FWI programs prove invaluable to member’s workplace

Linda Nakamura was a new employee at a commercial bank in Hawaii when a fellow employee invited her to attend an FWI program. She soon became a member herself and is now approaching her 10-year anniversary.

“I’ve been on various committees, served as the Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, President and District President. The association has allowed me to wear various hats and it has really helped my planning and organizing skills; it has helped me better communicate, not only verbally, but in writing, and it has helped me to meet some of the leaders in the community and establish great relationships,” says Nakamura, who has been managing the Loan Servicing Department at American Savings Bank in Honolulu for the past three years. 

The speakers and topics at the general monthly meetings and the interactive Teleforums have been most helpful to Nakamura because she has been able to take the information back and apply it directly in the workplace. Some of her managers and supervisors have attended FWI programs because they value the expertise and knowledge of the speakers and the practical application of that knowledge in their jobs.

The experts and community leaders who speak at FWI programs have also helped Nakamura understand the financial and banking industry as a whole, and how it applies to her position.

“One of the biggest things for me is the connections I’ve made with a lot of great, knowledgeable women. I’ve made a lot of friendships professionally and personally with women nationally, and I could not have done that without FWI. I keep in touch with a number of bankers in Connecticut and we regularly bounce ideas off each other,” she says.

That network of FWI colleagues has been invaluable to Nakamura, and her company has noticed.
 
“Being on the Board of Directors and being a trustee of the National Foundation has given me visibility in the company,” adds Nakamura. “They have recognized the leadership roles I’ve had in FWI and that is why they support me and the organization.”

“I think we need to do a better job selling FWI to the various companies so that we can get them to support the individual within the organization,” she adds. “We need to tell them, this is a great thing for your company and your employees.”