MADISON, Wis. – Saying it is seeking to recognize her dedication to the spreading of the credit union idea worldwide and her determination to foster diverse representation in credit union leadership and membership, the National Credit Union Foundation has formally shared some of the many reasons Susan Mitchell has been named as the recipient of a 2018 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement.
Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates, will be honored as one of four Herb Wegner Memorial Awards presented at special fundraising event hosted by the Foundation at the Marriott Marquis Washington on Feb. 26th, 2018 in conjunction with CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington. Registration for dinner tickets and sponsorships will be available on the Foundation website (ncuf.coop) later this year.
"Sue is such a tremendous bundle of energy," said John Gregoire, chair of the Foundation's Wegner Awards Selection Committee and president of The ProCon Group. “We have all benefitted from that energy focused on enhancing the lives of all those touched by credit unions. I know her as an excellent consultant, but even more for her wonderful work in the founding and continued success of the Global Women’s Leadership Network."
Mitchell currently serves on the SCE FCU, Ventura County CU and BDCU nominating committees to ensure that future leaders represent a diverse field of membership. She works with boards and volunteers to give educational programs and ensure balanced governance in terms of diversity and representation.
According to the Foundation, Mitchell recently asked her clients, “What about the loyal savers?” which challenged them to consider initiatives beyond chasing the Millennial market. This created programs for members over 70 to engage and tell their children and grandchildren the importance of people helping people, nondiscrimination, diverse representation and democratic control, the Foundation said.
In 2009, Mitchell became the founding chair of the World Council of Credit Union’s Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) due to her passion about the importance of women to not just run the household and the family, but also serve as leaders in the community. She volunteered her time with no budget and limited resources to create the premiere global credit union program for women, engaging thousands of women from an international network. Mitchell has created an initiative to raise $2 million for scholarships, member education, empowerment grants and programming facilitation opportunities for credit union women, the Foundation noted.
“Her contributions also include the creation of the Athena Leadership Award, presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to women’s leadership in the international credit union movement,” the Foundation said. “The Athena Award presents individual impact and recognition of women’s efforts to financially empower each other, women within their communities and credit union members.”
The NCUF further noted that Mitchell has continued to donate her time and expenses to meet with strategic influencers, travel to key credit union movements, mobilize volunteers and communicate the importance of financial empowerment of women.
“Over the last eight years, she has invested more than her time – she has invested herself in changing lives all around the world. It is her passion for people and the mission of credit unions that make her special!” said Barry Jolette, retired CEO of San Mateo Credit Union, and past chair of both CUNA and World Council.
Fighting for the CU Philosophy Worldwide
Mitchell has created local Sister Societies for the Global Women’s Leadership Network, bringing hundreds of credit union women and men together to promote financial empowerment, provide education, engage in networking and increase awareness of the credit union commitment to changing lives. These Sister Societies are formed by countries and their associations, as well as cities based upon credit union prevalence and reach, the Foundation said.
The GWLN has nearly 2,000 members from 78 countries, offering 47 scholarships to women from 22 countries.
Mitchell also acted as a mentor to Elenita San Roque, the first female CEO of the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions, who went on to receive the 2016 Athena Award for her execution of building a multi-purpose cooperative in the Philippines that trains female credit union members on enterprise management and one-on-one support to enhance their trade, resulting in a 23% increase in their income. Four Sister Societies have been created in Asia to further advance women’s leadership and connect people to the global network of credit unions.
“While at CUNA, I actively became a part of the Global Women's Leadership Network and have seen the growth and impact of the organization worldwide,” said Bill Cheney, president and CEO at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union. “Sue traveled to Africa and was part of the Busia project in 2010 and she has spent seven years visiting local communities throughout the United States to coach, mentor and identify future leaders to support and shape the credit union industry. GWLN’s growth would not have been possible without Sue's leadership.”
Bringing Out the Potential of Others
The Foundation added that “Being an outstanding individual is more than just having personal achievements, it is also pushing others to better themselves. Mitchell has created a legacy of not only being personally successful, but helping others become more successful in their own endeavors.
“Mitchell was a mentor to many friends and colleagues from around the world. The sheer number of individuals who came forward and spoke of her influence on their professional development and success is staggering.
“From credit union CEOs to lending, human resources and training leaders, Mitchell encourages everyone she meets to be more successful and influential leaders in their own roles. She acts as a catalyst, setting higher goals and encouraging people to push themselves.”