Political instability in her native Nicaragua forced Maria McFarlane and her family to bounce around Central America when she was a child. Adjusting to life in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and eventually the United States taught McFarlane resilience and gave her a unique perspective on life. “You know that no matter what is in front of you, you can manage,” she says. “If I have a challenge, I’ve learned to see it as a temporary thing. It gives you a positive perspective.”
McFarlane has used that viewpoint to her advantage. During the past 10 years, she gained positions of increasing responsibility in the banking and leasing industry, all while putting herself through college at the University of Minnesota and raising a daughter. Today, she is regional coordinator of fleet services for GE Commercial Finance, working to support the company’s sales and marketing efforts.
Previously, McFarlane spent nearly nine years at Farm Credit Leasing, where she started as an administrative assistant and worked her way up to account manager. The dynamic, creative, and competitive nature of sales and marketing engages McFarlane, tapping into her ability to interact with people and help customers.
McFarlane is heavily involved with GE’s volunteer organization, where she leads projects, volunteers personally, and serves on the company’s council for volunteerism and the Twin Cities GE Hispanic Forum. She’s thrilled that her advocacy helped secure a $10,000 grant for Casa de Esperanza, the only bilingual domestic violence shelter in Minnesota.
McFarlane also volunteers for Linea Legal Latina, a legal hotline for low-income Spanish speakers, assisting with call intakes and community outreach. She recently received the GE Luminary Award for volunteerism and in 2006 earned the GE Hispanic Forum Woman of the Year award. For McFarlane, serving as a role model for other Latinos and in the community as a whole motivates her to both give back and excel in her work.
