DATELINE JUNE 11, 1990: Credit unions have been around for a long time.
That's good. So have the people who manage them and set policy. That's also good, but it could turn into a major problem for the future if we veterans don't start paying more attention to the need for new blood, young blood!
If you've ever heard me speak, you already know one of my strongest cries to action is to get more young people involved in credit unions, at all levels. I don't urge getting youth involved just because I think it would be nice to see a few towheads among the sea of gray in most CU audiences. I plead for it because I want to see what we have worked so hard to build be around long after we pass the batons of leadership.
The statistics clearly indicate, however, that at best we are only paying lip service to giving some responsibility to capable, bright men and women under 30. For example, the average age of CEOs within the ranks of the Credit Union Executives Society went up every one of the 17 years I managed their organization. Last time I looked, it was hovering somewhere around 50 years of age. Retirements during the past two years (and coming up fast) are at an all time high.
There are almost no young people on any of the national CU boards. Unless you count the Youth Involvement Board, which by design is a group of younger people organized to address the problem, as their name suggests.
Do these young people often end up jus talking to themselves, despite some rather remarkable leaders of late, such as Denise Sweet of Arizona? I've witnessed her give dynamite reports to related CU leadership groups. Yet, looking back, when the upbeat vibes subsided, it seemed to be business as usual both at the credit union and national levels.
How many credit unions do you know with a CEO under age 30? A board member under age 35? A board chairman under 40? What's wrong with this picture? Haven't we learned when to step aside, to give those younger than us a chance to fail? An in the process realize they just might in fact succeed?
What major harm could befall CUNA, NAFCU, CUES, state leagues, and individual CUs, etc., if they let down their private club barriers long enough to let in a "token youth?" They could make it better, with fresh viewpoints, energy, and enthusiasm and a keen insight on how best to serve the organization's younger members.
When I look out at credit union audiences and see a sea of gray, I worry. That worry may be contributing to the fact I'm starting to join the ranks of the gray heads myself. But I really worry because it is a clear reminder that we are not bringing along our replacements at a fast enough rate.
Throughout my credit union career I've always tried to back up my beliefs with action. The issue of getting more young people involved in positions of responsibility and leadership is no exception. When I controlled the situation, that's exactly what I did.
At CUES, I had one of the youngest national association staffs, within and outside of credit union associations. They were good because they had talent and because I gave them the chance to show what they could do.
They made a lot of mistakes, many of them embarrassing, some of them costly. But they learned from their trial by error experiences and became better at their jobs and more anxious to take on even more responsibilities. CUES benefited because I believed in a young staff that gladly took the ball and ran with it.
Now, at Credit Union Times, I'm the oldest person on the staff. Do I mind? Not at all. Once more in my management career I have the opportunity to share and utilize my considerable CU and publishing experience with a young editorial staff before they're turned loose tracking down credit union news and feature stories.
They're mostly in their 20s or 30s. They all posses an abundance of energy and creativity, which shows in their work for this publication. Everything is new and exciting to them. They never want to hear, "We've tried it before and it didn't work," and they never will!
My challenge to each and every reader in a position to do so, is to commit to getting one young person on your CU organization's board and one in a key management position as soon as possible. Then tell me about it, so together we can track that individual's progress and contributions to the credit union or CU organization.
The prospect of getting young people involved so they can do an even better job than we've done of moving credit unions forward is really exciting. I'd like nothing better than to devote a future column to all the success stories!
Who will be first?
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