Kinecta wins MBA’s 2021 Residential DEI Leadership Award

Published: October 27, 2021

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., October 26, 2021 – Kinecta Federal Credit Union has been honored by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) as a recipient of its 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Residential Leadership Award under the category of Organizational DEI for companies with fewer than 1,000 employees. As part of MBA’s multifaceted strategy to promote DEI, this award recognizes member company initiatives as well as an increase in diversity within a company’s leadership and employee base.

“Kinecta’s commitment to our employees, members, and the communities we serve includes fostering an environment that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable for all. Receiving this award is an honor as it affirms that our new initiatives, as well as existing leadership programs are aligned with this commitment,” said Keith Sultemeier, Chief Executive Officer of Kinecta. “Kinecta is extremely proud of this accomplishment, and I would like to congratulate our Diversity Council members who volunteer their time to help further our commitment of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
 
Reviewed by two groups of judges consisting of members of MBA's DEI Committee and MBA staff, the award commends the hard work, dedication, and creativity of Kinecta’s newly established, in-depth DEI program as well as Kinecta Emerging Leaders Program (KELP).
 
Made up of 15 staff and middle management employees including Kim Graham, VP Human Resources and Training & Development serving as Executive Sponsor, Kinecta’s Diversity Council was formed in August 2020. Its vision is to recognize, advocate, and foster a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion across the organization that is equitable for employees and the communities served. Through its mission, Kinecta is committed to building an equitable work environment by supporting and celebrating its employees’ unique abilities and differences while providing opportunities that encourage growth and development. KELP is a development program that introduces leadership concepts and offers mentorship and opportunities for continued growth to employees across the organization. The program was designed to allow for self-nomination to ensure employees have equal access and availability to these valuable leadership programs.

The 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Residential Leadership Award recipients were announced during the MBA’s 2021 Annual Convention & Expo, and Kinecta’s award was received by DEI Council members, Michael Hoang and Johanna Laos.