While the credit union industry pats itself on the back for its high percentage of female leadership, there's still room for improvement.
A Filene Research Institute and World Council of Credit Unions' report entitled Women in Leadership: Obstacles and Opportunities, found that although women constitute 70% of credit union employees in the United States, only 53% of all federally insured credit unions have female CEOs and only 20% have female board presidents.
With many female CEOs found at small credit unions with $50 million or less in assets, we've decided to shine the Women to Watch spotlight on a few.
What we discovered is that for these three leaders, size doesn't matter as much as delivering innovative solutions. With all the talk about the value small credit unions can offer, these Women to Watch are proving that these organizations can not only be relevant but also deliver on exceeding members' and employees' expectations.
Learn more about these women who have been redefining how small can accomplish big things at www.cutimes.com/W2WSmallCUs.
The Collaborator
Joan Moran
President/CEO
Department of Labor Federal Credit Union
Washington
Assets: $69.6 Million
Members: 6,127
Tell Joan Moran, who has served at the helm of the credit union since 1999, something can't be done and she will prove you wrong. Before joining the Department of Labor FCU, she served as CEO of U.S. Customs Service Federal Credit Union in Washington.
A believer in collaboration and community, she currently serves as the vice-chairman of the board of directors at the $2.4 billion Mid-Atlantic Corporate Federal Credit Union in Middletown, Pa., and as vice chairman of the Credit Union Foundation of MD & DC. She was also a board member of the MD & DC Credit Union Association.
Despite her busy schedule, Moran has made time to volunteer and show her support of the Metropolitan Area Credit Union Association and the Women's Executive Management Association. She is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Bachelor of Science in accounting from George Mason University.
The Problem Solver
Carolyn Mikesell
CEO
Public Service Credit Union
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Assets: $54.4 Million
Members: 6,979
For Carolyn Mikesell, every day offers a chance to learn something new. Prior to joining Public Service in 2004, she was the EVP and COO at the $56 million Afena Credit Union in Marion, Ind., for five years and prior to then, worked in lending and collections with a finance company for seven years.
Mikesell graduated from Bryant University with a Bachelor's degree in finance and minor in military science and served in the Army Reserve for eight years.
She said she is passionate about educating anyone and everyone about financial education, especially youth, has been a faithful volunteer with the Junior Achievement program for the last nine years, and has taught the NEFE Financial Education program in three different high schools.
Mikesell is a CUNA certified Credit Union Compliance Expert. Her credit union just completed a merger of equals in June 2014, doubling its size and opportunities. In her spare time, she and her husband of 23 years operate their own family farm.
The Innovator
Linda Bodie
Chief Innovator
Element Federal CU
Charleston, W.Va.
Assets: $28.1 Million
Members: 4,637
Since 1998, in her role as chief innovator, Linda Bodie has created a unique organization that has been focused on simplifying banking while maintaining the personal touch that members and employees alike have grown to expect.
She said she considers herself lucky to be able to make a difference in the lives of others by inventing new processes and methods within the credit union industry via technology and creative thought.
Bodie graduated from Glenville State College with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, accounting and received her Master of Science in technology management at Marshall University.
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