SPONSORED CONTENT FROM VERITY CREDIT UNION
Being a woman of influence is deeply rooted in Tonita Webb’s mission to elevate the needs of the BIPOC and underserved communities. She’s committed to sharing her story and success so Black children see people like themselves in positions of leadership and creating change—so they know what’s possible for their lives.
Tonita was raised by her mother in low-income housing projects in Virginia, where she was inspired by her mother’s work ethic to push harder and go the extra mile. Tonita is known for bravery and forward-thinking ideas, beginning her career in the U.S. Air Force as a security officer, at a time where there were very few women in the role, and even fewer Black women.
“When I was a young Black girl, I didn’t feel or see that everything was possible, but I was stubborn and determined to break down the notion that where you start is where you stay,” said Tonita. “My wish for the Black girls out there is that they never live under the limitations the world has put on them.”
Today, Tonita is the first Black female CEO of Verity Credit Union, a $735 million asset financial institution here in Seattle that focuses on socially responsible banking. She serves on six boards of industry organizations and nonprofits, and is completing her dissertation on a PhD from City University of Seattle.
One partnership that Tonita feels particularly strongly about is Pioneer Human Services. The Seattle-based nonprofit organization strives to transform society through honoring humanity and reducing mass incarceration. With programs across Washington state, Pioneer Human Services empowers people to live safe, healthy and productive lives through treatment, housing, job training and manufacturing.
For Tonita, the firsthand experience of seeing her fellow kindergarten classmates end up in prison demonstrated the realness of statistics that show mass incarceration uniquely affects our BIPOC communities. She understood that life circumstances may have caused them to make unhealthy decisions, reinforcing the feeling that they didn’t have options.
Tonita’s mission coincides with Pioneer Human Services’ mission to show people they DO have options. Through her work at the nonprofit as a board member, Tonita witnessed people with dozens of felonies get to live productive lives and feel good about themselves.
Led by Executive Director Karen Lee, also a Black female CEO of a manufacturing plant, Pioneer Human Services has achieved many accomplishments for its effective results in treatment of addiction, helping people find housing, job training and in its Pioneer Industries manufacturing plant.
Most recently, Pioneer Industries’ factory achieved the “Premier Bidder” award from Boeing, acknowledging the top 1% of 15,000 aeronautic manufacturers in the country. The 100,000 square foot space boasts complex capabilities for a wide range of current products in the aerospace industry. This tremendously successful factory often serves as a job path for those previously incarcerated and re-entering the workforce, paving the way for a future that is different from the one they knew, and the one that may keep them returning to prison. Tonita sought to be part of this larger system creating positive stories for those in her community.
As a mom of three Black males, Tonita is acutely aware of the potential for them to be caught in a system that judges them, without wrongdoing of their own.
Her work with Pioneer Human Services is one important part of her life; reflecting a community she is deeply rooted in and her commitment to change the lives of those like her. She also is working tirelessly to understand the needs of the community she services and advocate for affordable homeownership that doesn’t exist today.
Tonita continues, “we need to break the system of policies that created the market we are in and change how financial institutions view risk; we need to stop calling communities risky and instead invest in them.”
In her work at the helm of Verity Credit Union, Tonita sees the task in front of her – with a clear heart, mind filled with curiosity and deeply held desire – to unify the masses to create meaningful change.
Learn more about Verity at veritycu.com and Pioneer Health Services at pioneerhumanservices.org.
