Posted by Lisa Hochgraf
Way back when, as a kid making a summer visit to Grandma Tyler's farm, I put together a little "newspaper" about what was going on. Grandma taught me an early reporter's lesson about getting all the details by sending me back to the barn to find out what kind of tractor was getting repaired. It was a Farmall. And the detail much improved the cover story.
Today, I'm learning a whole bunch from the chief librarian at Mendon Public Library. For 10 years now, she's been promoting the idea that a new library building is needed in our town. She knows all about fund-raising, keeping volunteers happy, and staying abreast of--but out of--small-town politics. All of these are useful lessons to this getting-it, but still-green, president of the Friends of the Mendon Public Library.
Professional and personal mentors are key to our growth and development. To me, mentoring fits the CU philosophy of collaboration and cooperation beautifully. Some mentors stand out. Take Stan Hollen, the focus of "Room to Soar" in the August issue of Credit Union Management. More than a dozen executives who worked under Hollen at The Golden 1 Credit Union, Sacramento, Calif., have gone on to become CEO at other credit unions. (Hollen is now president/CEO of CUES Supplier member CO-OP Financial Services, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
Read the article, due to mail shortly, or comment to get a preview, to learn the reasons Hollen cites that so many executives in his charge made the upward move. And take a moment, too, to think about--and comment on--who has been your mentor. What have they taught you? And what can you pass on?
