Since his first job working at his parents’ Mexican bakery and restaurant in El Paso, TX, Daniel Garcia has cultivated a strong work ethic and sense of service. Those values led him to serve in the U.S. Air Force, where he deployed multiple times, including a tour of duty in Iraq in the early 1990s. After an honorable discharge, the eldest of three siblings completed an undergraduate degree in accounting and embarked on a 25-year career in banking and finance.
Today, Garcia is the senior director of multicultural strategy with True Sky Federal Credit Union ($918.1M, Oklahoma, City, OK). The credit union was the first in Oklahoma to earn the Juntos Avanzamos designation in 2014 and continues to be a leader in accessible financial services for the Hispanic community.
Here, Garcia talks about his role and serving a diverse market within Oklahoma City.
When did True Sky create the role of Senior Director of Multicultural Strategy? Why is this role important?
Daniel Garcia: True Sky has been serving underserved populations in the greater Oklahoma City metro for more than two decades. In 2022, it formed a new department to formalize its service of diverse communities, and I was named senior director of multicultural strategy.
Multicultural business strategy is not just a good idea — it’s essential to remain competitive in the financial services industry and to remain true to our founding principles of people helping people.
Did True Sky create this role for you?
DG: When I came to work for True Sky in 2003, I helped lead our efforts to serve the Hispanic community, which was the fastest-growing population group in Oklahoma City. It was a natural step for me to implement similar strategies and broaden our scope to serve other population groups within our diverse markets.
What challenges or opportunities does this role address? How do you address them?
DG: True Sky has formalized its approach to multicultural business with the understanding that the delivery of its mission to serve, empower, and enrich members’ lives must be intentional and with target efforts that are audience minded.
Diversity is not always embraced, usually due to a lack of information and understanding. Education has proven to be a great opportunity to learn about other cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities. We align our education and outreach efforts with national heritage months to celebrate our diverse communities.
What goals do you have for this role?
DG: For workforce recruitment and development, I’d like to create an inclusive and equitable experience in which staff members thrive and view business operations through a multicultural lens. I’d also like to develop and deliver training for our programs and services aimed at serving multicultural needs.
For market research and outreach, I want to use data and analytics to better serve the needs within our markets. I want to apply a holistic approach to identify and help overcome developmental issues within our communities.
And for our multicultural advisory board, I want to continue to add community leaders to help align our efforts with the real needs of the community. These leaders hold us accountable to best serve all people within our communities.
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How do you work across the enterprise to create — and execute — strategies?
DG: Our multicultural department works closely with all True Sky departments to educate and implement strategies. We help identify gaps in workforce recruitment and placement to ensure we are serving members through all channels. We deliver training on specialized or non-traditional products and services. And we identify opportunities to develop products and services that focus on marginalized populations.
True Sky has been recognized in our community and throughout our industry for our success in serving underserved and marginalized population groups. We work hard to collaborate and share our success and strategies with all credit union-focused organizations that desire to better serve multicultural consumers.
Craving & Credentials
In addition to a strong desire to serve his community, Garica boasts multiple professional qualifications.
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: founding board member and treasurer for eight years.
- Southwest Credit Union Management School: graduate, class of 2017.
- National Association of Latino Credit Union Professionals: member and presenter.
- Leadership Oklahoma City: Signature Program graduate, class 29.
- American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma: board member.
- OKC Latino Young Professionals: mentor.
- National Association of Latino Credit Union Professionals: mentor.
- Oklahoma Hispanic Institute’s Top 40 Hispanic Leaders, inaugural awardee.
What makes you a great fit for the job?
DG: My personal faith, background, experience, and education have all influenced my passion for this role. People helping people is such a great motive, and this role allows me to bring that statement to life. I consider myself a community servant who truly desires to help people improve their overall lives.
How did your previous work experience prepare you for this role?
DG: I’ve worked at True Sky for nearly 21 years. The majority of those years I focused on serving the Hispanic community in Oklahoma City, which is the largest minority and fastest-growing segment of our population. In my new role, I can apply the same strategies and broaden our scope to serve all of the other diverse communities.
To whom do you report? Who reports to you?
DG: I report to our chief lending officer, who oversees all aspects of serving our members and communities. I have one direct report with the title of community and business relations. I oversee all efforts related to our financial literacy programs, business-to-business services, and all community partnerships.
How do you track success in your job?
DG: Approximately half of my initiatives have measurable metrics and goals; the other half is relational and community work that can be difficult to track and measure. For the measurable metrics, we track member growth, deposit growth, and loan growth. Intentional strategies are in place to ensure the full onboarding of multicultural members.
What are some of your major achievements so far?
DG: My favorite success of 2023 has been the opening of a multi-resource food pantry. I serve on our grant committee and assisted in writing a grant to help overcome food insecurity and hunger. True Sky Foundation received the grant, which was offered through the National Credit Union Foundation, and helped cover the initial expenses to establish the pantry. We partnered with a local church located in a part of our metro that is considered a food desert. In addition to offering food, we collaborated with several other community partners to offer additional resources for the overall betterment of that community. We have also incorporated financial literacy workshops and workforce development to help overcome underlying issues.
What is your daily routine?
DG: On a regular day I spend about half my time in the office and the other half out in the community. I work closely with my direct report to ensure we best use our time to serve all of our markets. We collaborate with business and civic organizations to identify needs and then implement strategies to deliver the products and services needed.
How do you stay current with topics that fall under your role?
DG: I rely on local news, social media, industry news, podcasts, and reports. True Sky has worked hard to establish relationships within its multicultural community, and I visit businesses and organizations on a regular basis to stay informed on developing issues or concerns. I rely heavily on the input given by our multicultural advisory board.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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