Diversity Among Members
By Joyce Moed, Reporter

DURHAM, N.C.–As part of a series about diversity within credit union national boards, last week the Credit Union Journal shared with its readers its findings about representation of the African-American community.

This week, CU Journal has explored representation of the Hispanic community.

Luis Pastor, CEO of the 50,000-member Latino Community Credit Union here, and a member of Federation’s NLCUP’s board of directors, said that while he does believe it is important for national boards to reflect the diversity of its members, he doesn’t think it is happening as far as the Hispanic community goes. (NLCUP is an organization started by the Federation in 2004 dedicated to increasing the representation and participation of Latinos in the credit union movement.)
"It’s male, white and bald," Pastor said, of the boards’ make-up. "Something needs to be different. We need to represent our diversity and we don’t do that."

Part of the reason for the lack of Hispanic board members may be attributed to a lack of motivation to apply for the board positions, Pastor said.

"You go there and you are just the token minority," he said. "It’s not appealing to me. You don’t feel you are going to make a difference. Why even try? Nothing is going to change. But something needs to change. There needs to be more opportunity for people of all colors."

Perhaps what’s needed is one "talented Latino" to step up, Pastor said.

"But these people don’t feel attracted to run," he said. "That person would just be one isolated voice. Why even try? I don’t even consider running. Why waste X number of weekends a year, when nothing is going to change?"

That said, Pastor said something needs to be done to motivate the Hispanic community to run for the national boards, and it needs to be done quickly.

"If nothing changes, we’re going to be in big trouble," he said.

Danielle Chatfield, chair of the advisory board of CUNA’s Hispanic Resource Center, and community affairs director of the $74 million MidState Educators Credit Union in Columbus, Ohio, said it’s important for any board to attempt to recruit qualified candidates that represent various demographics of the group the board serves. (CUNA and its Hispanic Resource Center Advisory Group is credit unions are dedicated to helping credit unions attract and serve new members of the Hispanic community.)

"Having said that, for credit union boards in particular the equation gets very complex when you try to represent a whole host of diverse groups," she said. "National credit unions boards are often trying to balance geographic diversity, asset-size diversity, background diversity, gender diversity, and now cultural diversity, amongst other requirements."

This causes a big challenge for these boards, Chatfield said, "but a number of national boards representing credit union interests have done a good job trying to reconcile all those varied viewpoints. There are a number of boards where Hispanics are represented. The CUNA Board and NCUF, in particular, have Hispanic representation.

Chatfield said in order to get more board members representing any demographic group, it not only requires the boards to seek diversity, but it also requires members of the various demographic groups to volunteer to get involved.

"There are a number of efforts across the U.S. to mobilize Hispanic involvement and that is definitely a helpful step toward future representation in decision and policy-making bodies," she said. "Ultimately it comes down to individuals across the country stepping up and volunteering to roll up their sleeves and so some hard work. Luckily, that trend has already started and there is a host of talented individuals across the country representing various backgrounds that are playing roles at the local, state and national levels."

However, Chatfield said there is always room for additional players who have not yet taken that first step. "But as a movement we have a history of brining an increasing level of diversity to the table," she said.

One national organization leader said that its board has historically been diversified.
"Our board has African-American, Latin and Asian-American members," said Cliff Rosenthal, president/CEO of the Federation, in New York. "We are almost divided between white and non-white."

Rosenthal said diversity among the board is important for any member organization, because it’s important to reflect its members.

"The credit union movement–if it’s going to thrive–needs to look like America, and the face of America is certainly changing."

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