Newly formed team enables MVCU to better serve its diverse members and communities
Lawrence, Mass. (January 6, 2020) – Merrimack Valley Credit Union has created a Multicultural Team with new hires and key promotions, bolstering its language capabilities and offerings to better serve its members and communities. The effort is first launching with Spanish, as nearly 80 percent of residents in Lawrence, where the organization is headquartered, identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2017 American Community Survey. As the organization’s new Community Liaison Manager, Digna Jhonson, who has been with Merrimack Valley Credit Union for 12 years, will work to uncover ways in which Merrimack Valley Credit Union can engage with and serve Spanish-speaking community members. Two branch managers and one Mortgage Loan Officer will manage daily operations, working directly with Spanish-speaking members to address their financial needs.
“Many of our members and those in the community speak a first language other than English, and the creation of this team is the culmination of our efforts to ensure all of their financial needs are being met,” said John Howard, President & CEO, Merrimack Valley Credit Union. “We’re launching our community building efforts first with Spanish, as many of our neighbors in Lawrence, home to our headquarters, prefer to communicate in that language. We plan to grow our Multicultural Team with other language capabilities in the future – all to better serve our communities.”
Merrimack Valley Credit Union’s commitment to its Spanish-speaking members and the larger community has grown in recent years. In 2007, Merrimack Valley Credit Union had approximately five bilingual employees in member-facing roles. Now, the organization employs approximately 30 bilingual team members and almost every department or branch has someone who can work with members in Spanish.
“This new team and ongoing effort to ensure Spanish-language speakers have the information they need to manage their finances showcase Merrimack Valley Credit Union’s dedication to the growing Latino community in the region,” said Digna Jhonson, Community Liaison Manager, Merrimack Valley Credit Union. “Now, our Spanish-speaking members have access to all of our fantastic products and services in a language that’s comfortable for them. They can feel confident they won’t run into any language barriers when applying for a mortgage or loan, depositing checks, withdrawing funds, or working with our call center.”
Jhonson started in Merrimack Valley Credit Union’s collection department 12 years ago, working her way up to Branch Manager before assuming her new role as Community Liaison Manager. She will oversee the organization’s marketing efforts and activities to connect with the Latino community.
Delia Gautreaux recently joined Merrimack Valley Credit Union as a Mortgage Loan Officer and looks forward to helping Spanish-speaking community members achieve the ‘American Dream’ by purchasing their own homes. Gautreaux has worked in banking for 12 years, serving the Spanish-speaking community at organizations including TD Bank and Digital Federal Credit Union.
Stephanie Castellanos was hired as the Lawrence Branch Manager where she works one-on-one with community members, helping them with their finances. Prior to joining Merrimack Valley Credit Union, Castellanos worked in banking for 10 years with Bank of America and Santander Bank.
Yariel Alvarez was recently promoted to the North Andover Branch Manager. Alvarez is passionate about giving community members the tools they need to succeed financially. He has worked in banking for nearly 10 years, serving as the Assistant Branch Manager at Northern Bank before joining Merrimack Valley Credit Union three years ago.
In the coming months, Merrimack Valley Credit Union will develop partnerships with local organizations that serve the Latino community, host financial seminars in Spanish and translate financial materials into Spanish.
For more information about Merrimack Valley Credit Union, visit https://www.mvcu.com/.
