A los jóvenes profesionales les apasiona la difusión de la historia de la cooperativa de crédito
Lindsay Pelletier se sentó en su oficina un viernes por la tarde a trabajar para liberar a un miembro de un préstamo contra el día de pago que le genera un costo de $800 por mes.
At the end of the process, the credit union slashed the man's payments to $200 a month, easing his financial burden, and kickstarting Pelletier's involvement with credit union advocacy.
"The member cried. He hugged me and said, "Why didn't I come here first?'" recuerda Pelletier. "Someone I worked with heard the story and said, "That's an impactful story. Tiene que venir al Capitolio. Let's share your story with legislators.'"
Pelletier, que trabajó en cooperativas de crédito en Wisconsin antes de tomar su reciente trabajo como gerente de desarrollo de clientes en Allied Solutions, es una de los muchos jóvenes profesionales que han reconocido la importancia de la defensa.
Both up-and-coming credit union leaders and seasoned advocates agree it's more important than ever for young professionals to become involved and skilled in advocacy, to tell their stories, and share their passion and expertise with policymakers at the state and federal levels.
"Young professionals are the leaders of the credit union movement as we move forward," says Kendra Rubin, vice president of government affairs for the New York Credit Union Association(NYCUA). "Having people who are energetic, who have new ideas, and who understand how the industry is evolving is incredibly important to making sure the industry doesn't fall behind."
Fomentar la participación de jóvenes profesionales en actividades de defensa también es una parte clave respecto de la planificación de la sucesión en cooperativas de crédito", dice Rubin.
"As credit union CEOs get older or move on to different aspects of their careers, having someone who can come up through the ranks and who have a stake in the game is vital to ensuring the credit union movement stays true to what it was meant to do," says Rubin, who spent nearly a decade working in Andrew Cuomo's administration when he was New York attorney general and governor.
Además de prestar servicio al movimiento de las cooperativas de crédito, los defensores efectivos ayudan a los miembros mediante el respaldo de políticas gubernamentales que garantizan la vitalidad y el éxito de las cooperativas de crédito.
Adam Engelman, CUNA's director of federal grassroots advocacy, says young professionals–regardless of their title or job description–should care about advocacy both for themselves and the credit union movement.
"In being an advocate for the credit union, they're essentially not only being an advocate for their jobs and the continuation of the credit unions, they're also advocating for members," he says.
Las regulaciones y las políticas elaboradas en el Congreso y en Capitolios estatales tienen el potencial para respaldar u obstaculizar la forma en que las cooperativas de crédito prestan servicios a los miembros. Engelman says young professionals often have the passion and knowledge to represent members' interests.
Bradly Ford reconoce la importancia de una nueva generación que dé un paso al frente y provoque un impacto en el movimiento.
"We know how to communicate to our generation," says Ford, a 31-year-old content marketer at $2 billion asset Educators Credit Union in Mount Pleasant, Wis. "It's always easier to listen to your generational peers. As our lawmakers become younger and more representative of our generation, our involvement is critical."
Al participar desde un principio, los profesionales jóvenes establecerán las bases para el éxito en el futuro, según agrega Ford, que asistió al Taller de defensa para jóvenes profesionales 2018 de CUNA.
"If we start now, it'll be so much easier in the long haul because we'll have built those relationships," he says. "When we get into leadership [positions], we'll have those relationships and our opinions will be valued."
Young professionals' voices are also important because they inject diversity into policymaking discussions about credit unions, which is appealing to legislators at all levels.
Timothy Strong, community development manager at $4.2 billion asset Visions Federal Credit Union in Endicott, N.Y., has seen that play out in conversations with elected officials.
"Staffers and legislators like to see diversity in their meetings–whether by age or demographics–because they want to hear all sides of an issue," says Strong. "They appreciate the knowledge and opinions that young professionals bring. It's hugely important to make sure you're bringing that voice into advocacy."
Referencia: https://news.cuna.org/articles/116447-young-and-advocating
