Nominations Open for Second Annual WOCCU Fellowship
Credit union women, young professionals are encouraged to apply
MADISON, Wis.—World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) invites emerging credit union leaders under the age of 40 and women of any age to apply for the 2024 WOCCU Fellowship, which will designate one person from each of those categories to participate in WOCCU Board of Directors’ meetings for a period of one year.
To be considered for the Fellowship, candidates must:
- be employees, current board directors or members of other elected governance systems, either with a direct member of WOCCU or a financial cooperative institution that is affiliated with that direct member.
- have demonstrated a leadership contribution to their community, organization and credit union system.
Applicants must apply online by June 15, 2024, and include a resume, along with a video and essays that: demonstrate their governance and leadership experience; highlight local initiatives that promote women and emerging leaders in governance; and identify strategies to address demographic gaps in governance.
The Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) and the World Young Credit Union Professionals (WYCUP) jointly manage the application process across their respective networks.
WOCCU will announce this year's Fellowship recipients at its 2024 Annual General Meeting on July 22, at the World Credit Union Conference in Boston (USA).
Recipients of the 2024 WOCCU Fellowship will succeed Eleonora Zgonjanin, CEO of FULM Savings House (North Macedonia), and Patrick John Rico, External Affairs Manager at ACDI Multipurpose Cooperative (Philippines), who will complete their one-year tenures as the inaugural Fellows at their third and final WOCCU Board of Directors Meeting in July 2024.
“Involving youth in credit union leadership is vital for their future success. My role as a WOCCU board observer has shown me the challenges they face and the importance of their input in building resilient cooperatives,” said Rico.
2024 WOCCU Fellowship recipients will attend Board of Directors’ meetings over a one-year period, beginning in October 2024. Their travel expenses, including airfare, hotel and local transportation, will be covered by WOCCU, including registration to attend the 2025 World Credit Union Conference.
Fellows receive all material information provided to members of the Board but will not have formal voting rights during the Board of Directors’ meetings. They will also receive mentorship from members of the WOCCU Board, or from members of the WOCCU or Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions’ staff.
Launched in 2023, the WOCCU Fellowship is designed to promote the representation of women and emerging leaders in governance roles—something that is both a shared goal and ongoing challenge among credit unions and financial cooperatives across our global movement.
To apply for the 2024 WOCCU Fellowship program, click here.
World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development platform for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 90 countries. Worldwide, 82,758 credit unions in 97 countries serve 404 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: gneumann@woccu.org
Phone: +1 608-395-2048
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