Cornerstone’s first Sister Society kicks off in North Texas

Credit Union leaders had a chance for the first time in the Cornerstone region to learn about and get engaged with a new program that has a global purpose with a local impact.

On Tuesday, May 28, nearly 40 individuals met at American Airlines Credit Union in Ft. Worth, Texas, to kick off of a Global Women's Leadership Network Sister Society. The North Texas Sister Society organizers Nancy Croix-Stroud, president/CEO of First Class American Credit Union, Lily Newfarmer, president/CEO of Tarrant County's Credit Union, and Melanie Kennedy, president/CEO of Southwest Financial Credit Union, welcomed attendees and shared the mission of the Sister Society. They also expressed their hopes for the role Sister Societies can play in the Cornerstone region.

Lily Newfarmer, president/CEO of Tarrant County's Credit Union (left) and Nancy Croix-Stroud, president/CEO of First Class American Credit Union address attendees at the kick off of a Global Women's Leadership Network Sister Society in North Texas.

Approximately 40 credit union leaders – men and women – participated in Cornerstone’s first Sister Society meeting.

Explaining that the Sister Society is for men and women, Croix-Stroud and Newfarmer discussed how the North Texas Sister Society is designed to mentor and develop talent with a focus on professional development, leadership skills, community service, and service to credit union members.

The Global Women's Leadership Network celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2018, and used the occasion to renew its focus on buzz-worthy engagement and set a goal to reach 100 sister societies in 2019. Cornerstone intends to launch eight in the Cornerstone region during the course of the year. At the end of 2018, 35 chapters were established in the United States, and 81 Sister Societies launched in 18 countries worldwide.

The meaning and activities of the Sister Societies are different in other parts of the world, but the focus on diversity and inclusion while mentoring and developing talent is consistent. According to the World Council of Credit Unions, there are 1.7 billion adults worldwide who are unbanked, 56 percent of whom are women. Credit unions can have a dramatic impact on decreasing those numbers through programs like the Global Women's Leadership Network and Sister Societies.

Next week, Cornerstone will host its second Sister Society meeting:

June 6, 2019
5:30 p.m.
Oklahoma Central Credit Union
4956 S. Peoria Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74105

To register, contact Gina Wilson,  Oklahoma Central Credit Union, at gwilson@oklahomacentral.org.

For more information on Cornerstone's Sister Societies, contact Mike Delker at 469-385-6826 or email mdelker@cornerstoneleague.coop.