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In the early ‘80s, I worked for a newspaper that had ties with Florida Commerce Credit Union in Tallahassee, Fla.,—so I joined. As time progressed, I got myself, as many young folks do, in a spending pattern that was going nowhere fast. So, I went to the credit union and they granted me a loan that allowed me to get caught up on my bills. I really appreciated the credit union’s mentality of giving me a hand, not a hand out.

If it wasn’t for the credit union, I wouldn’t be the Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida Department of State. I say that because a background check, which includes a financial stability review, is performed on all government employees. In 1984, Florida Commerce saved me from having a bad credit report. By volunteering, I am paying back the organization for what they did for me.

As a lobbyist for the state, I know if you don’t grab more knowledge you’ll become stagnant, which is why I joined CUES. In addition, I also joined to let our 35,000+ members know I’m keeping on top of the trends to make sure the credit union is being run under the best possible circumstances.

CUES gives me the tools to help me be a better board member. My favorite aspect of being a member is having a network of peers across the country to call on and learn from. Even though some of these folks are from bigger or smaller credit unions, we all have the same goals and concepts we want to achieve.

I’ve encouraged people to join CUES because to make good decisions you can’t operate in a vacuum. It’s difficult to understand what this industry does, especially if you’re not doing it for a living. As volunteers, we’re not trained in this particular area, but we all have skill sets that are beneficial to it. We need to learn about our fiduciary responsibilities from a credible source so we don’t unintentionally jeopardize someone’s life savings.

I want the most bang for my buck and the CUES programs provide that. One of my favorite learning opportunities was the Advanced Leadership Institute at Harvard Business School. It allowed me to think in real-world situations, as well as discover how to better think outside the box and come up with creative solutions.

I’m honored to serve on the board of the Florida Commerce Credit Union and to serve the 35,000+ members that have put their trust and faith in me. The least I can do to show this is to maintain an education level that will protect their investments. A neighbor helping a neighbor is what the movement is all about, and I am proud to be a part of that.