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0913-11_Official Checks Cuna 2pgAd_5.indd 1 Moneygram Ad.indd 3 9/20/139/23/13 1:284:25 PM RockstarSI_Contents.indd 4 18 4 48 CREDIT UNION 27 MAGAZINE ROCK STARS EDITOR’S LETTER 15 14 12 11 10 9 8 ROCK STARS 7 19 18 17 16 VOLUME 79 INTERNATIONAL CREDITUNIONDAYSPECIALEDITION

ROCK STARS

Filling CanoesfortheCommunity AMY DAVIS Passion forLifelongLearning Young ProfessionalLivesOutHer CARA CARLEVATTI Selling theCUExperience AND ANDYREED LISA NICHOLAS, LESLEY CARRELL, Predatory Lenders ‘CU Man’TakesFightto FRED BROWN Fun WithNumbers ARLENE BERNARD A LionfortheLowIncome LAURA AGUIRRE to FighttheGood Crossing theLine PATRICK ADAMS THESE FOLKSROCK! Named ‘Rokmom’ A BelovedRuleBender HELEN ESTES Once aCoach,AlwaysCoach DICK ENSWEILER In ConstantPursuitofGoodDesign BRENT DIXON Through Innovation Making aDifference MATT DAVIS have thepassion,conviction,anddrivetoputthosebrightideasintoaction. for oursubscribers.Allofushavebrightideasfromtimetotime,butfew stars—ordinary peoplewhoaredoingtheextraordinary—inthisspecialbonusissue Day onThursday,Oct.17,CreditUnionMagazinecelebratescreditunionrock the familiarphrase“peoplehelpingpeople.”InhonorofInternationalCreditUnion If youboileddownthecreditunionmovementtoitsessence,you’dwindupwith STEVE RODGERS,EDITOR-IN-CHIEF,CREDITUNIONMAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2013 21 20 34 32 28 27 26 24 23 22

and Leadership Passionate AboutCUPhilosophy— AMY GRAVITTE From AuditortoAdvocate PAM FINCH He MeansBusiness ERIC JENKINS Making anImpactinMotown HANK HUBBARD Bringing NewBusinessonBoard AND JEANETTERADMER JANET Mc MANUEL HOCHHEIMER, A ChampionofChange JOHN HERRERA Emphasis onEducationDrivesGrowth CHERRY HEDGES Make theCUWorldSing They SingtheSongsThat CHRISTOPHER MORRIS CHAD HELMINAKAND Speaks FromtheHeart Social Media‘Spokester’ SARAH DALEHARMON Cooperative Spirit New ConferenceKindles JEFF HARDIN NEILLY, 9/25/13 2:59PM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PATRICIA WESENBERG • chair, Marshfield, Wis.

DENNIS PIERCE • vice chair, Lenexa, Kan. 35 JEFF JOHNSON 46 TERI ROBINSON SUSAN STREIFEL • secretary, Federal Way, Wash. The Right People, the Right Initiative, Her Refusal to Quit Is an Inspiration ROD STAATZ • treasurer, Linthicum, Md. the Right Time PAT JURY • member-at-large, Des Moines, Iowa 47 JIM SCHRIMPF BILL CHENEY • ex-ofﬁ cio, Washington, D.C./Madison, Wis.

36 JAMES ROBERT LAY Calling the Central City Home ‘Bass’ MIKE MERCER • immediate past chair, Duluth, Ga. Ex-Punk Rocker Joins Digital Revolution 48 YVETTE SEGARRA DIRECTORS Much More Than a Paycheck STEPHEN BEHLER Ohio; ROBERT CASHMAN Mass.

