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Being in charge of developing and integrating the relatively new strategic area of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is not an easy task, but now credit union professionals who are in this position don't have to feel alone with their challenges.
Consulting firm Humanidei + O'Rourke announced the formation of a Credit Union DEI Practitioner Network Thursday, which it said is a supportive and resourceful peer group for credit union leaders who are at the helm of DEI strategy in their organizations. It will provide DEI practitioners the opportunity to share encouragement, resources and ideas to move DEI strategies forward, the firm said.
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The network's participants have begun engaging in monthly discussions via video conference, covering topics such as designing strategic diversity plans and equitable lending practices, sharing resources to support employees through gender reassignment, and the development of employee resource groups. So far, executives from approximately 20 credit unions representing over $60 billion in assets have participated, the firm said.
One of the network's charter members is Creighton Blackwell, chief culture and impact officer for the $3.4 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based Coastal Federal Credit Union. "Credit unions are known for their cooperation among cooperatives," Blackwell said in a news release. "This DEI Practitioner Network is a great example of one more way credit unions are collaborating to change people's lives and the communities we serve."
"The chief diversity officer is a high stress, high turnover position in any industry," Humanidei + O'Rourke President/CEO Jill Nowacki stated in the release. "For credit unions, the sense of urgency to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion strategies in a time when the workforce is already dealing with a global pandemic, economic uncertainty and brand new remote work challenges creates potential for even greater burnout of our leaders."
Credit union executives who are interested in joining the network can send an email to [email protected].
Humanidei was organized to assist credit unions with building more inclusive workplaces; O'Rourke & Associates is the firm's executive recruiting division.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
