Texas Trust CU CEO addresses Fort Worth Chapter Leadership Academy

During a Fort Worth Chapter of Credit Union’s 2020 Leadership Academy program, Texas Trust CEO Jim Minge was invited to speak.

Minge recognized three participants from Texas Trust: Brian Comeau, Alexandra Hendrix, and Patti Morales. “It was such an honor to speak to this group and also to see our three participants who are doing a great job representing Texas Trust,” Minge said. “What a fun hour. I left plenty of time for questions, and boy did I get some good ones.”

One piece of advice that he offered was to tell others if you have a goal in life. “It is amazing how many people will help you achieve [your goal] if they know what you are trying to accomplish,” he said. “I have seen so many times in my life where someone gets disappointed because the opportunity they thought they deserved didn’t come to them. I always ask, ‘did you tell your manager that you wanted that promotion?’ Too often, the answer is ‘they should have known.’ Don’t assume, advocate.”

Minge also told a story about Leadership Academy co-chairs Melissa Burleson, Tarrant County’s Credit Union, and Sarah Green, Fort Worth City Credit Union, giving them a shoutout.

“When the pandemic hit in March, this year’s program was just getting started,” said Minge. “The easy choice, and the one made by all the other chapters in the state, was to put the program on hold and start over after this challenge is done. The Fort Worth Chapter, and specifically Melissa and Sarah, decided that this leadership development opportunity was too important to put on hold and found a way to use Zoom to facilitate the monthly meetings.”

He continued, “It is most certainly not the way this program was designed to work but, if my experience today was any indication, it is working well for the participants. My hour went by too fast, and I felt engaged and enriched by the experience. Thank you to Melissa and Sarah for finding a way to keep this great program rocking despite the many challenges.”

The Leadership Academy was designed by credit union professionals for credit union professionals, focusing on building leaders within credit unions. The objective is to promote the overall industry, tie new leaders closer to the credit union movement, and provide an avenue to receive mentoring and discuss leadership philosophy. To learn more.