Miranda Pierfax has been part of the Credit Union industry for almost 14 years now, and she just got her first CRASH experience a month ago at CUNA GAC. She is now more motivated than ever and blessed with a new CRASHER Family. We were thankful to get some of Miranda’s time to talk about how she got her start, her recent experiences, and her constant pursuit of education.
How did you get you start in the industry and what keeps you in the movement?
I was a cashier at Marshalls and this lady approached me and asked if I would like to work for a Credit Union as a teller. I had never heard of a Credit Union and it is not every day when you are offered a job when you are at your job. I gave it some thought and applied, they called me for an interview, and I was hired a few weeks later. I have now been in the Credit Union industry almost 14 years. What keeps me here is member service and learning more about the CU industry through my current position as an Executive Assistant. I love assisting members, and my new position keeps me on my toes. The CEO has taught me so much working on his team, and I hope to influence change within our credit union.
I love that story of being offered a job right on the spot, great service creates great opportunities. Tell me more about your experience at the CUNA GAC.
GAC was such an eye-opening experience. In my blog post, I had stated how nervous I was going into GAC, knowing I had to meet and speak with people. This kind of gave me anxiety, but it taught me I am capable of coming out of my shell and network. Once I realized people were actually interested in hearing my story it eased my mind and helped me loosen up more. Outside of creating a newly found interest for me to understand and utilize big data and research analytics, I would say my favorite part was meeting all the CRASHERS and our mentors. Everyone was so nice and supportive. We all have the same struggles as YPS, we are all so motivated, we were able to all unite and form lasting relationships for the rest of our lives. I feel special to say I was a part of the 2020 GAC CRASHERS Family.
Relationships like this are so important to our own personal growth, thanks for spotlighting this. Outside of your newly formed GAC Family who are your biggest mentors in the industry?
My boss Gary Perez and the members of the west coast chapter of the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC). Gary has always been someone who believes in me, challenging me to try new things, like becoming his Executive Assistant. It’s great to have a boss in your corner who pushes you to be better and also takes time to listen to me on my thoughts on certain topics. He has taught me so much in my career and is a tremendous leader. I feel privileged to have a CEO as a mentor and someone I get to interact with on a daily basis.
I joined AACUC last year, and a part of the Leadership team. The individuals I have met are so inspiring and also believe in me and what I can do for the Credit Union industry. Renee Sattiewhite, who is the president of AACUC, definitely took me under her wing and I am grateful I can come to her for any advice. Currently I am their Social Media Ambassador handling our LinkedIn and Instagram page. The chapter was created in 2019, but AACUC has been around since 1999. To be part of this team, working together to help educate on how important diversity and inclusion is to the Credit Union industry is something I couldn’t say no to. The connections I’ve made have been so impactful, and I can’t wait to see where we take this chapter. I would urge other YP’s to get more involved in their chapters or coalitions as the experiences and bonding have been things, I cherish.
Getting involved and staying involved is the key, we agree.
Agree, these opportunities lead to more opportunities. I recommend networking as much as you can, after all we are on the people helping people business. The more people you meet, the more people you can help. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people I think I met at GAC. I’m happy to say I still speak to most of the CRASHERS I met. Also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and go to these events, or even apply to become an attendee or CRASHER. You learn so much and get to meet some great people along the way. One key takeaway I apply to everything I do is to find your why. Once you figure that out, everything else starts to make sense and will come into fruition.
As past CRASHERS we couldn’t agree more, finding that why is critical to growth and success. What other passions do you dedicate your time to outside of the industry?
I love to sing, so I write music on the side. Since we are currently quarantined, I finally bought a guitar. I am hoping to teach myself and start playing, which is something I have been wanting to do for a very long time. I would also like to do more volunteering. It was something I did before I started my Master’s program, but stopped since I didn’t have much time available. Once I can manage my time more effectively, I would like to go back to that.
Currently I am very consumed with earning my Masters and graduating from USC (Fight On!) with my Master’s in Communication Management in 2022, developing a research project at my Credit Union, hopefully making it an actual department or just figuring out a way to implement a research strategy. Maybe a VP Position, that would be nice and hopefully not far fetched. I would also like to CRASH another event, once things open again, I can attend an event in the near future. I now have my why, so it is full speed ahead.
CUltivate is people helping people with our mission to spread the word, connect the people, and give an outlet to share your stories. Know someone in the industry we should interview? Drop us a line at CultivateYP@gmail.com
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