Message from WPCCU CEO 2021
Dear WPCCU members,
As I sit in my home office and begin to pen this letter, I look back to this time last year. We were so excited about 2020. We spent the last three years improving our technology infrastructure in order to make our digital banking solutions and internal systems more secure and functional. Our plans were to continue this effort as well as personalizing your member experience, tailoring it to suit your needs. Well, as John Lennon once said, “Life happens when you are making other plans.”
Life happened, with a vengeance. And, we had to shift our perspective to what mattered most — the safety of our members and our dedicated employees. Our branch team members are considered our financial first responders. They needed to safely handle the needs of our members visiting our branches, so we took immediate and proactive measures to outfit our branches for the safety of all. I thank you for understanding that reducing branch hours and temporarily closing offices were two of those necessary safety measures. The guiding light for those decisions was and is for everyone’s health and safety.
The technology that we put in place allowed us to seamlessly move 100% of our office staff to remote work within the first two weeks of the pandemic. These folks are the backbone of our organization; helping our frontline staff deliver the premium experience our members expect and deserve. Our technology also enabled us to continue to serve you by phone, through our website and through our digital banking platform.
COVID-19 affected some of our members more than others. For those we stepped in to help. I am happy to report that we helped over 2,000 members in financial distress, by deferring consumer loan and mortgage payments, and providing emergency funds at a time when they needed it most.
We also reacted strongly to the other travesty that 2020 illuminated — the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. As we know, racism is not a 2020 event but a systemic problem that, like COVID-19, is worldwide. Shining a light on racism and holding each other accountable for recognizing, speaking up, educating ourselves and acting against racist behavior are a few ways we can promote the equal treatment of all people. You have our word that WPCCU is continuing to do everything in our power to be true to why we were created in the first place, to serve all people in our community.
As a person and a leader, I have always chosen to and will always choose to lead with positivity — even in the darkest times. As I conclude this letter to you, the world is facing the darkest days of the COVID-19 crisis. But hope is on the horizon and soon we will return to a new normal that will ultimately be better. You and yours are in our prayers. If you need us — we are here for you.
Be well, be safe, be resilient, and please, be kind.
Cheers,
