Technicians installing solar panels on a roof.

Since first opening its doors to San Diegans in 1934, Wheelhouse Credit Union now takes great pride to be San Diego’s #1 Solar Financer. Join us in our commitment to sustainability – Wheelhouse makes it easy! We’ve complied the following 4 tips and tricks to help you on your journey to being a more conscientious San Diegan.

1. Shop with intention
Every time we make a purchase, we add to our environmental footprint. Your purchases have an impact, from the resources used and pollution produced to the packaging that ends up in our landfills. So make sure to shop with your planet in mind and make intentional purchases when you can. Consider shopping second-hand and elect for minimal packaging and shipping when possible.

2. Leave no trace
Leave it better than the way you found it – a simple sentiment that anyone can adopt to help us care for the great outdoors. Although all Seven Principles of Leave No Trace are just as important as the next, an easy step to take in your journey to be more sustainable is to dispose of trash properly. That means holding onto it if there isn’t a trash can nearby on your favorite trail or at your local beach. You can even go the extra mile and pick up trash that someone else left behind. Stop by any Branch Location to grab your own Wheelhouse Leave No Trace litter-collection bag and use it when you’re out and about to help us leave San Diego cleaner than we found it.

3. Take advantage of solar energy
With over 266 days of sunshine year-round, why wouldn’t San Diegans take advantage of solar energy options? We work with over 100 installers to help homeowners across Southern California significantly reduce their electric bill, increase the value of their home and help the environment through solar financing. As of April 2023, 215 million kilowatt hours of clean energy has been generated by the Solar PV Systems we’ve financed, which is equivalent to:

  • greenhouse gas emissions from 31,864 passenger vehicles driven for one year or
  • CO2 emissions from 162,051,121 pounds of coal burned or
  • carbon sequestered by 3,893,382 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

4. Look into other energy efficient options for your home
Solar Financing isn’t the only tool in our Wheelhouse. Our Energy Efficient Loans make it easy to conserve water and energy at your home, helping you finance insulation, energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling, water-efficient fixtures and more. Wheelhouse Energy Efficient Loans can help you get started on your next sustainability project, such as:

  • energy efficient insulation
  • air duct sealing
  • lighting fixtures
  • water faucets, fixtures and drip irrigation
  • xeriscape & Firewise landscaping, and
  • rainwater harvesting equipment.

Our priorities are simple:

  1. strengthen financial self‑sufficiency of San Diegans by assisting with their ability to harness solar energy through fair, flexible financing options,
  2. support organizations in San Diego that are reducing the impact of climate change and improving the environment we live in, and
  3. reduce our personal footprint by utilizing solar energy, recycling office e-waste, installing energy-efficient LED fixtures, and committing to less paper consumption when conducting transactions.

We are San Diego Made™ and proud to do our part to help our beautiful city and planet thrive. Sustainability is rooted in our core values, and we know that together we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint, lessen greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels to support San Diego’s journey to 100% renewable energy.

All loans are subject to credit approval. Membership required.
© 2023 Wheelhouse Credit Union. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Group of mature women carrying their surfboards out of the sea.

This year, Meetup* is celebrating 20 years of helping people make real connections over the things that matter the most to them. Meetup is a social platform made for hosting and organizing in-person and virtual activities, gatherings, and events for people and communities of similar interests, hobbies, and professions. Whether you’re interested in hosting an event, or just attending one locally in your area, Meetup makes it easy to meet new people who truly enjoy the same things you do. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

  • If you want to start a group, you’ll first be asked to set your group’s location. This ensures you find people in your area to connect with, whether you decide to meet up in-person or virtually.
  • Next, you will choose topics that describe your groups’ interests. Examples include motivation and success, Japanese culture, European board games, large dog breeds, real estate, stress relief, and more! You can choose up to 15 topics and are encouraged to be as specific as possible to guarantee you are connected with people whose interests match yours.
  • You’ll then select a name for your group. Make sure it’s relatively descriptive, like “San Diego Large Breed Dogs Meetup Group”, for example.
  • Lastly, you’ll describe what your group will be about. This will be what people read when deciding to join your group, and you can always add to it later. Here are some prompts to get you thinking: What’s the purpose of the group? Who should join? What will you do at your events?
  • And that’s it! Complete the sign-up process and your group will be advertised to those with similar interests.

If you’d rather join an existing group, finding one is just as easy. Simply search on Meetup.com for keywords that describe your interests or hobbies in the neighborhood or zip code in which you live. All in all, Meetup makes it easy for anyone to create or join fun groups of like-minded individuals, and finally find your people!

*Wheelhouse Credit Union is not affiliated with or a partner of Meetup.com. Details in this article are for information purposes only.

 

Happy International Women’s Day: Top Tips for Women in Business

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’ve gathered the top tips from the women who serve on our leadership team. Together, they draw from their experiences to share their advice for fellow working women who strive to one day be in their own position of leadership. Here’s what they said:

Becky R.-A, VP, Human Resources

Becky said that although it may sound cheesy, this reminder has helped her to continually push past barriers and achieve success in her endeavors:

“Problems are simply opportunities to succeed, so don’t let a problem prevent you from rising to a challenge.”

Gay P., VP, Sales & Service

Gay reflected on her journey up the corporate ladder at shared her thoughts on becoming a strong female leader in the working world:

“Respect is something you earn; it doesn’t come with the title or position. Be honest, direct, humble and a good listener. It’s OK to say, ‘I don’t know.’”

Jill F., VP, Marketing

Jill said that in her career, she has found that holding these principles in the highest regard have been to her personal and professional benefit:

  1. Take care of the people around you because it’s the right thing to do.
  2. Be the person that you most admire.
  3. Be an expert in your field, contribute to your team and share the success with others.

Lisa C., VP / CFO

Lisa shares that these attributes have helped her to become the leader she is today and believes they are key to being a positive and effective leader:

  • Be innovative; always think outside the box to reach for the impossible.
  • Be grateful to your team; appreciation them for their efforts and contributions.
  • Be humble and selfless; foster your team’s wellbeing and unlock the individual potential.
  • Be empathic and supportive; build an emotional connection with your team.
  • Be assertive; it is acceptable to show your position with a firm and objective conviction.
  • Be a fair leader; people don’t need to be managed, they need someone taking the initiative and leading by example.

Lisa P.-H, President & CEO

On her journey to becoming the President & CEO of Wheelhouse Credit Union, Lisa has learned a lot about what it takes to be a female leader in business. She said, “if I were to give young women a tip or some advice, I would say believe in yourself, be kind and persevere. I have always been a believer in working hard, surrounding yourself with good people and learning all that you can.”

Lisa adds:

  • Find a mentor(s) and help to mentor others.
  • Honesty, integrity and empathy should be your guiding principles. It will create a culture of trust.
  • Be humbly confident, but not afraid to show your strength.
  • Don’t lead so far in front that you forget the people you need most and that need you.
  • Walk alongside and get involved in your community.
  • To help you ground yourself in a purpose, find and support a cause you are passionate about.
  • Bring your passion to work to inspire passion in others.
  • Always be willing to fail upwards by taking ownership of your mistakes. There will be times things don’t work out as planned; make sure to find the wisdom in each lesson.

“At the end of the day, you should be able to reflect back and be proud of your work and interactions with others. I believe your work is your signature. It says a lot about who you are as a person…oh, and don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the moments, both big and small.”

All in all, our key takeaways for women who strive to be leaders in their field are be true to yourself, be honest, humble, and gracious, know your field, rise to the challenge, and don’t be afraid to fail.

To all our fellow women, Happy International Women’s Day.

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