CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » Passion for serving others
Leadership CU Rock Stars 2021

Passion for serving others

Reaching out and meeting the needs of the Latino community drives Sue Cuevas.

September 24, 2021
Darla Dernovsek
3 Comments
Sue Cuevas

Sue Cuevas planned to stay for just a year when she was hired to lead Ohio’s first Latino credit union. Then, the credit union difference hooked her for good.

“I love what I do at Nueva Esperanza because I love the philosophy of people helping people,” she says.

Cuevas is the CEO of 12-year-old Nueva Esperanza Community Credit Union in Toledo, Ohio, which has almost 900 members and $2.6 million in assets.

She previously worked at banks and as a financial adviser, but helping small credit unions thrive quickly became her passion.

“You can’t do something without having the passion that leads you to be successful,” Cuevas says.

Cuevas was raised in a close-knit Latino family. Her grandfather brought her father to America in his childhood. Her father and his siblings were migrant workers at Midwestern farms who also all graduated from high school. Her father became a pastor who welcomed missionaries from around the world into their home, providing an example in serving others.

Cuevas became the first family member to graduate from college after studying in the U.S. and Mexico.

Today, she uses her family’s experiences and her fluent Spanish to instill trust in potential members she meets at parent-teacher conferences, churches, the zoo, and anywhere else Latino residents gather.

Meet the 2021 Credit Union Rock Stars

From the beginning, Nueva Esperanza Community has worked to give Latino residents access to credit, despite their lack of traditional credit histories.

The credit union’s first loan went to a couple who needed a furnace to replace the risky space heaters they used to keep their children warm at night. Although they had a steady income and a good debt ratio, other lenders turned the couple down because they lacked a credit rating.

They cried when they learned Nueva Esperanza Community approved their loan. “We have such heartwarming stories,” Cuevas says. “We become counselors, advisers, friends.”

For the first year, Cuevas was the credit union’s only employee and worked out of her car recruiting members. Nueva Esperanza Community now has a part-time teller.

Cuevas uses the hourlong drive from the credit union to her rural home to shed the stress of each day. The next morning’s drive back helps her arrive at Nueva Esperanza Community ready to deliver solutions for Latino residents.

“I’ve always felt like I have to make every moment count,” she says. “You have to reach out to everyone in your community and make them aware of what you can contribute.”

Back Rock Stars Next

 

KEYWORDS Credit Union Rock Stars

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • Reps introduce bipartisan Credit Union Board Modernization Act

  • CDFI Fund announces CUNA-sought delay to consider application changes

  • CUNA makes recommendations for CFPB personal data rights rulemaking

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

How do you feel about the economy in 2023?

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us