Jose Lara, president of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, received the Legacy Leader Award from the National Association of Latino Credit Union Professionals (NLCUP) during the annual NLCUP conference themed Sembrando Sueños – Sowing Dreams – held in Long Beach, Calif., Feb. 1 – 4.
Lara’s leadership, advocacy and service have had a lasting impact on Latino communities and the credit union movement. In 2006, Lara was instrumental in establishing Comunidad Latino Federal Credit Union in Santa Ana, Calif., founded on the principle of providing financial services and literacy for underserved immigrant families and now serves over 3,000 members.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from NLCUP,” Lara said. “This award reflects the collective efforts of our shared values as credit union leaders and our commitment to serving our communities with integrity and excellence. It’s a privilege to be part of a movement that makes financial well-being attainable for all.”
As president of California’s largest credit union, Lara has played a key role in advancing SchoolsFirst FCU’s mission to deliver World-Class Personal Service and improve financial well-being of school employees and their families. Since assuming leadership in 2022, both Membership and assets have increased more than 25 percent.
