A manifesto is more than a mission statement. It aims to challenge and provoke. For me, it provides a compass on how to lead a transformative culture. Part idealism and part action plan, this manifesto is designed to be shared. I hope it ignites you as much as it relentlessly fuels me.

I have prepared my entire career to become the best president & ceo I can be. I believe in rounding experiences across different disciplines, keeping humanity at the center of decision-making, and the power of the cooperative model's ability to be the most effective way of delivering financial well-being. 

Through my 25-year career in credit unions, I have developed a leadership philosophy centered on what I identify as Cushions & Wings. Cushions provide a supportive space to grow, generosity of spirit, awareness, and connection, celebrating successes, a soft landing in challenging moments, lending an ear when necessary, and providing empathy and grace. Wings complement cushions. They challenge people to rise to new heights, empower them to find their voices, encourage them to take chances and provide a platform to dream the impossible. Although an organizational culture can have one without the other, combining the two creates stronger outcomes and encourages human growth.

Because humanity matters most, we stay humble. I believe the following to be true:

·  We lift people. Always.

·  We place kindness above differences 

·  We assume the best of intentions before judging people's actions

·  We attract people who relentlessly want to grow 

·  Our leaders encourage people to spread their wings

·  Our leaders will become world changers

·  Alumni will remember us fondly as a place to grow

·  We believe firmly in second chances. Our leaders provide cushions wherever they go.

·  Brilliant jerks will not find a good fit in this culture 

Those inspired to dream big, are changing the world. Not only through their actions but also by challenging what we thought was possible. As a result:

·  We protect safe spaces for people to dream

·  We ignite curiosity
·  Listening is our superpower. We listen, adapt, and empower people through our mission.

·  We will play a protagonist role in closing the financial/opportunity gap impacting women

·  We encourage people to dream of impossibilities and provide actionable tools to achieve them

·  We find joy in the journey

I am a storyteller at heart. Strategy is iterative and meant to inspire, manifesting itself through the power of the brand.

·  Our brand (external voice) is carefully crafted around our community

·  We invest in our brand because it sparks the promise we must keep to our audience

·  Our brand is bold and unignorable

·  We give credit to our audience for connecting the dots

·  We resonate at an emotional level

·  Art, in all its forms, is celebrated

·  Our brand inspires loyalty. We know it's working when not everyone loves it.

·  We relentlessly craft a brand that is felt through all five senses

·  Branding is never done

Curiosity must be given a protected space. 

·  The objective is learning and improving

·  We develop in-house solutions. Our tech maintains our brand promise.

·  We invite people to experiment with us

·  We invest in community efforts that co-create solutions

·  People's ingenuity inspires us

·  A portion of the budget and resources are allotted to test, learn, and iterate continuously

·  Perfection is the enemy of progress

Strategy is complicated. Sharing it should be easy. 

·  We evaluate our strategy constantly, and we are nimble to adjust it

·  We are not afraid to take measured risks, and we address mistakes swiftly

·  We are devoted to building the future of work

·  We don't compete against other credit unions. We compete to solve the job to be done.

·  Our investment in technology is prudent but aggressive

·  Our technology is elegantly built and saves people time

·  We build bridges between the physical and digital/virtual world

·  We are intrigued by new digital payment platforms