37 DAN McGOWAN PETE DZURIS Mich.; JOHN GRAHAM Ky. A ‘Come-From-Behind’ Story Line 49 EMMA SMALLEY The Accidental Educator BRAD GREEN Ala.; ROGER HEACOCK S.D. 38 PATRICK LIVINGSTON AND PAUL HUGHES S.C.; MICHAEL L’ECUYER N.H. BRANDON McADAMS 50 BOB STOWELL WENDELL LYONS Ky.; BRETT MARTINEZ Calif. Young Execs Build Bonds Between CU Inner Fire Fuels Desire to Serve Others WILLIAM MELLIN N.Y.; MAURICE SMITH N.C. Professionals and Their Communities TROY STANG Ore.; SCOTT SULLIVAN Neb. 52 SANDRA SULLIVAN-WOODS EDWIN WILLIAMS Pa.; JEFF YORK Calif. 40 HEATHER MOSHIER Empowering Employees Getting Results and Enabling CUs to Serve Members EXECUTIVE STAFF BILL CHENEY • president/CEO 41 DICK NESVOLD 53 ROBBIE THOMPSON PAUL GENTILE • executive vice president of On a Mission to Protect the System strategic communications and engagement Steward of the Movement’s Principles JOHN MAGILL • executive vice president/ special assistant to the president 42 JASON OSTERHAGE 54 LISA TOTARO BRIAN NELSON • chief fi nancial offi cer A Source of Innovation SUSAN NEWTON • executive vice president Intellectual Curiosity Trumps Insularity of system relations ERIC RICHARD • executive vice president/ 43 JENNI PARAMORE 55 BILL VOGENEY general counsel Developing Tomorrow’s CU Leaders JILL TOMALIN • executive vice president/ Enthusiasm + Education = chief operating offi cer, Madison, Wis. Enduring Results 56 NANCY WHITTAKER Walking in Members’ Shoes SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS 44 JOHN PARKS TERRY COSTIN • marketing & sales Hooked on CUs From Day One 57 CORLINDA WOODEN RYAN DONOVAN • legislative affairs 45 PAUL PHILLIPS The Nerf of Some People! MARY MITCHELL DUNN • regulatory advocacy A Heart for Service RICHARD GOSE • political affairs BILL HAMPEL • research & policy analysis

WES MILLAR • CUNA Strategic Services JOIN THE CONVERSATION SUSAN PARISI • legal affairs HARLEY SKJERVEM • human resources & facilities

PAT SOWICK • league relations

Visit our special rock star page, TODD SPICZENSKI • center for professional development

creditunionmagazine.com/rockstar, for these features: KATHLEEN O. THOMPSON • regulatory affairs • PHOTOS, PHOTOS, PHOTOS. See our credit union rock stars in action. • ROCK STAR WRITE-UPS. Read all about POSTAL INFORMATION Credit Union Magazine (ISSN 0011-1066) is published these remarkable people, who represent a monthly, with an additional special issue to be published in October of 2013, for $69 per year by Credit Union National broad cross-section of credit unions, leagues, Association, 5710 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705. (Multiple-copy and multiyear discounts available.) and related organizations. Periodical postage paid at Madison, Wis., and additional mailing ofﬁ ce. Copyright 2013 by Credit Union National • NOMINATE YOUR PEERS. Do you know someone who regularly channels his/her Association. Photocopying is illegal and unethical. inner credit union rock star? Visit creditunionmagazine.com/nominate-rockstar and POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Credit Union Magazine subscription department, P.O. Box 461, Annapolis nominate your unsung colleagues. Junction, MD 20701-0461. Single issues are available; call 800-348-3646. A member of Cooperative Communicators • TWEET AWAY. Follow the hashtag #CUrockstar and join the conversation. Association. Printed in USA by Union Labor. See you online!

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 5

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© Credit Union National Association 2013 MANAGEMENT PAUL GENTILE executive vice president of strategic communications and engagement 202-508-6793 • [email protected] DOUG BENZINE vice president of publishing 608-231-4039 • [email protected] DOROTHY STEFFENS vice president of publishing operations 608-231-5719 • [email protected] KRISTINA GREBENER director of editorial staff & strategic development 608-231-4287 • [email protected]

EDITORIAL STAFF JOHN WILEY publisher 310-490-3355 • [email protected] STEVE RODGERS editor-in-chief 608-231-4082 • [email protected] SUE LANPHEAR managing editor 608-231-4086 • [email protected] BILL MERRICK senior managing editor 608-231-4076 • [email protected] ANN HAYES PETERSON deputy editor 608-231-4211 • [email protected] ADAM MERTZ senior editor EDITOR’S LETTER 608-231-4342 • [email protected] CRAIG SAUER assistant editor 608-231-4918 • [email protected] ese Folks Rock! CONTRIBUTORS PHIL BRITT, DIANNE MOLVIG, PATRICK TOTTY

