We just got out of the first general session with Bill Strickland. Man, is this guy impressive. He’s done some amazing work with the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and the Bidwell Training Center by treating people like “assets, not liabilities.”

Bill started his message by mentioning that he represents the same people that credit unions represent—the poor people. How true is this now? There’s certainly an effort by some people to bring CUs back to serving the under-served (Filene’s REAL Solutions comes to mind), but how many credit unions make it a point to focus on the low-wealth individuals in their area?

Bill also said that in order to succeed with something like he was doing (training the poor for careers as chemical technicians, pharmaceutical technicians, and top-level chefs, among others), “you have to redefine the conversation.” In the credit union industry, I think this means we need to start talking about serving the “underbanked” as an opportunity rather than as something we feel guilty for ignoring. Bill succeeds because he gives people hope and teaches them “how to fish”. Credit unions need to do the same.