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Maria J. Martinez recognized for wide-ranging accomplishments as credit union leader with 2017 Herb Wegner Memorial Award
Foundation recognizing Martinez with Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement
In recognition of her decades of service to the credit union movement and leadership in the fields of community development, philanthropy and advocacy, the National Credit Union Foundation (the Foundation) is pleased to announce Maria J. Martinez, President/CEO of Border Federal Credit Union, as the recipient of a 2017 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement.
Martinez’s award will be one of three Herb Wegner Memorial Awards presented at a special dinner hosted by the Foundation at the Marriott Marquis Washington on February 27th, 2017 in conjunction with the Credit Union National Association’s 2017 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC). Registration for dinner tickets and sponsorships will be available within the next month on the Foundation website (ncuf.coop).
“At a time when credit unions are reaching out to the incredibly valuable and important Hispanic community, Maria has been a leader in her outreach which has touched lives on both sides of the border,” said John Gregoire, Chair of the Foundation’s Wegner Awards Selection Committee and President of The ProCon Group. “Maria is a shining example of performance and going beyond the responsibilities of her job, which is a testament to the award given in Herb Wegner’s name.”
A Champion for the Underserved
In her more than two decades at Border Federal Credit Union (BFCU) in Del Rio, Texas, Martinez has led several initiatives to provide financial services to low-income, predominately Hispanic communities. In 2003, she used a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a free home/financial counseling program to help individuals buy houses, develop a budget, improve their credit and become banked.
In 2005, Martinez obtained a grant from the National Credit Union Administration to create a Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) service site where citizens gain free tax preparation services from volunteer certified preparers and local high school image010.jpgaccounting students. Eleven years later, her VITA site is currently the highest producing in the region, having processed more than 13,000 free income tax returns to date. Martinez also fought for BFCU’s Certified Acceptance Agent status, which frees them to provide non-U.S. citizens with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).
Martinez played a pivotal role in earning BFCU a Community Development Financial Institution (CFDI) certification, which allows them to apply for funds to provide benefits and services to underserved communities. She also led a successful effort in 2010 to secure more than $3.2 million in funds from the U.S. Treasury Community Development Capital Initiative to offer more loans and services to low-income individuals.
“Maria is the prototype anyone in our credit union industry would want to follow and one of the best examples of ‘people helping people,’” said John A. Herrera, Aenior Vice President for Latino/Hispanic Affairs of Self-Help Credit Union in Durham, N.C. “[She] embodies the true spirit and philosophy of the credit union movement and her tireless leadership efforts… honor Herb Wegner’s legacy.”
Advancing Youth Financial Literacy
Throughout her career, Martinez has strategically leveraged her credit union’s resources to make a positive impact on youth in the Del Rio area. In 2000, she launched the first BFCU Youth Fair for children to open savings accounts and participate in financial education activities, getting both them and their parents engaged with financial literacy. Free and open to the public, the Youth Fair is still held to this day.
With the help of BFCU staff, Martinez launched a Youth Financial Summer Camp in 2005, aimed at children ages 14-18. The four-day session provides teenagers with a crash course in key financial topics, including the difference between credit unions and banks, buying a vehicle, credit scores, business etiquette and credit vs. debit cards.
Perhaps most significantly, Martinez is responsible for spearheading a scholarship program for local high school seniors and those continuing a higher education. The scholarship is financed through a range of fundraising activities including raffles, 5K runs and a golf tournament. As further testament to her commitment to education, Martinez also launched a Teacher’s Appreciation Breakfast that hosts educators in the counties BFCU serves, regardless of whether they belong to BFCU.
“Maria has made a huge difference by wholeheartedly supporting the awarding of thousands of dollars in scholarships,” said Dora G. Alcala, former Mayor of Del Rio, Texas. “[She is] offering hope and a future to young students who probably could not afford to go to college without assistance.”
Fighting for the Credit Union Difference
As one of the movement’s most passionate and reliable advocates, Martinez has been politically supportive of credit unions in a range of areas. She is a regular contributor and fundraiser for pro-credit union political action committees (PACs). Her fundraising success has earned BFCU the Cornerstone Credit Union League Super Advocate Award for the last three years in a row.
Martinez also personally represents the credit union industry in a range of political capacities, raising awareness for credit union issues and the challenges of serving the underserved and unbanked immigrants. In 2012, she became one of the first appointed members of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Credit Union Advisory Council, and testified before Congress at a field hearing entitled “An Examination of the Challenges Facing Community Financial Institutions in Texas.” In 2013, Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) recommended her to join the 2013 Latino Leaders Roundtable to discuss issues critical to Latinos. She is also a regular attendee of CUNA GAC and participant in Hill Hikes, where she meets personally with Texas representatives to discuss credit union issues.
“Coming from Mexico as a child and growing up… as a woman and a minority, Maria has dedicated herself to the betterment of individuals that would otherwise not have an outlet for their banking needs,” said Ruben Cisneros, COO of BFCU. “She is full of energy and a true innovator in the credit union movement.”
The Embodiment of the Cooperative Spirit
Collaboration and cooperation have been essential motifs in Martinez’ many professional achievements, as she has strived to strengthen the movement through unity. Martinez regularly speaks at credit union events and provides useful insights to her peers, having presented at such events as the CUNA Mutual Group Discovery Conference, CUNA Management School, the Texas Credit Union League’s Leadership Conference and others.
As chairwoman of the Texas/Mexico Credit Union Relationship Committee (now the Cornerstone Credit Union League’s International Relationship Committee), Martinez helped create a partnership with the Mexican credit union movement called Caja Popular Mexicana (CPM). CPM opens a dialogue between Texan and Mexican credit unions to share ideas and solutions and was awarded the Herb Wegner Award in 2006.
“Maria was an integral member of a team of credit unions in Texas that asked the League how they could be of maximum service to the Hispanic community,” said Dick Ensweiler, President/CEO of the Cornerstone Credit Union League. “The League then created a committee that developed a checklist of the capabilities, attitudes, products, services, forms and more to enable real service to this underserved population. From this resulted the creation of the “Juntos Avanzamos” Program (Together We Advance), which is a designation given to credit unions who truly want to serve the Latino/Hispanic population and have met an outlined criteria.”
By co-founding the Network Latino Credit Unions and Professionals (NLCUP), Martinez has helped unify Latinos within the credit union movement to work together on their shared challenges of providing services to struggling Latino communities and advocate at a national level.
Carlos R. Calderon, President/CEO of OAS Staff FCU in Washington and co-founder of NLCUP, said, “Maria’s passion, vision and care are contagious and have benefited thousands of families in Texas, across the border and beyond.”