e credit union movement is all about people. If you boiled down the DESIGN & PRODUCTION credit union movement to its essence, you’d wind up with the familiar LINDA NAPIWOCKI • art director DIANE LONG • graphic designer phrase “people helping people.” CHERYL GOKEY • graphic designer In honor of International Credit Union Day— ursday, Oct. 17—Credit JOEY SABANI • graphic designer Union Magazine is again publishing a special bonus edition as a gi to our LARRY QUAM • ad production ADVERTISING subscribers. JOHN WILEY is special issue is dedicated to credit union rock stars—ordinary people 310-490-3355 • [email protected] who are doing the extraordinary. All of us have bright ideas from time to Classiﬁ ed ads LINDA CROCKER time, but few of us have the passion, conviction, and drive to put those 608-231-4122 [email protected] bright ideas into action. fax 608-231-4370

Some people do, however, and we call them “rock stars.” EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Without people who roll up their sleeves and actually make credit unions SANDI CARANGI • Pennsylvania CU Association SUE DOUGLAS • State ECU, Raleigh, N.C. function, the credit union vision would be just that—a vision. But those DALE FRANKHOUSE • Sun FCU, Maumee, Ohio who work and volunteer for credit unions turn that vision into reality. MICHELLE HUNTER • CU of Southern California, Brea WILLIAM KENNEDY • Interior FCU, Reston, Va. We salute you. RICHARD S. MILLER • FeatherStone Planning and Consulting For the past several months, our subscribers have nominated their rock- ROBERT REH • Nassau Financial FCU, Westbury, N.Y. CINDY SWIGERT • United FCU, St. Joseph, Mich. star colleagues on our website. If you missed this year’s nomination win- DARYL TANNER • Share One Inc. dow , don’t worry. Just go to creditunionmagazine.com/nominate-rockstar to MAILING ADDRESS nominate one of your colleagues for next year’s edition. CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE P.O. Box 431 e end result of this year’s nomination process is what you see before Madison, WI 53701-0431 you—a showcase of 48 rock stars from a broad cross-section of credit unions, SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE leagues, and related organizations. We didn’t have room for all of the photos SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 461, and stories about our rock stars, so check out our website for more coverage Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-046 of these remarkable people (creditunionmagazine.com/rockstar). 800-348-3646 As we move forward into 2014, you’ll notice more pages of our monthly Fax: 301-206-9789 magazine dedicated to the credit union people who go the extra mile to serve their members and communities. In the meantime—Rock on!

Steve Rodgers Editor-in-chief

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 7

RockstarSI_EditorsLetter.indd 7 9/25/13 3:00 PM ‘Our motto is: Passion over paycheck.’ PATRICK ADAMS Crossing the Line to Fight the Good Fight When you think of somebody willing to was so novel. A big help to getting this done was the cross a line in the sand, Patrick Adams commitment of the bank’s president to serving the market. He really understands the need.” should come to mind. Adams’ biggest target is payday lenders. “Missouri In 2012, the CEO of St. Louis Community Credit has the second-largest concentration of payday lenders Union de ed a traditional boundary to begin a four- in the U.S. ey ock here and prey on the disadvan- year collaboration with a bank. taged because there’s very little industry regulation.” His reason? e need to bring all the power he e arrangement with Carrollton Bank involves could muster to reach a dramatically underserved community. “ e problems in St. Louis are bigger $800,000 to help with operations, including nancial than any rivalry between banks and credit unions,” education, marketing, and branch space. “We funded says Adams, noting the city has the nation’s third most a branch with them, and have 10 other o ces as well.” underserved African-American population. Eighty- In an in-your-face show of taking the ght to the ve percent of the credit union’s members are low- foe, Adams placed one of the branches in a strip mall to-moderate income, and 80% are African-American. directly between two payday lenders. “We’re one of the largest CDFIs [community devel- “We wanted to go a er them. I’m a credit union opment nancial institutions] in the city, and a bank veteran who has taken the credit union movement’s could use us to satisfy its community reinvestment mission seriously for years. If credit unions dri away needs,” he explains. “When I ran into an old friend and from their original mission, it’s not good. So we decid- asked what he was up to, he said he was working for ed to nd an economically disadvantaged community Carrollton Bank. I told him that if his bank needed to and own it. We could have gone to the suburbs and use CRA [Community Reinvestment Act] dollars, our battled for deposits, and become a ‘me too’ institution credit union was the one to go through. Shortly a er in the process, but that wasn’t for us.” that, I got a phone call.” Adams starts his work day early—usually arriving at It took about a year to set up the collaboration. his desk by 6:20 a.m. “I have a great sta . Our motto “ ere were no problems at the local level, but we is ‘passion over paycheck,’ meaning we want people guess it took a while to get the FDIC [Federal Deposit who are in this for the good they can do, not just the Insurance Corp.] to fully understand—the approach money they make.”

