CUES 156: Golden 1 CU Takes Belief in DEI Into Awarding-Winning Action

Erica Taylor says her best advice for credit unions on how to best further their DEI journeys is to listen, really listen, to staff and their communities. 

“Start with listening and truly listening to hear..., listening to understand people,” says Taylor, VP/communications and community relations for $20 billion Golden 1 Credit Union, headquartered in Sacramento, California, which was named the inaugural John Pembroke Catalyst for Change Award winner in 2023. “It’s powerful stuff. It builds trust. It empowers everyone that is listened to. … It’s good all around.”

Like all credit unions, Golden 1 CU was founded on ideas of equity and helping one another. More recently, the organization has formalized its DEI journey, starting with assessments of staff and leadership to really listen to what credit union team members had to say about their sense of workplace belonging. 

“We know that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, life makes us a stronger credit union and really makes us a stronger community,” explains Taylor, a CUES member, in the show. “That’s something that’s been a big part of our history. 

“But we want to ensure that we’re acting on that right? It’s not just a belief; we need to take actions, to make sure that we are fostering an inclusive culture that ... our tagline of ‘stronger together’ is more than just a tagline, it’s an ethos. It’s something that we live every day.” 

Internally, Golden 1 CU has launched a podcast featuring the lived experiences of employees, formed six employee resource groups and undertaken unconscious bias training. 

“Being open to a history of background that’s different than yours can really open doors to growth, to rich and honest conversations and help us be better leaders help us be better employees and help us be a better credit union,” Taylor says of the unconscious bias training. 

Externally, the CU listened to the needs of the Del Paso Heights area of Sacramento to find out what leaders thought was needed to address community needs, which include a safe park for birthday parties, an eyeglasses shop and a financial institution. The CU has dedicated $10 million over five to 10 years to the community and opens a financial resource center there this month. 

“These communities know what they need. We just have to listen. We have to ask and see where we can plug in and help,” Taylor says. “And I’m thrilled that we were able to do that. I really love how we designed this, and I can’t wait to see it succeed.” 

Links for this show: 

• John Pembroke Catalyst for Change Award application information and list of winners 
• CUES Net ERG Community, a benefit of CUESmembership 
• CU Management magazine’s DEI content collection 
• CUES’ DEI Resource Center 
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cornell Certificate Program (starts March 27, 2024) 
• Transcript