{ A SPECIAL TRIBUTE } } { INFLUENTIAL WOMAN
SUMMIT FEDERAL CREDIT YOU ARE ENOUGH. UNION’S LAURIE BAKER BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO PHOTOS BY JENNY BERLINER
Tell our audience a little about Laurie Baker and your background. I grew up on Long Island. My exposure to Rochester occurred when I enrolled in college at the State University of New York at Geneseo. I spent four years there and graduated with a degree in Sociology. After graduation, I eventually wound up migrating back to Rochester where I was able to spend more time with my sister, who was also a Geneseo graduate. Soon after, I met my husband of 27 years, Jerry. We have two children – 22 and 17. I now consider Rochester one of my “homes,” along with Long Island. How great to have two places that you consider home and where you have strong connections! What credentials do you have that prepared you to become the CEO of one of the fastest growing credit unions in our region? My years of diverse, up-throughthe-ranks credit union experience have certainly positioned me well for this role. Over the years, I was exposed to many facets of credit union operations and worked on multiple cross-functional teams. My tenure as Chief Operating Officer positioned me well for the CEO role. My educational background includes degrees in sociology and social science with a focus on organizational behavior. I’m pretty well-rounded and I do believe a liberal arts background can be very valuable from many perspectives, including leadership. Credit unions are people businesses.
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ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE : JANUARY EDITION 2022
I’ve served on the Board of Directors for the New York Credit Union Association, a state-wide trade organization, and as the chair of the organization. Getting involved in the industry in many different capacities over the years has better prepared me to lead a credit union and support the credit union movement. What was it like assuming the role of CEO during a pandemic, after being with Summit FCU for over 25 years? When I first assumed the role, it was almost mind boggling. The pace was extraordinary, and we were entering unchartered territory. I have a fabulous executive team and we bonded very quickly. This was one of the great benefits of assuming the CEO role during that time. Everyone rose to the occasion - meeting several times per day, evenings, and weekends to make it work. I believe the credit union experienced more change in the two-year period following the start of the pandemic than it had in the last 25. Luckily, I like change! How did you get to where you are today? This question made me take pause for a minute. I’m going to answer with “sheer determination.” I work hard, I’m committed, I enjoy what I do. I have an ongoing desire to personally improve and evolve that originated very early in life. I’m always thinking of the next step: Where do I want to be and what do I want to do next? How will I get there? I’m a planner by nature, so I’m very deliberate in my approach.
Someone once said to me, “you’re excited about life.” I think I am. There is so much that life offers – we need to take advantage of all kinds of opportunities. Life is short. Being in the unique position of being a female leader in a male dominated industry, what advice would you give other women in this field? There are many female CEOs leading credit unions, but typically not at larger credit unions. As the credit union grows, the number of female leaders diminishes. Approximately 13% of credit unions between $1 and $5 billion in assets have a female CEO. My advice would be to build alliances with other credit union CEOs and other leaders outside your industry – male and female. Connections are important and they matter. There is a lot to be learned from others. Don’t let the statistics deter you. Go after what you want. What challenges have you faced since becoming CEO and how have you pivoted? I think one of the biggest challenges I have faced, and continue to face, is ensuring that we are communicating effectively with all of our employees as the workplace, as we know it, evolves. The pandemic has certainly accelerated some of the issues we face today. We have employees who work remotely or are on hybrid schedules. We are also still facing isolation requirements, quarantines, and school closings due
