HUMMELSTOWN, Penn.-After more than 31 years at Hershey FCU here, Diana L. Roberts plans to retire in July. When Roberts joined HFCU, which was founded to serve the iconic candymaker but today has a community charter, it had just $2.2-million in assets and 1,675 members. Today, it has $58 million in assets and more than 7,000 members. During her career Roberts has also been active on the Pennsylvania CU Association board (including as chair) and as a CUNA Director. Below Roberts shares her thoughts in this Credit Union Journal Exit interview.
Credit Union Journal: How did you come to be involved in credit unions?
Roberts: I answered an ad for a job as a part-time credit union clerk. I didn't know what a credit union was, but the job, at Millersville University Credit Union, was close to where I lived. I was hired as the second person in a two-person, $1-million credit union. Everything was done by hand, and I got to learn everything, from working with the members to doing the bookkeeping. After two years, the manager left and I took her place. During the next two years I managed a conversion from hand-posting to a computer system. Then I heard that Hershey Federal Credit Union needed a manager. I took that job in 1982. During the next 31 years, I worked to add services and grow the credit union. I got involved in volunteering for credit unions on the local, state and national levels. Credit unions have been my life!
CUJ: What have you learned about growing and managing a credit union during your career?
Roberts: The last 35 years have been a constant learning process. I've learned that there are no magic bullets and that it takes hard work and diligence to keep a credit union on track. I've also learned that it takes working jointly with the board of directors and the employees to make a credit union successful. Everyone has to be on the same page and going on the same direction. It takes strategic planning and strategic thinking to get from A to Z.
CUJ: What have you learned about managing people during your career?
Roberts: Methods of managing people are always evolving. There have been new and improved methods I've read about and learned over the years, but the main thing I've learned is that to manage people you have to CARE. You have to care about if they are happy in their work; if they are learning what they need to know; if they are doing their jobs the best they can; and if they are being taken care of with adequate pay and benefits. I've also learned to hire people with good attitudes. You can teach them the job, but you can't teach them to be nice to people.
CUJ: You've been active in state and national associations: given the demands on a CEO's time, why, and what have you learned?
Roberts: Mainly, I've learned that you can't say, "I don't have time." You have MAKE time. It takes some organization and it takes an understanding family. It also takes a board that understands and appreciates what you are doing. And, it takes a good management team and staff to keep things going at the credit union. I have to say that while I hope I've contributed to the associations I've served, I have probably learned more than I gave. And I think that knowledge helped me be a better CEO and helped my credit union be more successful.
CUJ: Can smaller credit unions survive and even prosper and, if so, what are some of the keys?
Roberts: This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Of course smaller credit union can survive and prosper! I've always thought there were enough "pieces of the pie" to allow large credit unions AND smaller credit unions to be able to serve members. It just takes that strategic planning and thinking I talked about earlier. Is it easy? No. But it is not impossible. A smaller credit union needs to find its niche and then do it well and not try to be all things to all people.
CUJ: What is your view on the future of credit unions, if there is to be one?
Roberts: Well, a woman I was talking to recently said it very well. She asked me if I worked for a bank, and not wanting to get in a big discussion with her, I just said, "Yes." Then she asked me which bank. So I said, "Well, I work for the Hershey Federal Credit Union." And she said--drum roll please-"I think credit unions are now the way to go." I, of course, said, "Yes, they are." And I do believe that credit unions are the way to go! There will be fewer credit unions and they will be larger, but I think the last few years have proved that people are looking for a better way to bank. I am confident that credit unions will be there for them in the future.
