Credit Union Advocate Spotlight: Rafael Saucedo and the NLCUP

Posted by Britt Bonanzino on May 9, 2024

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Rafael Saucedo has spent his career advancing the Credit Union Movement and fully-activating his positions—first with Gesa Credit Union and now with BECU—to give back and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the region and the credit union industry.

Through his current role as Philanthropy Program Manager, Rafael helps lead BECU’s cooperative giving, managing partnerships with nonprofits in the financial wellness space. “Financial wellness is our guiding pillar, and within that sector of giving, we strategically focus our efforts on housing stability, education, financial literacy, and workforce and entrepreneurship development,” Rafael shared. “I’m passionate about putting in the work to better the financial health of our members and our communities and incorporating the credit union philosophy of People Helping People into my professional and personal volunteerism.”

His dedication to that mission has led Rafael to invest time with BECU’s Conexíon Latinx Employee Resource Group, the Southside Success Foundation, University of Washington Tacoma’s Celebrando Communidad Planning Committee, CUPride, and many other nonprofits and organizations. It also inspired him to join the National Association of Latino Credit Unions & Professionals (NLCUP) as the Conference Planning Committee Chair for the NLCUP Annual Conference, taking place during Hispanic Heritage Month this coming September 15-17 in San Antonio, Texas. He will also be emceeing the event—bringing the CU spirit he’s notorious for to the conference’s program.

“I’m looking forward to the conference and the opportunity it provides to shine a light on our Latinx leaders, so they can share their experiences, successes, and challenges with other leaders and with the younger generations in this industry,” Rafael described when asked about the event. “I encourage anyone curious about how to engage the Latinx community to join and see what the NLCUP is all about. Showing up is the first step, and everyone is welcome to take part in this celebration of culture and learn more about how it connects to maintaining our thriving industry.”

To learn more about NLCUP membership, programs, and events, visit www.nlcup.org.

Editor’s Note: GoWest is proud to support the NLCUP and other CU Communities across Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and nationally. If you’d like to find your niche and get more involved, contact GoWest’s SVP, CU Engagement & Development, Carmen Vigil.

Posted in Community Impact, Top Headlines, Washington.