Connie Barlow is a busy woman. When she is not walking her dog, Lizzi, she is a Town Councillor in Golden, the Executive Director of the Golden Community Resources Society, and she has been a Board Director at Columbia Valley Credit Union for ten years. “Serving on the Credit Union Board is a chance to give back to the community, have fun and learn something new. We are a valuable community partner. Our team always puts our members’ best interests first. And perhaps most importantly, the money that comes into the Credit Union stays right here in our community.”

Meet Monica Parkinson. Monica and her family own Parky’s Heating and Cooling in Golden, and she is a long time, active volunteer in our community. Monica served as the Chair of the Kicking Horse Culture Board of Directors, and currently serves on the Board of the Golden Community Resources Society and the Metis Nation Columbia River Society. “Our credit union is a supporter and builder of our community. As a Board, we are focused on advancing the credit union so it can continue to play an important role in our economy and community.”

We would like to introduce another member of the CVCU family. Meet Lyle Johnson. When he is not serving as the Vice-Chair of the CVCU Board of Directors, he works at the mill, runs his own eavestrough and gutter business and takes advantage of the Valley by either hiking, paragliding or fishing. With so much on his plate, why has he served CVCU for nearly 17 years? “I am a strong believer in the cooperative nature of credit unions, and that cooperative spirit extends to our Board. We have many different minds and perspectives around the table. Everyone is community minded and it’s our mission to give back as much as we can – to our members and to causes big and small – while still running a successful financial services business.”

Meet Scott King. When he is not regenerating forests as a Silviculture Forester with Louisiana Pacific, or spending time outdoors with his wife and two children, he gives his time and expertise to Columbia Valley Credit Union. Scott has served as a Board Director for 8 years. “I’ve always been impressed with the opportunities our Credit Union brings to our members and our community. Our employees and management team work hard and are so dedicated. It’s easy to be a part of the Credit Union because it’s community helping community.”

Meet Scott Weir. Scott and his wife own Kicking Horse Janitorial. Scott also serves on the Board for the Golden Community Economic Development, is one of the founders of Golden Coop Radio, has a background in finance, helping to start the East and West Kootenay Community Investment Co-ops. “The credit union is an important institution in Golden, and your Board of Directors is focused on building the credit union and ensuring it thrives so it can do even more for our economy and community than it currently is. I am an advocate of credit unions, cooperatives and organizations that put money and capacity into local hands.”

Meet Nola Milum. She knows a thing or two about giving. Not only does Nola serve on CVCU’s Board of Directors, she is also the Board Chair for the Golden and District Community Foundation and is recently retired as manager of the government liquor store in Golden. When she has spare time, she loves playing with her grandchildren and spending time at Lake Windermere. “As a credit union, we have to strike a balance between giving back to the community and remaining profitable, like any business has to do in order to survive.”

Meet Rob Parker, the CEO of Columbia Valley Credit Union. Rob was appointed as CEO in 2021 for his proven track record of leadership at CVCU, his dedication to the credit union’s members and community, and his ideas and plans for the future. Rob has held progressive roles within the credit union for the past 20 years, with responsibilities for IT, marketing, commercial lending, compliance and finance. “I am very excited about continuing my journey with Columbia Valley Credit Union as CEO. I believe in the credit union and the cooperative principles we are founded on, and I feel fortunate to have found my place here.”