All in the family
Cheryl Doss builds dreams for the next generation with her credit union family.
Cheryl Doss has been called a “dream builder.”
When asked about her day-to-day responsibilities, she says that they entail “making dreams come true,” adding, “Who wouldn’t want to go to work and do that?”
As the CEO of the $188 million asset URW Community Federal Credit Union in Danville, Va., her enthusiasm for building dreams inspires the next generation—namely, her daughter, Taylor.
“Taylor was practically raised at the credit union, so the philosophy of people helping people was instilled in her at a young age,” Doss shares. “She got involved in a church-based tutorial program and started her own tutoring site at one of our branches. She won our city’s 2018 volunteer of the year award for partnering the church-based tutorial program with a business. It was the first time that had been done.”
In addition to sharing her fervor with Taylor and her other two children, Doss’s passion project is to lift up area children whenever she can. She is proud of her credit union’s youth-focused initiatives, including story time with their mascot, Dollar the Dog; tours to elementary school students; and hands-on experience to local high school students.
“It’s extremely important to educate our youth on financial literacy. Children grow up not knowing how to balance a checking account or what a credit score is,” Doss says.
Apart from fostering financial knowledge, the credit union promotes a better quality of life among Danville’s children.
“You can’t learn if you’re cold or hungry. That’s why we have an annual warm coat drive to ensure that no child in our community is coming to school cold.
We also work with Project Backpack, providing snacks for children to take home,” Doss says.
Doss will soon be celebrating her 20th anniversary with the credit union and considers her team to be like a second family—one that makes the world a better place for children and their families.
“We truly have a family atmosphere—not just among employees, but with our members. We don’t have a job—we have a passion to help others,” she says.
