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It's been a year since credit unions began making a more significant, visible commitment to taking action on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) – both from a workplace culture and member service standpoint. So, how are they doing?
I recently had a candid discussion with professionals from two of the many credit unions that have been laser-focused on DEI about how their cooperatives have embraced DEI, the challenges and successes they've experienced along the way, and what's on their future DEI agenda. Kelli Ellsworth Etchison is chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer for the $800 million, Lansing, Mich.-based LAFCU, as well as a member of Michigan's Black Leadership Advisory Council, a commissioner and secretary for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan, and a member of the study committee for the City of East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission. Ronna Idzenga is director of development for the $57.5 million, Milwaukie, Ore.-based Cutting Edge Credit Union. Here are some of the most notable takeaways from our conversation.
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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.