8 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Adams_Patrick_Rockstar2013.indd 8 9/25/13 3:00 PM A Lion for the Low I ncome

Laura Aguirre had a humble upbring- ing the underserved and empowers our team ing involving public assistance and to ‘wow’ our members,” says Mary Ann Otake, Hawaii First Federal’s vice president of operations the fear of homelessness. and development. As a result, she understands—perhaps more Aguirre believes in surrounding herself with than most—how encouragement and kindness lions, not deer—an illustration from one of her can change lives. favorite books, “You Don’t Need a Title to Be a “Fortunately, one day I landed in the credit Leader” by Mark Sanborn. In his book, Sanborn union world” after a 15-year banking career, makes the point that leaders embody the char- Aguirre says. “I absolutely fell in love with the acteristics of lions, whereas deer are more timid. credit union philosophy of ‘people helping Aguirre concedes that serving those who really people.’ Everywhere I looked I saw people who need it isn’t always easy. One of Aguirre’s rst reminded me of how I grew up.” interactions with a member is a case in point. As the president/CEO of Hawaii First Federal “ e member wanted to apply for a car loan, Credit Union in Kamuela, Aguirre was “deter- and as I handed him an application he looked mined” and “empowered” to help underserved, like he was in physical pain,” Aguirre recalls. low-income, and native communities. She subsequently discovered the man couldn’t Aguirre pushed her credit union to obtain a read or write—and she no longer assumes any low-income designation and Native Community member interactions are routine. Development Financial Institution certi cation. “Taking a few extra minutes could be the dif- She also created a 501(c)(3) arm of the credit ference between someone receiving the help they union to serve the community with free access need or walking out the door,” Aguirre says. “Our to job-seeking assistance, credit and debt man- sta is expected to take these extra few minutes, agement, one-on-one nancial counseling, and and it shows. We have very loyal members.” nancial education workshops. e mountain of thank-you cards the credit Aguirre’s passion has rubbed o on her team. union receives is proof, she adds. “It doesn’t get “She lives and breathes our mission of serv- any better than that.” LAURA AGUIRRE

Laura Aguirre poses with young member Ava-Amalia, who was designated a “Super Saver” by Hawaii First FCU during National CU Youth Week earlier this year.

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 9

Aguirre_Laura_Rockstar2013.indd 9 9/25/13 3:01 PM ‘She’s remarkably cool under pressure and handles the mundane job of accounting with grace and dignity.’ Tom Quigley ARLENE BERNARD Fun With Numbers For management, numbers and account- • Handling some di cult NCUA guidelines; and ing can be a boring part of the job. • Working with many technology e orts. anks to Arlene Bernard, that’s not the case at e credit union is ahead of most similar-sized XCEL Federal Credit Union in Bloom eld, N.J. institutions technology-wise, says Quigley. Bernard has served as the credit union’s chief XCEL Federal drives its own ATMs, o ers a mobile nancial o cer only about a year and a half. But she’s app loaded with extras, and is starting a wholly owned already having a big impact and quickly earning the credit union service organization. respect of senior leadership. “All this means a lot of work for her,” says Quigley. “Normally, it’s a pretty boring department,” says “But she’s remarkably cool under pressure and handles Tom Quigley, XCEL Federal’s director of marketing. the mundane job of accounting with grace and dignity. “She explains the nancials with such passion that we “She could be the MVP here,” he continues. “She’s all actually care about accounting.” been our most valuable employee.” So much so that Bernard would be an expert at the Bernard has accomplished a lot in a short time at Jeopardy category “Fun with Numbers,” Quigley says. XCEL Federal, Quigley says. She has improved and “She loves accounting and all things numbers,” he ensured timely vendor payments, streamlined the says. entire accounting department, boosted morale, and Previously, Bernard served for 16 years as CEO of skillfully managed the credit union’s relationship with Saint Vincent’s Employees Federal Credit Union in regulators. New York, which merged with another institution. “Oh, and she’s a pleasure to work with,” Quigley Since coming to XCEL Federal, Bernard has had a says. lot on her plate, including: She’s dedicated, motivated, and compassionate, he • Dealing with the a ermath of an employee embez- adds, as well as down-to-earth—basically a great co- zlement; worker to have on your side. • Incorporating three new staff members in a “She is smarter than me, but she doesn’t let on,” department of four; Quigley jokes.

