MADISON, Wis.–After helping to found and then lead the Global Women’s Leadership Network more than a decade ago, Susan Mitchell has “passed the baton” to a new chair: Teresa Freeborn.
Freeborn, president and CEO of Xceed Financial Credit Union (which is merging into Kinecta FCU, where she will be president), was announced as the new chair during a Global Women’s virtual “breakfast” webinar that featured more than 750 registrants from 36 countries on six continents.
Since being founded in 2009, Mitchell has helped drive the Global Women’s Leadership Network’s growth to include more than 130 sister societies in 85 countries, with plans calling for sister societies to be established in all 50 states in the U.S. by this year. More than 4,500 women and men are involved in the GWLN, which in 2020 raised more than $475,000 to continue programming and build scale, according to Mitchell.
Mitchell, who joked that her decade leading the organization was a case of “be careful what you asked for,” was praised by World Council of Credit Unions President and CEO Brian Branch for her contributions. Branch originally pitched the idea for the GWLN and asked Mitchell to lead it. The organization continues to operate under the auspices of the World Council.
‘Very Proud’
“I am very proud of the work we have done and what we have created,” said Mitchell. “There is no better time to strengthen our path forward. This is wonderful to be passing the baton to a new chair who will carry the torch forward.”
Mitchell said she will remain active on the governing board of the CU DEI Collective as well as on the board of the Worldwide Foundation.
“Together, credit union women and men will illustrate the cooperative principles our founders believed in more than 100 years ago: People helping people,” said Mitchell.
Freeborn pledged to continue to do the work pioneered by Mitchell and other members of the Global Women’s Leadership Network.
Awards Presented
Separately, GWLN presented its global awards:
Award Winners
- Latrice McClothin of Kinecta FCU as the winner of its Emerging Leader Award.
- Named as winner of GWLN’s Athena Award, which recognizes strength, courage and wisdom, were George Ototo of KUSCCO in Kenya, and George Ombado of ACCOSCA, the African Confederation