“It’s not so much what happens to you in life that matters, it’s how you choose to respond to it.” - Amy Downs

Welcome to episode 38 of The CUInsight Experience podcast. Hosted by Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. In this episode, Randy is talking to Amy Downs President and CEO of Allegiance Credit Union in Oklahoma City, she is a motivational speaker, an IronMan Triathlete and an Oklahoma City Bombing survivor.

Amy discusses what happened to her and her co-workers when the federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed, how she was trapped under the rubble and how it took over 6 hours to dig her out. She tells us what she was thinking while she was waiting to be rescued, what she wanted to change if she made it out alive and how she did it all.

Amy speaks to us about being CEO of Allegiance Credit Union, how she got there and why she stayed in the credit union industry. She chats about being a leader and what that means in the changing industry and how it’s time for younger people in leadership, management and on the boards.

Listen in as Amy gives us an inside look to her disaster, her triumph and her road to being the person she is today. She has a story to tell and you don’t want to miss it so sit back, plug in and be prepared to cheer at what she has accomplished.

View full show notes on here.

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How to find Amy:
Amy Downs, President and CEO of Allegiance Credit Union
www.allegiancecu.org
www.amydowns.org
[email protected]
Linkedin | Instagram | Twitter

In This Episode:
[01:45] - Welcome to the show Amy Downs, President and CEO of Allegiance Credit Union.
[02:53] - Amy describes for us what happened on April 19, 1995 at the federal building in Oklahoma City, where her office was located.
[06:35] - She speaks to us about the wait under 10ft of rubble to be rescued and how during that time she reflected on her life wishing she had a do over, because she thought she was going to die.
[07:49] - Amy says it took six and a half hours to dig her out from under the rubble never knowing if the unstable building was going to collapse.
[09:23] - When she was pulled out alive she decided to change her life and she promised God she would never live her life the same way she was living it.
[13:55] - Amy thought about leaving the credit union but realized that if she did and they let the credit union go under the 18 employees and over 100 members that were killed lives would have meant nothing.
[14:26] - She tells us how she went from weighing 355 lbs, to training, to becoming an Ironman Triathlete. 
[17:53] - Amy is most excited about seeing the leadership that is coming down through credit unions to have the younger generation leading in a different way.
[19:07] - How is Allegiance keeping up with all the changes coming their way? In technology?
[20:43] - Amy believes that credit unions need younger more diverse people in management and on their boards.
[22:18] - What inspired Amy