10 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Bernard_Arlene_Rockstar2013.indd 10 9/25/13 3:02 PM ‘CU Man’ Takes Fight to Predatory Lenders

ere’s a superhero in our midst, born out of the frustration of big banking and sent to teach us better ways to handle our money. Immune to the gravitational pull of traditional banking, this consumer champion is strong enough to obliterate high fees, able to leap predatory interest rates in a single bound—and lightning fast with loan approvals. Who is this subduer of subpar nancial providers? It’s Credit Union Man, a.k.a. Fred Brown—mild- mannered director of marketing/member development for Northeast Family Federal Credit Union, Manchester, Conn., by day and credit union superhero some nights and weekends during youth events, trade shows, and annual meetings. His initial mission was to entertain and teach kids about credit unions and smart money management. But the appeal of Brown’s message—and superhero threads— quickly spread to a wider audience. “When people see me, they ask what I’m doing—and that gives me the perfect opening for a conversation about banks versus credit unions,” Brown says. “People let their guard down when they see me making a fool of myself.” ey’re also receptive to Credit Union Man’s message, sometimes sharing impassioned stories of poor treatment at the hands of banks. “When people know they can receive the same services at a credit union, which cares about them as much as the bottom line, most will move their accounts, or at least begin making the transition.” Brown feels fortunate his chosen method of spreading this message has been so successful. “I’m lucky to work in an industry that embraces that special kind of crazy all credit union marketers have within us.” e Credit Union Man persona is one way he main- tains a fresh marketing approach on a limited budget. “We can’t be everything to everyone. You need to identify your market and market to it. Use social media, guerilla marketing—dress up in a superhero costume if need be.”

CU Man raised money for ﬁ nancial literacy efforts in Connecticut by posing for photographs and selling T-shirts during the 2013 CUNA Marketing & Business Development Conference. FRED BROWN OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 11

Brown_FredRockstar13.indd 11 9/25/13 3:02 PM Selling the CU Experience “Justify your existence” would be • Lisa Nicholas, vice president of marketing for a tting mantra for these market- $627 million asset Amplify Federal Credit Union, Aus- tin, Texas (Marketing Professional of the Year). ing and business development ese pros discuss keys to success in the market- rock stars, who sing the praises of ing/business development arena—and share some little-known tidbits about themselves.

CU Mag: What’s your guiding marketing/ business development philosophy? Reed: “Leadership equals sales.” I heard this expres- sion from a credit union CEO whose career began as a marketer [Teresa Freeborn, CEO of Xceed Finan- cial Federal Credit Union, El Segundo, Calif.], and it quickly became my philosophy as well. Credit unions can’t take the marketplace by storm if they don’t understand the contribution they make to people’s nancial well-being. And the best way to make that happen is to become a member and experience the di erence. We have to sell people on the credit union experience. Hopefully, we do that consultatively through our commitment to improve people’s nancial well- being and not to drive numbers or metrics. But number crunchers need numbers to crunch. If credit unions don’t embrace a sales culture, give our profession a seat at the strategic table, and get serious about growth, our industry is at high risk of extinction. Business development is about ensuring survival. Training is the backbone of the organization and business development is the future. strong analytics as way to prove Nicholas: Marketing should be built on a strong their endeavors are worth the foundation that results in a positive outcome for the money budget crunchers some- member and is scally responsible for the organization. We’ve had a lot of success getting team mem- times begrudgingly allot to them. bers on board and genuinely believing in what credit e CUNA Marketing & Business Develop- unions do: helping people achieve nancial success. ment Council named these Diamond Award So we do a lot of internal training for sta , and winners as their top marketers for 2013: also for members. I think that’s why they come back • Lesley Carrell, senior vice president of and refer us to their friends. Also, marketers have to marketing for $750 million asset Fibre Fed- know where they’ve been so they know where to go. eral Credit Union, Longview, Wash. (Hall of So I base a lot of our decisions on analytics. Fame); Carrell: Marketing is as important as finance, • Andy Reed, manager of business develop- operations, information technology, or any other ment for $5.5 billion asset American Airlines discipline in helping credit unions succeed. A good Federal Credit Union, Fort Worth, Texas, and marketer has to be proactive in leading e orts to the council’s secretary/treasurer (Business update, launch, and improve products, procedures, Development Professional of the Year); and and systems—and we must always think strategically. LESLEY CARRELL

