N.M. League Creates Industry’s First LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group

Credit union professionals in New Mexico who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, or with another gender identity or sexual orientation (LGBTQ+) can now gain support and access to career opportunities through CUshine, an employee resource group recently created by the Credit Union Association of New Mexico.

The CUANM announced the launch of CUshine, the industry’s first statewide employee resource group for LGBTQ+ employees, on Friday. The league hosted a CUshine kickoff event on April 14 in Albuquerque, which drew over 100 credit union employees and included a discussion panel and drag show featuring entertainer Daniel Marquez (a.k.a. Madam Nymphadora), who is a credit union development educator and software implementations analyst for the San Diego-based core processor Corelation. The event also served as a fundraiser for CasaQ, an Albuquerque-based non-profit dedicated to supporting queer youth experiencing homelessness. Images from the evening are available to view in a public Flickr album.

“We are committed to advancing diversity opportunities in the workplace so that EVERYONE feels that they belong,” Juan E. Fernández Ceballos, president/CEO of the CUANM, said in a statement. “Our Flickr photo album shows just how many credit union community members want to promote awareness and inclusion. It was a fantastic gathering for New Mexico credit union professionals, and we look forward to future events and initiatives from this new employee resource group.”

The event’s discussion panelists included Zachary Christensen, director for consulting firm Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates, as well as co-founder and executive director of CU Pride; Cody Lewis, chief administrative officer for the $30 million Jemez Valley Credit Union in Jemez Springs, N.M.; and Maggie Tannen, vice president of HR and training for the $1.4 billion U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union in Albuquerque. CU Pride, of which Marquez is also a co-founder, formed in early 2020 as the industry’s official advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ credit union professionals.

CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, Wis., CU Pride, U.S. Eagle, First Financial Credit Union ($827 million, Albuquerque) and credit union marketing firm your marketing co. sponsored the mid-April event.

The CUANM recently unveiled a landing page for its employee resource groups, including CUshine. According to Melissa Besante Dineen, director of cooperative development and momentum for the association, Ceballos is currently in the process of expanding CUshine’s steering committee and those interested in getting involved can reach out to him at juan@cuanm.org. She added that while there are no other official CUshine events on the books yet, there have been “rumblings” that the group’s committee plans to put together a float for Albuquerque’s PrideFest parade this June.