Members of the LGBTQ community have worked in the credit union movement for years, but there has never been an industry-wide organization that advocates for them.
Until now.
“The LGBTQ community is spread throughout every facet of life,” says Linda Bodie, CEO at $55 million asset Element Federal Credit Union in Charleston, W.V., and one of the four founding members of CU Pride. “The credit union community has these individuals working for, advocating for, and being members of credit unions, but there’s not an umbrella-type organization in the industry.”
The group held its inaugural meeting in February during the 2020 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. During that meeting, Bodie says organizers determined there was a need and desire to create a group that focuses on the LGBTQ community within the credit union movement.
CU Pride focuses on four areas:
CU Pride is still in its infancy, but Bodie says there has been “phenomenal” interest in the organization.
“We just have to refine the message and refine what we’re going to offer and what we want to achieve,” she says. “The response has been phenomenal, and we know this is something credit union professionals want to participate in.”
Along with Bodie, the other founding members of CU Pride are Zach Christensen, communications director at Mitchell Stankovic Communications, Daniel Marquez, conversion strategist at Corelation, and Branki Stankovic, chief strategy officer with CU Solutions Group.