Alive CFO and Northeast LSCU Chapter Treasurer, Ricky Joshi is working among the cooperatives to reinvigorate the League of Southeastern Credit Union & Affiliates Northeast Chapter’s Young Professionals Group. The LSCU is the regional trade association for credit unions in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. They provide resources, tools, and support that enable credit unions to grow and succeed.
The Young Professionals group or “YP” is made up of credit union professionals, 40 years of age and younger, working to positively impact the credit union movement. The goals of the program are “improved industry awareness, increased knowledge and professional development, and a collaborative spirit among young credit union professionals”, according to the LSCU. These individuals are the future leaders of the credit union movement.
Ricky joined YP as soon as the program was initiated several years ago. He has since aged out of being an active participant but is taking on an active role in encouraging the YP program’s growth. Ricky shared ”The value added that comes from the YP program is the people you surround yourself with. You get to bounce back ideas among each other and see what they are doing to further themselves in their career.” One of the 9 Cooperative Principles of the Credit Union Movement is “Cooperation among cooperatives”, which is why groups such as YP are so special. Other industries that may be less cooperative do not have the safe space to bounce ideas off of peers. It’s not all about tight ties and stiff shoes though, in fact, when asking Ricky about his YP experience he shared one of his greatest joys was simply “attending social hours and connecting with people”.
Each year, YP hosts an event called “YP Think Tank”. Jessica Parmenter, supervisor of the Touchton Branch and Hali Hagist, community development representative, both had the opportunity to attend in 2023. At the event each speaker addressed a topic of professional development from self marketing, to being a team leader, to understanding what the LSCU does. Other YP Chapter Board Members sat on a panel and shared the value they have received from being active in their groups. Jess shared that she “enjoyed being around other like-minded young professionals. It was fun hearing their experiences and stories within the credit union space. Seeing how excited and encouraging everyone was really motivated me to want to become more involved in the credit union industry.”
If you are interested in joining the reinvigorated and exciting YP movement or are passionate about credit unions and want to deepen your impact, join the YP chapter for free by using the button below.