2 minutes
Meet the 2018 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec Top 10
Symantha Sermino
Commercial Loan Processor
$1.16 billion Northwest Community Credit Union
Eugene, Ore.
Follow Symantha on Twitter: @SymSerm
Connect with her on LinkedIn
Watch Symantha’s NTCUE video
Give us the elevator speech about your project (as in how would you describe your project to someone you meet in an elevator?):
My project seeks to demystify the process of offering services in Spanish by providing a road map for credit unions to get started.
What is your long-term career goal?
Long-term, my career goal is to obtain a position which maximizes my creativity and leadership skills. I want to be an agent of positive change and a respected decision-maker.
Fill in the dots: The future of credit unions will be bright if ...
… in all of our efforts to modernize and innovate, we stay mission-focused and our mission is the financial wellbeing of our members.
What my generation brings to the credit union movement is …
… incredible social awareness and a passion for deepening that awareness. This generation has grown up with connectivity to communities they never would have had exposure to prior to social media. This is a stunning thing! The innovative ways in which this generation creates spaces for collaboration is unlike anything else. Yes, competition is alive and well, but in the credit union space, this generation is able to feed the hunger for cooperation.
People consider me a leader because …
I try to encourage the strengths in others and genuinely want to elevate their development.
Who is your hero and why?
My mom! She is so strong and determined. Throughout my life, she has emphasized the importance of education, courage and compassion. She is constantly defying the odds. She's absolutely hilarious, incredibly sharp and tough as nails. People naturally look to her for guidance, and she's always finding ways to include everyone around her.
Who is a must-follow on Twitter?
“Shower Thoughts” (@theweirdworld), because a sense of humor about the random the things that float through our minds during menial tasks is important thing in our world of multitasking and never-ending notifications.
What is your favorite CUES member benefit? Or, if you are a new CUES member, what benefit are you most looking forward to using?
My favorite benefit is the webinars. I love the flexibility of being able to sneak in an hour of learning here and there as my schedule allows.
|
Online voters and a panel of past finalists narrowed the CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec field from 23 to the Top 10 applicants. The challenge, held in conjunction with DDJ Myers and powered by Currency, searches for emerging leaders age 35 and under from within the credit union industry. The Top 10 will blog about their project. And to provide additional value to the competition experience, they’ll each receive an executive coaching session from DDJ Myers, a CUESolutions provider for succession planning, executive recruitment and leadership coaching services. A judging panel of two CUES members and Deedee Myers of DDJ Myers will then score the Top 10’s applications and blog posts, narrowing the competition to five finalists. The five finalists will receive additional coaching, airfare, accommodation and registration to CUES’ CEO/Executive Team Network™, November 5-7, in Nashville, Tenn., where they will give their final presentations. The 2018 CUES Next Top Credit Union Exec will receive further coaching, airfare, accommodation and registration for two CUES’ CEO Institutes, a total prize package valued at $20,000. |
