DES MOINES, Iowa–– Coopera, a full-service Hispanic market solutions company advising credit unions, has added two Hispanic market experts, Alba Perez and Xochitl Villeneuve, to its team. The hires come at a time when Coopera’s core group of clients – some 40 credit unions in 15 states – are earning Hispanic member growth rates more than double that of non-Hispanic growth rates, the company said.
Joining Coopera from the Iowa Department of Human Rights, Perez most recently served as executive officer for the Office on Latino Affairs & Status of African Americans. Prior to that position, she was diversity development director for the Greater Des Moines Partnership for nearly 12 years. Perez is a native of Honduras who has called Iowa home for nearly 30 years, serving in the non-profit, private and public sectors, as well as on numerous civic and community boards, including the Latina Leadership Initiative, Latino Center Board and Iowa Community Capital.
As client relations director for Coopera, Perez will work closely with Coopera’s clients as they implement Hispanic growth strategies and collectively serve more than half a million Hispanic consumers. She will assist credit union leadership, staff and system partners working to build loyalty through engagement and continuous improvement of services. Perez will also help with Coopera’s ongoing product development efforts, as well as promotion of the company’s products, services and thought leadership.
Hired as client support specialist, Xochitl Villeneuve, a native of Mexico, has a strong background in customer service, administrative support and Hispanic community outreach, having worked in a variety of industry sectors, including insurance, healthcare and legal. She has worked closely with Hispanic consumers, coordinating culturally specific outreach services and providing Spanish interpretation. As well, Villeneuve has extensive experience coordinating immigration cases for Iowans through her work with the MUNA Legal Clinic.
For Coopera, Villeneuve will support the delivery and fulfillment of Coopera's products and services. This includes Hispanic strategy assessments and analytics, consulting, training, marketing services, translations and Hispanic consumer products. She will also coordinate client communications, assist with new-client onboarding and manage ongoing client request fulfillment.