Last month I wrote about why employee volunteering is a win for everyone---the employee, the employer and society. I want to close out the year by showing you what I do to further my outreach to others by volunteering.
I have been a volunteer for the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association (CMLA) for at least 35 years. I’ve held every position they have. I’ve helped them bring the Northern Colorado chapter back to vibrancy. I helped them stay solvent in 2009-2009 when we did not have an executive director and barely any money by navigating discussions with our members and vendors. I currently serve on their Board of Governors and helped hire our current
Executive Director and re-create our P&Ps and technology processes. At times, this became almost a full-time job, but the satisfaction I received by giving back to the industry that I have received so much from, was worth all the hours. It’s never about the pay (which isn’t any!) I created the Mortgage Leaders Program to teach and bring up leaders in our industry in Colorado. It gives me great pride every year to see the graduates and see them go through the ladders of the Association and give back to the industry!
CMLA has a non-profit group, the Colorado Homeownership Coalition (CHC), which helps families through tough times with their housing needs. It is a financial lifeline for individuals and families that need a helping hand. We accept donations from individuals and corporations and use 100% of these monies to help our families in need. These past 2 years I have been the donor chair for CHC. It is heart-warming to be able to help someone stay in their home. Thanking the donors for their generous gifts is meaningful to me as I know people want to be recognized for their thoughtfulness.
The Everitt Real Estate Center at Colorado State University (EREC) connects students with the community. It was founded in 2000 with a grant from the Mortgage Bankers Association and Joyce and Bob Everitt to make it a non-profit organization. I helped with the original grant from MBA and have been on the advisory board periodically and am currently on the advisory board at this time. It is very rewarding to interact with the students, mentor them, introduce them to learning opportunities and help guide their career path out of college! The students have so many opportunities available to them today, are SO smart, and EREC is there to encourage and guide them in how they need.
Finally, my passion is with Animal Friends Alliance in Ft. Collins, CO, a dog and cat rescue founded in 2004 that has an adoption shelter, a public clinic and community pet resources. I have been involved with them for close to 10 years by either donating or now being on the board as their treasurer. It is so heartwarming to see all the cats and dogs we can place with loving homes, help families keep their family pets, provide kibble for those families that need the financial support, or spay and neuter cats and dogs for those we find in the community that need help. The organization has grown to 60 employees, and we have helped over 13,000 animals. I have adopted 2 Siamese rescue kittens, Mickey and Minnie, who are a joy in our household.
Whatever your passion, please find the time to volunteer to give back to your industry, your school, your community, etc. The benefits you will receive personally, in addition to those you help, far outweigh the time you give. “Tis the Season!"
Julie Piepho, CMB, is a Principal Consultant with BlackFin Group in the Mortgage Strategy Practice. Julie is nationally recognized as a Mortgage Strategy Consulting expert with over four decades’ experience leading and coaching sales and operations teams while in executive roles at Cornerstone Mortgage, Norwest Mortgage and Wells Fargo Mortgage. She holds the prestigious Master Certified Mortgage Banker designation from the Mortgage Bankers Association. For more information on how we can help contact info@blackfin-group.com