The new general manager of the City of Kingston Credit Union, Jacqueline Mighty. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Jacqueline Mighty is a country girl. At least that's how she describes herself.

Born in Adelphi, St James, the new general manager of the City of Kingston Credit Union (COK) learnt early how to be friendly - a skill which is necessary in her line of work.

"We have some members who just come in and want to know how everything is going," Mighty said, explaining the accessibility a credit union provides. People know they own a part of the union and are curious about how business is going.

Back in the small town where she grew up, people were again the foundation. "We built a lot of friendships. In country communities, everybody knows everybody so we had a lot of fun," Mighty reminisces.

The church was the catalyst for most of these interactions. She sang on the choir, was a part of the Anglican Youth Fellowship and, of course, religiously attended Sunday school.

"My family was very, very strong in the Anglican church, and so we were brought up involved in everything the church did. We either went to school or we went to church, we had no other life," she said.

Mighty, the filling between two sisters, Mauvelyn and Lisa, was not alone in her escapades.

Today, all the lessons she learned have to come into play. When she climbs the stairs to her office at the Cross Roads branch of COK, it is to take up an integral position in a financial institution, at a time when the entire world is nervous about money matters.

Not daunted

Mighty, however, is not daunted as she says her years of corporate experience (she is a chartered accountant by profession) have prepared her well.

Presently, the credit union is making various moves towards assisting its members in getting through these tough economic times. They offered an amnesty period to members up to the end of March and will soon be offering a pay-day loan.

"Come in so we can creatively put things together," Mighty said, encouraging those who are encountering financial difficulties to discuss it with them.

The credit union is also promoting an old product, a credit card with competitive interest rates, which is offered in conjunction with RBTT Bank.

Meanwhile, Mighty is looking forward to helping the people of her country journey through challenging times.

sacha.walters@gleanerjm.com

'We built a lot of friendships. In country communities, everybody knows everybody so we had a lot of fun.'

- Mighty