Insights from Catalyst

Young: having lived or existed for only a short time.

Professional: engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.

It is not every day that a Young Professional (YP) gets to enjoy the same space as C-suite employees, learning and engaging in seminars filled with CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other passionate credit union leaders. In retrospect, I realize how privileged I was to attend Catalyst Corporate's 45^th annual Economic & Payments Forum. As a manager overseeing multiple locations and teams, the discussions brought forth during Forum gave me perspective into this profession in a new and brighter light.

During Forum 2022, I asked myself what I was looking to gain from this experience. As an employee on the front lines, increasing deposits and producing and cross-selling loans to better a member's future, Forum 2022 allowed me to see the impact each direct deposit and certificate special has on an institution.

It is sometimes easy to lose sight of the wonders of this profession by getting lost in the numbers and data. As a YP, my outlook, and others like mine, relays a fresh gaze into a room of well-tenured colleagues. What our fresh outlook did not include is the sheer expanse of knowledge and experience that we were able to absorb over the 2½-day event.

Forum 2022 allowed me to see my institution through different eyes, further growing my respect, not just for my CFO, but for all employees in my credit union.

At Kitsap Credit Union, our motto is “Every Member, Every Time,” and Forum 2022 reminded me to extend that to our employees. We may work in different departments, in different specialties, but it takes all of us working in the same direction to be as successful as possible. As a YP crasher, the takeaways I gained can be applied to our institution, community and the credit union movement as a whole.

Ultimately, the Forum Young Professional Crasher Contest allows qualified individuals to interject our passions into a room of individuals who are decision makers at their institutions. Our vision is the future vision. It is the vision of our membership, our employees, our board – and even the NCUA.

I appreciate everything that Catalyst Corporate has given me through this YP experience. I have built lifelong connections within the industry and look forward to finding ways to crash in the future!

Dezirae, a Branch Manager from Kitsap CU in Bremerton, Washington was one of four YP contestants selected to earn free registration and hotel to Catalyst Corporate’s annual Economic & Payments Forum.

Photos: Young Professional Crasher Contest Winners Alberto Tapia-Diosdado, Comunidad Latina FCU; Wendy McKune, AltaOne FCU; Jessica Wilson, AltaOne FCU; Tuesday DerMargosian, Catalyst Corporate FCU; and Dezirae Bates, Kitsap CU. Dezirae, providing input at the Forum Idea Exchange session.