Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Thompson.
Lisa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
What does financial industry regulatory compliance and pet therapy have in common? Seems like an odd mix, but it works great for me!
I’ve been in the banking industry for over 20 years. I started my career at Community Bank in Oklahoma in the oil country. The bank was growing fast and staffing was tight, so I managed most of the bank’s operations, at one time or another. It was a great learning experience, but I eventually found my niche in regulatory compliance. Some say it’s a genetic abnormality that leads me to enjoy dissecting laws and regulations, but it is my element.
After marrying and moving to Southern California, I joined Mission Federal Credit Union, working in regulatory compliance and risk management. I instantly loved the credit union movement and Mission Fed. People helping people is the center of the credit union movement, and I found Mission Fed to have an unsurpassed commitment to giving back to the community. Mission Fed’s community engagement aligned with my personal values, so Mission Fed was the perfect place to continue my professional career.
Before I joined Mission Fed almost 20 years ago, I decided to become a hospice volunteer after the loss of a friend. I chose a San Diego hospice with a canine comfort program and started visiting patients with my dog. For the next few years, I also took my furry friend to the spinal cord unit at the VA Hospital.
Today, my certified therapy dogs and I visit Rady Children’s Hospital, assisted living and Alzheimer’s facilities, work with at-risk children and teens, and participate in the San Diego Library’s “Paws 2 Read” program where kids read aloud to dogs. Most recently I joined the San Diego International Airport’s “Ready, Pet, Go!” program where my dog serves as a canine ambassador, wagging, “happy travels!” to hundreds of travelers waiting for their flights.
Some of my professional skills are handy in the pet therapy world. I serve on the national board of Love on a Leash, a non-profit that has more than 2,500 certified therapy pet teams around the country. We certify dogs, cats and even bunnies to bring furry comfort to those they visit. I am also a member of the Paws’itive Teams Therapy Dog Program Steering Committee. Paws’itive Teams trains service dogs for people with disabilities, and therapy dogs for goal assisted programs such as working with medically fragile children to better their mobility skills.
Has it been a smooth road?
For the most part, it’s been great! I’ve been very lucky to have two causes–credit unions and therapy animals–that I am passionate about. Sometimes though, it wasn’t easy to balance my busy career and volunteer activities. That’s where my therapy dogs taught me I can’t be in two places at once. We only have this moment and although it’s easy to say, dogs showed me how to walk (or bark) the talk.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mission Federal Credit Union story. Tell us more about the business.
My first experience with financial institutions was with a bank, so I could not believe how different it was to work for a credit union because of their “for people, not for profit” philosophy! When I came to Mission Fed, our members were mostly teachers or worked for the local school districts. In 2003, we expanded our field of membership, and since then all San Diegans were eligible to join. We are not for profit, and that means we can provide great savings and loan rates to our customers. We want to be our members’ lifelong financial partner, and we’re always spreading the word to let San Diegans know.
I’m most proud of Mission Fed’s support of hundreds of nonprofit partners all over San Diego County, and our community involvement is very important to our customers, too. It would take the whole interview to list all the ways Mission Fed gives back, but I have a special affinity for Mission Fed’s support of children’s financial literacy. We have special programs where kids can make deposits at school which go directly into their Mission Fed savings account.
Elementary school kids learn about banking, budgeting and savings at the Mission Fed shop inside the McGrath Family JA Biztown shop. Financial education does not stop there. We also help high school students at the Mission Fed JA Finance Park, where thousands of San Diego teens, young adults and families learn how to make intelligent financial decisions that will last a lifetime.
I want young San Diegans to take advantage of all Mission Fed has to offer, but also stop by to read to my therapy dogs once in a while at their local library.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Mission Fed continues to grow, with more than 220,000 members throughout San Diego County
Contact Info:
- Website: MissionFed.com
- Phone: 800.500.6328
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