Being a part of the Baby Boomer generation, I can remember often hearing that “Men have careers, women have jobs.” This always seemed unfair to me, because my investment in myself and my work is just as valuable as any investment that a man would make. No man I ever worked with was more dedicated, reliable, or willing to learn and grow at any company where I’ve been employed.
In 2005, after several years in various management positions with JCPenney, I decided to change directions in my career. To do this, I knew I had to come up with a plan. And I really wanted my plan to include ways for me to be more involved in the community and to give more of myself through helping those in need.
So, I retired from JCPenney. After a short retirement, I went to work for Empire Affiliates Credit Union to help keep myself busy while working on my new plan. Very shortly after going to work for Empire, we merged with the Toledo Area Community Credit Union, and I accepted a position in the Human Resources department that would also include working in our Education department. In this new position, I quickly learned that sharing information with others and helping them improve was very fulfilling. I realized my plan was starting to come to life.
Through various mergers and acquisitions, Empire eventually became Directions Credit Union. Once we became Directions, the Board of Directors made the decision to make financial literacy education a part of our strategic plan. The goal was to have Directions Credit Union become the number one place people in the community came to for basic, everyday financial education. At this point, I accepted the position of Community Outreach Education Coordinator. My plan had now become a reality. I had a new career that I was going to be able to mold and create that would allow both the Credit Union and I to give back and get involved throughout the community.
I believe that the greatest investment that any of us can make is the investment in our communities. To be a part of the growth and development of the space we occupy with our neighbors, lending ourselves to the things that make our community stronger. My new position with Directions enabled both the Credit Union and I to get out into the community to help in many fascinating ways.
The truth is that a community that is smarter financially is a stronger community. My role as Community Outreach Education Coordinator was created to develop and present programs that give participants an understanding of how to make better financial choices. So, when I took on this new role, I began developing workshops and programs that covered topics including budgeting, saving, credit, understanding checking, money scams, and identity theft. Today we have over seventy five programs, with new topics such as work ethic, customer service, financial abuse of the elderly, along with updated versions of our original presentations.
In Mansfield and the surrounding area, we interact with over 5000 youth and adults annually, making an investment in them that they can carry into the future. When a child remembers a lesson about savings, or a senior citizen makes a choice that protects them from a scam, or an offender at one of our local prisons makes better financial decisions because of something they learned at one of my workshops, I know my time has been well invested.
Out of all the programs and workshops I’ve completed over the years, a couple stand out that I am most proud of because of the potential positive impact they have had on our community. For six years now, I have done a quarterly 6 week Money Management course at the Richland Correctional Institution as part of their Reintegration program. This program helps encourage offenders to make better financial decisions as they move forward in their lives. And, for eight years now we have held Reality Store workshops in many of the area Middle Schools. This program brings together many volunteers from the business community to help 8th grade students gain an understanding of income, budgeting, credit, and how to manage their life around their finances.
In addition to all of the presentations and workshops I’ve completed over the years, my role at Directions has allowed me to become involved throughout the community in a variety of organizations. I am on the RCDG Leadership Team. I provide leadership to the Be Focal Buy Local group, which is a sector of the RCDG. I am the Chairperson of the Area 10 Workforce Development Board of Richland and Crawford Counties. And, I Chair the Advisory Board of Catholic Charities. Not only have I been able to serve in these positions, but I have encouraged and gained the participation of many business leaders throughout the area in these groups.
My plan that started many years ago has played out well for both myself and those that I’ve been able to help throughout our community. I have been able to give the gift of my time and knowledge to help many people. Along the way, I have also invested a lot of time in myself to learn and become an expert in the topics of my workshops, and how to make the various organizations I’m involved with function better. I have learned to share my knowledge effectively, and to find new ways to connect with people who might need my help. I have learned to connect with others who are not necessarily like me, who may have different values, who have had different life experiences, or who may approach life differently. I’ve learned that these differences do not make these people wrong, it just makes them different. I’ve learned that the biggest investment I can make in myself is to embrace these differences and to accept any and all that I may be able to help through all that my job at Directions allows.
This has been a fascinating journey, and I look forward to see what the future holds.
