CONSHOHOCKEN, Penn.-One of the more significant contributions of credit unions over the past century to the U.S. has been the opportunities provided women in all types of jobs and career advancement when other industries wouldn't. But the reasons weren't - and aren't - completely altruistic.
Women such as Agnes Gartland, managing director of the Massachusetts CUNA Association, were working in management jobs in credit unions in the 1950s, as many women had been from the beginning of the movement.
Credit unions offered careers for women when other companies discriminated, according to Franck Schuurmans, senior consultant, Decision Strategies International Inc. Conshohocken, Penn.
"Credit unions have a disapportionate amount of women in management; they were willing to work for less than men," he said. "Credit unions provided a career path for women when other industries didn't."
Many female CEOs started out as tellers and worked their up to top management positions. Among them was Jean Yokum, who started 50 years ago as teller at Langley FCU in Newport News, Va., finally working her way up to CEO of the now $1.2-billion credit union.
Women found a receptive environment in the credit union workplace for a number of reasons, both practical and philosophical. As the number of credit unions expanded, management jobs as well as staff jobs needed to be filled. The "people helping people" philosophy was contrary to discrimination.
Nancy Pierce, president, the Tipton Research Group, Smithville, Mo., served as a CEO of Mazuma Credit Union and was elected chair of CUNA in 1998, said that the philosophy is a natural fit with women.
"Credit union philosophy fits more easily with women because they are attuned to building relationships with others; that's what credit unions are all about, and that's a natural role with women-building relationships," she said.
The credit union industry has more tolerance for diversity, and is open and accepting of women as leaders said Pierce. "It does have a history of a good old boy network, but that changed with the greater need for managers with the number of credit unions and we had to start to look at women as an option."
After Pierce was on the CUNA Executive Committee, "I was an accepted team member and you've proven your ability to serve in that capacity," she said. "Once I was there, I realized there was a lot of support there for you; that was an awesome feeling-a great big part of a network."
"At my first meeting at the Governmental Affairs Conference, it was important for me to say something, to talk, you have to take the microphone and speak," said Pierce. "Afterwards, a couple of men came up to me and said I enjoyed your comments, you felt a part of a supportive network, you didn't feel out of it. I noticed they did the same thing to other members."
"My credit union experience was a positive experience for me," said Pierce. "I never felt that there was a glass ceiling that existed for me."
Of the 25 people currently on CUNA's board, eight are female.
