[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 166 (Friday, October 5, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING RICHARD ROMERO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 5, 2018

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Seattle 
Credit Union's CEO, Richard Romero, for his work helping low income and 
immigrant families in and around Seattle.
  Mr. Romero is an example of the American dream in practice. He and 
his mother immigrated to the United States from Peru when Mr. Romero 
was just four years old. He began kindergarten unable to speak English, 
but through perseverance, he received his Bachelors of Science in 
Organizational Management from La Verne University. Starting his career 
as a bank teller, Mr. Romero worked his way up through the banking 
system, and made a name for himself as Chief Operating Officer of the 
LA Firemen's Credit Union. Today, Mr. Romero serves as CEO of Seattle 
Credit Union (SCU) where he has led the cooperative to massive growth 
and expansion.
  In his time as CEO, Mr. Romero has directed SCU according to the 
values of community engagement that he grew up with. Under his 
leadership, SCU has opened two new branches in low income 
neighborhoods, and begun to offer a variety of resources for immigrants 
and the underbanked. These resources include: a citizenship loan 
program and emergency financial planning information for immigrant 
families. Mr. Romero's empathetic approach to running a credit union 
has not gone unnoticed, as he was named Trailblazer CEO of the year by 
the Credit Union Times--an honor he has more than earned.
  Mr. Romero's story serves as a reminder of the importance of 
perseverance and community involvement. Mr. Speaker, it is with great 
honor that I recognize the work that Mr. Romero, and the Seattle Credit 
Union have done for the Community

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