12 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Councils_Carrell_Nicholas_Reed.indd 12 9/25/13 3:02 PM CU Mag: What are some keys to success? Carrell: ink strategically and understand that great marketing is an incredible investment. But you must be able to prove that. You must be able to lead and live the credit union’s brand. And you’ve got to be willing to institute and campaign for needed changes—whether it’s with the budget, the culture, or the product. Marketers need to take the lead on this. Nicholas: The key to success, at least in my organization, is that I don’t work in a vacuum. My team works with every department on promotions. We need things from different areas, so working with everyone is critical to our success and to the ANDY REED thinking strategically, being a visionary, having endless organization’s success. Again, it’s important to analyze amounts of energy, being a great networker, and being everything so we can prove what we do is successful able to build relationships quickly. and that it’s worth the money we spend. You also have to be good at motivating yourself and Reed: It starts with the organization’s leadership celebrating your own successes. realizing the value marketing and business development bring to the table and investing in both. Many CU Mag: What’s one thing your colleagues leaders undervalue our professions because they don’t might not know about you? understand them. We have to become adept at using Nicholas: I was a professional sled dog driver. Grow- metrics, which is their language to prove our value. ing up, I had 40 to 80 dogs at any given time. People Other keys to success include being a change agent, know the Iditarod, which is a distance race, but we were sprint racers, going for speed. Reed: I’m kind of a cruise-aholic. I love to travel, and I’ve been to many incredible places. Cruises give me the chance to get o the grid, disconnect, be with my family, and recharge. Travel is relaxing, but it also ful lls my need for adventure. Carrell: I’ve always wanted to write a book, and I’m retiring soon so I’m going to nally get the chance. It could be ction or non ction; maybe both. I’ve got a lot of ideas germinating, but I haven’t mapped anything out yet. LISA NICHOLAS OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 13

