.S. who emigrated from Mexico. During the visit last month, the 15 members of the U.S. delegation visited Caja Popular Mexicana’s central office and its downtown and San Juan de Dios branches in Leon, and its branch in the town of Guanajuato. The California Credit Union League has had a formal working relationship with Caja Popular Mexicana since 1998.