ALTON - In 1980, Rose Gibson was denied a car loan because she wasn’t married. Now, she is the first female chairman of the board at the credit union.
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“I thought, someday, I’m going to change this,” Gibson remembered. “I got on the board for the credit union 20 years ago, and I’m the first woman chairman of the board, which was unbelievable. I wish those guys that denied my loan back then were alive. They’re all gone now. But boy, things have changed.”
Gibson, one of the YWCA’s ten 2025 Women of Distinction, will be honored at the Y’s annual gala for her commitment to the community. Over the years, Gibson has been involved in several community service opportunities and served on multiple boards. She is proud of the work she has done and the changes she has witnessed.
In addition to serving as the chairman of the board for First MidAmerica Credit Union, Gibson has been involved with United Way’s Power of the Purse campaign, and she has spent the past 25 years on the board for Challenge Unlimited. She also mentored several people through her work at Olin Corporation.
Looking back, Gibson attributes her eagerness to help others to the women who came before her, specifically the Girl Scouts and her mother. She was a Girl Scout all the way through high school, and her mother pushed her to graduate and attend college.
Her mother also made sure Gibson and her siblings knew the value of giving back. They would often go into the homes of local families to deliver gifts, food and other assistance. At age 10, Gibson remembers crying after a particularly challenging trip and thinking to herself that she would one day help people who were struggling.
Today, Gibson is honored by the YWCA recognition. But she knows she shares the title with someone else.
“It was my mom. My mom encouraged me. She was the beginning of it,” she said. “[When I got the call,] I went, oh my gosh, I wish Mom could see this. But I thought, Mom can see it. She’s up there watching. I owe it all to my mother. She was a driver.”
Gibson stays busy with her volunteer work, but she makes time to go to the gym, travel with her husband, and enjoy classic cars. She loves everything she does, and she is proud of the ways she has contributed to the community throughout her life.
For those who also want to get involved in community service, she has compelling advice about taking that first step.
“You don’t have to know everything about everything,” she said. “Don’t let that scare you off, because that’s not what it’s about. And it’s really okay if you don’t, because that gets you closer to the people you’re going to be working with or volunteering with. That’s the way I feel. I would tell them just don’t freak out about things. Just take that step, because you’re valuable. Everybody is.”
This is the third in a series of articles about the ten 2025 Women of Distinction. For more information about the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Gala, visit the official YWCA Facebook page.
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