MAXX 2024 Mainstage: Rudy Soto Encourages CUs to Partner with USDA to Serve Rural Communities 

Posted by Lynn Heider on October 15, 2024

Rudy Soto remembers vividly growing up on the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes’ reservation at Fort Hall, Idaho. He’s a proud member of the Tribe, but life wasn’t always easy. Resources were scarce. Families struggled to stay together. At 15, he decided to take as much control of his life and education as possible to break the cycle and help serve communities.  

“Resilience and grit are qualities I carry with me because of my rural and tribal upbringing,” said Soto in a keynote address at MAXX on Oct. 14, Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 

Soto puts those qualities to work every day in a long career in government service. He’s currently the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. Prior to being promoted into that role, Soto led USDA’s economic development programs at the state level in Idaho, increasing access to healthcare and improving infrastructure in rural communities. He also worked for the U.S. House of Representatives, specializing in the areas of energy, environment, agriculture, and tribal affairs. 

He remains passionate about meeting the needs of rural communities and says credit unions should leverage the USDA for partnership potential. 

“Our rural communities are intertwined,” Soto said. “This is where credit unions play a crucial role…Credit unions provide crucial access to capital. They are more than just financial institutions; they are pillars of support that understand our needs and invest in our futures.” 

Soto cited as an example a partnership between his agency and an Idaho credit union, which resulted in funding for an ice rink that now serves 35,000 people a year, providing local connectivity and activities.  

He suggests credit unions reach out to USDA’s offices in every state to uncover similar opportunities.  

“Our work is far from done. We must build on these examples…and create the future we all deserve…We can uplift rural and tribal communities.”

Posted in Across the Region, Leadership, MAXX, MAXX Keynote Speakers, Top Headlines.