Recent Network Events
San Francisco Sister Society — April 11, 2012
Global Women's Leadership Network is now meeting in YOUR region! We are proud to introduce you to our brand new series of local events in different regions of the United States. Our first meeting was held on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Patelco Credit Union, in San Francisco, CA. It was a great opportunity for networking and learning more about Global Women's Leadership Network's work to connect women leaders who are working hard to promote positive change through credit unions. Local GWLN leaders, Colleen O'Grady, Board Member of Patelco Credit Union and Linda White, CEO of United Health Credit Union were hosting this event.
There is no cost to attend this event and lunch was generously provided by Patelco Credit Union.
Midwest Sister Society — April 16, 2012
Midwesterners, Global Women's Leadership is meeting in YOUR region! As part of our new program called Sister Societies, a meeting was held on Monday, April 16, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frankenmuth Credit Union in Frankenmuth, MI. Local GWLN leaders Vickie Schmitzer, CEO of Frankenmuth Credit Union and Jody Karnes, COO of CU*Answers were hosting this event. This was an exceptional chance to learn more about Global Women's Leadership Network and connect with other credit union women leaders.
There is no cost to attend this event and lunch was generously provided.
Global Women's Leadership Network Breakfast — March 21, 2012
More than 100 network members and supporters attended the annual Global Women's Leadership Network breakfast meeting, sponsored by CU*Answers. The event was held at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. during the Credit Union National Association's (CUNA) Governmental Affairs Conference. Click below to see the photo gallery from the event.
Engagement Program in Kenya, East Africa — October 30- November 6, 2011
Members of the Network and non-members joined WOCCU in Kenya to learn how WOCCU is using the latest technological innovations to reach the unbanked rural poor. By connecting the smallest credit unions to an application service provider (ASP), the program helps credit unions strengthen their operations and meet new regulatory requirements. After visiting project supported credit unions, rural communities as well as volunteering at Busia Compassionate Centre (orphanage), participants helped develop ways of strengthening the credit union connection between the orphanage and came up with suggestions to help the Kenya project's ASP effectively reach more members.
Global Women's Leadership Network California and Nevada Regional Forum — October 28, 2011
The California and Nevada Credit Union League hosted this Global Women's Leadership Network event in conjunction with their Annual Meeting and Convention. Dolores Rivera Ramírez, a Global Women's Leadership Network member and CEO of Caja Solidaria Zongolica in Mexico, shared her successful program to bring her credit union to remotely located rural farm workers in Mexico using a Palm PDA. Ventura County CU Board Chairman and Global Women's Leadership Network member Roxanne Ostrem (along with CEO Joe Schroeder) discussed how hearing of Ramírez' program at a Global Women's Leadership Network forum inspired them to use World Council of Credit Unions' technology and smartphones to take their credit union to local farm workers.
Global Women's Leadership Network Workshop at the 2011 Pacific Congress, Papua New Guinea
OCCUL's In Focus Article on the Leadership Development Workshop for Women
Photo Gallery of the Global Women's Leadership Network Workshop at the 2011 Pacific Congress
Global Women's Leadership Network Events at the World Credit Union Conference
Forum Presentations
- Networking, Sue Mitchell
- Women & Credit Union Board Leadership, Colleen Cabey
- Each One Teach One, Patrice Pratt
- Leading Edge Innovations Presentation, Ewa Beresniewicz-Kozlowska
- Leading Edge Innovations Presentation, Sarah Canepa Bang
Photo Gallery for the Global Women's Leadership Network Reception
Photo Gallery for the Global Women's Leadership Network Forum
Photo Gallery for the Global Women's Leadership Network Golf Tournament
Member Breakfast at the GAC — March 1, 2011
Network members attended a special breakfast session during CUNA's 2011 Governmental Affairs Conference in Washtington, D.C. at the The National Museum of Women in the Arts. This event was by invitation only for network members, donors and special guests.
The featured speaker at this year's breakfast event was Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA). Rep. Speier introduced herself as an "unabashed supporter" of credit unions and challenged members to double the network's ranks by next year! To learn more about the "Speier" challenge read the full article.
Global Women's Leadership Network 2011 GAC Breakfast Photo Gallery
Visit to Busia Orphanage, Kenya
Members of the Global Women’s Leadership Network joined WOCCU staff in October to provide much-needed support to the Busia Compassionate Center in the western region of Kenya. The purpose of the trip was to assist in strategic planning activities as well as carry out on-site service projects, which included gutter installation, teaching sanitary food storage, improving early childhood education classrooms, providing beds and mosquito netting, clothing, school supplies and more. Pat Wesenberg, president and CEO of Central City Union and network member, was highlighted in a Steven’s Point Journal article about the trip.
WOCCU originally got involved with the orphanage through its credit union modernization project that was implemented in the area — an area adversely impacted by HIV/AIDS. Through the project, WOCCU recognized the positive impact it could have by partnering with and supporting the orphanage as part of the social mission for area credit unions. Since the area is not currently served by credit unions, WOCCU is piloting a new strategy of community integration so that local credit unions first understand the needs of the market/community before beginning operations. Credit unions throughout Africa cannot function effectively without addressing HIV/AIDS and looking out for those affected by it. For more information on WOCCU’s involvement with the Busia orphanage, visit: www.busiaorphanage.org
Global Women's Leadership Workshop, Papua New Guinea
Held in conjunction with the Pacific Credit Union Technical Congress in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, the GWLN offered the Leadership Development Workshop to credit union executives and board members interested in expanding their leadership capacity. Participants learned to establish, communicate and achieve shared goals through a series of team building exercises, group discussions and presentations that focused on strategic thinking, increasing self-confidence and improving public-speaking skills.View Global Leadership Network members in action at the Pacific Congress (see below).
For more information about this event, please contact Nicole Bice at nbice@woccu.org
Global Women's Leadership Forum
The Global Women's Leadership Forum was held July 10-11, 2010, in conjunction with the 1 Credit Union Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This invitation-only peer learning and networking session was for members of the Global Women's Leadership Network. It was professionally facilitated with a focus on educational presentations, confidential peer-to-peer exchange, and candid table discussions on business-driven topics.
View Global Women's Leadership Network Reception photos (Saturday, July 10):
View Global Women's Leadership Forum photos (Sunday, July 11):
Download the detailed forum agenda.
Download forum presentations and speaker bios:
- Welcome & Introduction - Sue Mitchell, Mitchell, Stankovic & Associates
- Leadership in Crisis Situations - Greta Greathouse, WOCCU Project Director in Haiti
- Clawing Our Way out of the Great Recession - Lucy Ito, California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues
- Growth Strategies - Dolores Rivera Ramirez, Caja Solidaria Zongolica in Mexico
- Good to Great: The Brand of You - Teresa Freeborn, Xceed Federal Credit Union
- Case Study on Gender and Boards - Jo-Anne Ferguson, Canadian Co-operative Association
For more information about this event, please contact Nicole Bice at nbice@woccu.org.
T-Up FORE WOCCU
The first Global Women's Leadership Network golf tournament was held at Bear's Best Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday July 10, 2010. All proceeds went to network forum scholarships and development programs that support the alleviation of poverty through the empowerment of women around the world.
View golf tournament photos (Saturday, July 10):
For more information about this event, please contact Valerie Breunig at vbreunig@woccu.org.