16 Sep Latina Leaders Change Other Women’s Lives through a Nonprofit Credit Union

By Jackie Sue Griffin, MBA, MS

In 1951 a few intrepid entrepreneurs had a vision—to establish a nonprofit credit union to serve the employees and families of Florida Power & Light Company. From those community-focused beginnings 70 years ago, Power Financial Credit Union (PFCU) has flourished into a modern, full-service financial institution with nearly a billion dollars in assets, serving almost 35,000 members in 13 Florida counties.

Today, PFCU is a recognized leader in the credit union sector and deeply committed to leadership diversity and development.

Five of PFCU’s six executive leaders are women, and, even more remarkable, four of the five are proud Latinas: Wanda Ferrer, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer; Michelle Díaz, Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer; Lesley García-Suárez, Senior Vice President & Chief Lending Officer and Alicia Quevedo, Senior Vice President and Chief Membership Officer. Ferrer is Dominican and García-Suárez, Quevedo and Díaz are Cuban.

Each of these enterprising Latina leaders worked their way up to their current executive roles by being passionate, visionary and innovative, inspiring people to achieve PFCU’s mission of helping guide members to better financial lives today and for generations to come.

As Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Wanda Ferrer (above) oversees PFCU’s accounting, finance, risk management and payment service departments.

Remarkably, Ferrer arrived in the United States at the age of 17 from the Dominican Republic, not speaking English. She used grit, determination and an amazing work ethic to reach her goals. While working full-time as a teller, Ferrer learned English and earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, then a master’s degree in Business Administration with specialization in Finance and Risk Management from Florida Atlantic University.

Today she mentors other women to financial freedom, career success and personal fulfillment!

Michelle Díaz (above), as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, is responsible for the credit union’s technology strategy, infrastructure and information security.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from American InterContinental University and a master’s degree in Information Management from Florida International University. Díaz brings more than 30 years of experience and a proven track record of success in creating IT architectures and infrastructures that solve business issues while managing costs and risks. She was also recognized in 2017 as a “Top CIO in South Florida” by the South Florida Business Journal.

Díaz is proud to have broken through the glass ceiling and blazed trails for other Latinas in the typically male-dominated Information Technology and Information Management fields.

Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer Lesely García-Suárez (above) is responsible for executing the corporate lending strategy of the institution, management of the lending division.

García-Suárez started her career as a Credit Analyst at The International Bank of Miami in 2003. Before joining PFCU, she was the Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management for Bluestone Financial Group.

She was a Division I athlete, playing soccer for Florida International University, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

She uses her competitive spirit and team-building skills to inspire Latinas around her every day to “leave it all on the field” during their careers!

Alicia Quevedo (above) is the Senior Vice President and Chief Membership Officer and has dedicated more than 32 years to serving PFCU members.

Beginning as a branch teller at the age of 18, Quevedo rose through the ranks, working in virtually every credit union department. Today she oversees a quarter of the PFCU team, leading all operations related to creating a superior member experience, including retail banking, digital banking, marketing and more.

Quevedo also leads community engagement and member outreach programs ranging from financial wellness initiatives to corporate social responsibility endeavors. In 2020, she was named “Professional of the Year” by the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions.

Her community- and member-focus shines through every day, lighting the way for other aspiring Latina leaders to make their mark professionally while also improving their communities.

Today, as PFCU celebrates its 70^th anniversary and we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, these Latina executives are leading the credit union to new heights and inspiring a new cohort of female leaders and executives who will spearhead member service for generations to come.