Councils_Carrell_Nicholas_Reed.indd 13 9/25/13 3:02 PM Young Professional Lives Out Her Passion for Lifelong Learning Cara Carlevatti says the rock star she allows members to borrow materials and then return would most like to be is Gwen Stefani them to the credit union at no cost. She has worked with local Girl Scout troops, day camps, and other of “No Doubt” because of the musician’s local groups, bringing them to the credit union to advocacy for strong women. learn the basics of nancial literacy. “ ere are a lot of women in leadership roles in “Financial literacy is important at every age,” she credit unions in the state of New York,” says Carlevatti, says. “From the time children receive their rst pay- member development coordinator for Great Erie Fed- ment from the tooth fairy, proper money management eral Credit Union, Orchard Park, N.Y. “Advancing in is a lifelong skill. If you get into the credit union is something that young professionals bad habits when you’re young, can look forward to.” they’re harder to break when ‘From the time As a young professional herself, Carlevatti embraces you’re older.” the credit union culture of community involvement. Another important ele- children receive In two short years with Great Erie Federal, she has ment of nancial education is revamped the credit union’s youth savings program informing consumers of the their ﬁ rst payment to include savings rewards such as savings deposits advantages of credit union for report card grades. She also started a credit union membership, adds Carlevatti, from the tooth library with books, DVDs, and games for both youth who was just recently elected and adult members. The financial literacy library vice chairman of the Credit Union Association of New fairy, proper money York’s Young Professionals Commission. management is a Her passion for education extends to Carlevatti’s personal lifelong skill.’ life as well. She is studying for her MBA at St. Bonaventure University. “You need to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way,” says Carlevatti, who advises young credit union professionals to do the same. “Credit unions have such a rich history. It’s important to stay true to credit union principles while adapting for the future.” But current and future credit union leaders need to stay up-to-date on the evolving nancial needs of members and the techniques to best serve those needs, advises Carlevatti, who is also an active member of the “Don’t Tax My Credit Union” campaign. CARA CARLEVATTI 14 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Carlevatti_Rockstar13.indd 14 9/25/13 3:03 PM ‘We have canoes in city halls. We have canoes in local malls. We have them in the libraries….’ AMY DAVIS Filling Canoes for the Community For Amy Davis, success equals red canoes weeks, reinforces Davis’ ability to collaborate, not only full of donated school supplies. with her team of “rock stars” but with the business Davis, vice president of marketing for Red Canoe community. Credit Union in Longview, Wash., has garnered a “Amy is a talented marketer with a world-class mar- number of marketing awards in her career. But she’s keting mind. She brings innovation and creativity to more likely to beam about results from her team’s a higher level. You only need to look at the growth “Fill the Canoe” school supply drives. of her credit union to see this,” says Sean McDonald, “I am pretty proud of the work we’ve done in the director of business development for Mid-State Federal community,” Davis says. “We try to stand for what the Credit Union in Carteret, N.J. “I’m always impressed credit union di erence is all about.” with Amy’s input and contributions.” e annual canoe- lling event, which encourages McDonald and Davis both serve as members of the the public to drop o school supplies in canoes dis- CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council’s played at branches, has been a huge success. Since its executive committee. Participating on the council is inception, the credit union has collected and matched one way she gives back to those who helped her early more than 47,000 pounds of donated school supplies. in her career. Plus, local business partners clamor to partici- Back when she barely knew what a credit union was, pate—65 joined the e ort this year. Davis recalls receiving assistance from the council and “We have canoes in city halls. We have canoes in an employee at another credit union that, technically, local malls. We have them in the libraries. A couple was a local competitor. of churches have come on board and brought in their “I just remember being so touched by that,” Davis says. own canoes,” Davis says. e council is happy to have her intelligence and e e ort is a centerpiece for the credit union’s passion on the team, says Michelle Hunter, chair of outreach e orts and builds on a brand pushed down- the executive committee. stream by Davis and others in 2007. at’s when the “She donates her time and talents graciously to institution changed its name from Weyerhaeuser advance our profession nationally,” says Hunter, senior Employees’ Credit Union. vice president of marketing and development at Credit “We de nitely see return from Fill the Canoe even Union of Southern California. “She is genuine, respon- though that isn’t our intention. When you do right sible, resourceful, and intellectually curious—charac- things, right things happen,” Davis says. teristics that contribute to her being a ‘rock star’ in e event, originally pulled together in a matter of our profession.”

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Davis_Amy_Rockstar2013.indd 15 9/25/13 3:05 PM Making a Di erence rough Innovation Matt Davis, director of innovation at the talks the talk and walks the walk. Filene Research Institute, is much more “He is extremely action-oriented. at was his hall- mark even before coming to Filene,” Ho eimer says. than an idea man. Davis got his credit union start as director of pub- He’s a doer. And his impact is rippling across the lic relations for Members Credit Union in Winston- credit union movement. Salem, N.C., where his “What Are You Saving For?” “He’s got a combination of whip smart intellect and program was featured in Fast Company. the rare ability to do the things he talks about,” says George Ho eimer, Filene’s chief research and inno- So, where do all of Davis’s good ideas come from? vation o cer. “Empathy is the most reliable source of good ideas,” Davis guides the prestigious i3 program that cre- Davis says. “ e willingness and ability to observe ates new products, services, processes, and business human behavior and put yourself in the shoes of oth- models for credit unions. ers helps a creator understand problems that need to He’s the author of several Filene publications, the be solved, when they are experienced, and how those creator of e Credit Union Warrior blog, and the problems impact the people who experience them. co-founder of cuwatercooler.com. “Innovation,” he adds, “is a problem-solving mech- Ho eimer is glad Davis is on Team Credit Union. anism that is fueled almost entirely by empathy.” “His values match up really well with the credit Davis is glad to be working for a movement that union system,” Ho eimer says. “He is extremely help- has a long history of improving people’s lives through ful and earnest. He really personi es that in his work mutual self-help. and personal life. He is always willing to pitch in.” “What res me up about credit unions is the tre- His list of innovations and accolades is too long mendous potential we have to make a di erence in to cover adequately in limited space. Basically, he this world,” he says. MATT DAVIS ‘Empathy is the most reliable source of good ideas.’

