State Employees CU of NM Breaks Annual Meeting Mold

State Employees Credit Union of New Mexico transformed its NCUA-required annual meeting into a community event at the Lensic Performing Arts Center. The Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble and the Giovanni String Quartet performed for the assembled credit union Members, non-members, board members, and guests. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham presented the keynote address.  

“We wanted to redesign how annual meetings are done,” says State ECU President/CEO Andy Ramos. “We wanted to include the community when we told our story about what we did in 2021, all of which influences where they live, work, and worship.” 

In addition to supporting two New Mexico non-profit arts groups (the Lensic and the Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble), the reimagined annual meeting supported credit union Member business Henry & The Fish, which served heavy hors d’oeuvres to the 160 guests. “Every facet of the event aligned with our values,” Ramos says.

Inspired by the Governor’s speech, which mentioned the victims of the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, State ECU immediately set out Food Depot collection bins at the St. Michael’s Drive branch. This furthered the annual meeting’s ripple effect through northern New Mexico. “We don’t ask the community to come to us to ask for help. We ask how we can help,” Ramos says. 

The gathering’s business meeting focused on State ECU’s Member service, local investments, and community impact. The highlights included:
— Keeping branch doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic
— Serving members by conducting 711,000 teller transactions, answering 200,000 call center phone calls, facilitating 2.5 million website visits, and fulfilling 21,000 active mobile users’ transactions
— Continuing construction of a 30,000-square-foot office space to grow the commercial and mortgage lending divisions in response to Member requests
— Issuing 243 Paycheck Protection Program loans and disbursing $16.7 million in funding for New Mexico businesses
— Raising $86,500 for the Children’s Miracle Network, directly benefiting the UNM Children’s Hospital’s Connected Academy
— Donating an additional $30,000 to philanthropic organizations across seven counties (Mora, San Miguel, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia)