WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
However, the hiring of Timm, a Troy, Ohio, native who most recently lived in Venezuela, marks a step forward in Allegacy's program to broaden its services to better serve a culturally broader array of members.
Credit Union Journal: How did you get to where you are today?
Lori Timm: After I got my undergraduate degree in International Studies and German from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, I attended the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vt. I received an MS in Intercultural Administration.
I also studied in Luxembourg and Switzerland. While I was in Vermont I did an internship in the Philadelphia office of Inlingua, an international language service. I met my husband, who was a Venezuelan national, and ended up moving to Venezuela in 1998.
CUJ: What brought you to North Carolina and Allegacy?
Timm: My husband and I had two kids and, frankly, I didn't like what was happening in Venezuela. [President] Hugo Chavez has for the past several years been enacting "reforms" that this year escalated to include talks about educational reforms. He is slowly moving the country in the direction of Cuba, which most Venezuelans don't like.
I knew it was time to get out. My husband stayed behind. I arrived here with no job, no residence and a lot of uncertainty about my future. In that way, I can relate to a lot of the immigrants who come here.
CUJ: I don't think I've ever heard of a position like yours at a credit union. Does Winston-Salem have that much diversity?
Timm: Allegacy's system was in place for several years and with my arrival we broadened its influence and authority. North Carolina, like a lot of southern states, is experiencing a huge influx of Hispanics, which is our largest group by far.
We also have a lot of Asians, Russians and Eastern Europeans, as well as a lot of others who come here through the university. We're seeing a lot of Hispanics who come here from other areas, like Miami and cities in California. Their needs, of course, are different than those of recent arrivals.
CUJ: What types of activities fall under your authority at Allegacy?
Timm: Our big push this year will be internal, educating the staff and explaining the influence of multi-cultural groups. The credit union already has Allegacy en Espanol [a Spanish-speaking branch office located at Winston-Salem's Hanes Mall.] My job is to promote buy-in among all staff.
CUJ: What's the challenge of serving a multicultural audience, other than language barriers?
Timm: For one thing, Hispanic members tends to bring their families to the credit union when they do business, which has caused us to reconfigure our lobbies and add more chairs to make them more comfortable.
Part of this is for practical considerations, since those families often contain one or two English speakers who translate for other family members.
We've also made a greater attempt to partner with Hispanic community and social groups in hopes getting to know potential members and build trust. A lot of these people come from countries with less secure banking systems, may have had bad banking experience or may never have had a bank account.
They're not quick to trust other financial institutions unless we show them we are trustworthy. That trust also contributes to supporting the one-on-one service that many in this group require and appreciate.
CUJ: What's the worst thing a credit union can do in trying to serve such groups.
Timm: The worst thing is to make cultural assumptions. Multicultural training stresses the need to avoid stereotyping and making the wrong assumptions about people.
We stress to our employees to never make an assumption about anyone because we're all individuals and each case is different.
CUJ: Do you think other CUs will follow Allegacy's lead and create positions like the one you occupy?
Timm: They will if they want to tap into this market. Among southern states at least, the Hispanic population is predicted to grow 300% over the next few years. Having a multicultural officer and program just makes good business sense.
