On September 10, the Executive Director of the Caisse populaire Desjardins de Côte-des-Neiges retires, after 42 years of steady, loyal service within the Desjardins movement. Wow! Almost half a century!

In the era of instant communication world-wide and the quest for "here-now," it is comforting to note that people like him have the courage to look beyond the demands of financial quarters. As Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber said in his essay entitled Trop vite! (Albin Michel) [free translation], "Under the effect of accelerated means of communication among people today, the present has become more dense, more invasive, while at the same time, it reduces our intellectual availability to reflect on the future. The acceleration of relationships that has intensified since the beginning of the 21st century has resulted in a contraction of the future and the past." Luckily, there are people like Roger Carmel, who have never based their decisions on immediate returns.
A compassionate man with remarkable instincts, Roger believed that in a cooperative organization like Desjardins, one needed to "give time to time" to prepare the future. When he took the reins of the Caisse Populaire Desjardins de Côte-des-Neiges, the institution was going through a difficult period. With his extensive experience in organizational management, he took the time required to study the situation, make an assessment, do a thorough house-cleaning, all while avoiding discord, and imagine the future of his Caisse. After a few years, the Board of Directors had renewed itself through the development of intercultural dialogue, innovation had replaced old habits and once again, there were returns to members. By doing this, he restored the Caisse's prestige.
Roger Carmel is not one to sing the praises of modernity, far from it! However, he has always lived with his time and I believe that is the secret of his longevity. No deep analysis is needed to understand what this man can say with pride: mission accomplished! After 15 years working in Côte-des-Neiges, he leaves us with a valuable tool for the social economic development of the district. Thank you Roger!
Claude Lauzon, Director