Amplifying credit union women’s voices

In a continued celebration of Women’s History Month, we share highlights from the recent two-part series on The Cornerstone League Podcast, featuring credit union leaders Cynthia Campbell, Maria Martinez, Christin Vaughn, and Caroline Willard.

In part one, BALANCE Chief Experience Officer Cynthia Campbell and Border Federal Credit Union President/CEO Maria Martinez share their perspectives on the central issues women face in the workplace, the women who have inspired them, and what others can do to be allies to women in the workplace.

Campbell shared the importance of recognition and how to help build the confidence of other women through small interactions.

“Little things matter and they go a long way. I think about moments in my career where someone reached out, recognized my efforts, and how that made me feel,” she said. “Positive recognition does something to your insight and gives you confidence. I look for opportunities to do that for the women around me.”

Martinez said that intentionality plays a big role in the work environment, especially when helping women succeed in the workplace.

“I think both women and men need to step it up and be intentional about helping women succeed,” she said. “Being intentional also means being equitable because we still see inequality in pay. We may not be able to change things all at once but if we’re intentional about our actions then we can see change come slowly.”

Part two of the series features Cornerstone League President/CEO Caroline Willard and Allegiance Credit Union SVP and CMO Christin Vaughn, who discuss how to promote a healthy work environment, share their backstories, and recognize the people who have helped them achieve success in their careers.

When it comes to central issues women face in the workplace today, Willard said boundary-setting is crucial to maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

“Without those boundaries, we’re finding that we’re on 24/7. We can’t sustain that forever, so managers are going to need to work with employees to give them license to set those work/life boundaries.”

Vaughn said that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the burnout issue.

“Something I think that has been an issue for the past couple of years is burnout from trying to do it all,” she said. “Women and mothers struggled with that pre-pandemic, and it’s become an even bigger deal in the past two years.”

Vaughn added that boundaries play an important role in achieving a healthy work/life balance. “All of us can learn from setting boundaries and no matter how much we love our job; we have to have that balance to stay connected to who we are outside of work.”

Both Willard and Vaughn emphasized the great role their personal and professional relationships have played in clearing the path to success in their lives and careers. They recognized several people, many of them from the credit union movement.

Download and listen to part one on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.