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Davis_MattRockstar13.indd 16 9/25/13 3:05 PM ‘It’s OK to positively disrupt the system.’

BRENT DIXON In Constant Pursuit of Good Design On his LinkedIn page, Brent Dixon says research comes from e Cooperative Trust, a young he’s “a designer, educator, and musician— professionals group Dixon founded while working with the Filene Research Institute. He oversaw a variety of in no particular order.” He’s not a stickler project types, including one involving unbanked and about such things. underbanked consumers. Dixon emphasizes the importance of design to credit “Despite their fear of nancial institutions, many unions “because it’s a way to show they care about peo- of the people we met with were more on top of their ple. I want to overcome the idea that design is solely nances than banked people,” he says. “ ey can’t about making something look aesthetically pleasing a ord mistakes.” when it’s really about making things work beautifully. at research project led members of the Coop- “It’s melding form and function erative Trust to develop Tru Circle—a pilot program into seamless interactions. At the inspired by “village banking,” which is used in many credit union level, it includes taking developing countries. “At no risk to the credit union, a something logical—such as budget- group of ve friends or family members contributes a ing—and joining it to something set monthly amount into a common account,” explains emotional—money. It’s about mak- Dixon. “When a member requests a loan, the group ing something that works well in must unanimously approve it. e transactions help addressing both, whether it’s bank- borrowers establish credit histories.” ing products, a website, or branch e Cooperative Trust enables young credit union design. Delight and happiness are professionals to design and prototype products and ser- tools used to design good credit vices that are relevant to young consumers. “It’s OK to union experiences.” positively disrupt the system,” says Dixon, who’s now An example of good design pursuing a master’s of ne arts degree.

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Dixon_Brent.indd 17 9/27/13 9:09 AM Once a Coach, Always a Coach Dick Ensweiler set o for college to become a basketball coach, but got sidetracked. A er taking a summer job at State Central Credit Union in Milwaukee, he was hooked on credit unions. “ e treasurer/manager and I hit it o well to the extent that he promised me a position when I got out of college and the military,” Ensweiler recalls. “I took him up on it and he created a rst-ever management training program. It paid o , and 18 months later I became the treasurer/manager of the Harley Davidson Credit Union.” It’s almost 50 years later and, in a way, the Cornerstone Credit Union League CEO did become a coach—employing traits such as consensus-building, perseverance, and adaptability in the face of di cult circumstances. e most recent of the many credit union milestones he’s experienced over the years is the merger of the Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas credit union leagues. “Leagues were facing shrinking numbers and nding it more di cult to provide full services,” Ensweiler says. ‘Make sure there’s “We saw value in a larger organization with broader reach. It took four a strong vision of years to get through all the questions, answers, and considerations, but once what could be.’ interested parties remained at the table, it took less than a year to come to an agreement. e merger is everything we hoped it would be. We’re more relevant now than before. With 650 credit unions, we have a bigger voice with potential partners, vendors, regulators, and national associations.” Ensweiler also came to credit unions’ aid in 1974 when disin- termediation caused savings rates to skyrocket from 6% to 22%. “Credit unions could not meet members’ withdrawal requests and I was appointed to a task force of league presidents to nd a solution,” he says. “We proposed to CUNA a new nancial and support system—and created the corporate credit union network.” He also played a key role in forging a partnership with Caja Popular Mexicana (CPM) in Leon, Mexico. Today, CPM has more than one million members, 330 branches, and $1 billion in assets. “ e CPM partnership has been successful and mutually ben- e cial,” Ensweiler says. “We’ve learned a lot from each other.”

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Ensweiler_Dick.indd 18 9/25/13 3:07 PM HELEN ESTES A Beloved Rule Bender Named ‘Rokmom’ If you know only two things about Helen As a one-woman loan department, Helen is in a Estes, they’ll tell you a lot. unique position to bend the rules to everybody’s bene- When we asked if she has any favorite rock stars, t. “Old Dominion accepts that I’ve occasionally made Estes, who will retire next year, immediately replied, a wrong call, but they support my approach.” “I’m a rocker at heart. My 36-year-old son was in a Her openness to borrowers’ stories doesn’t mean she KISS tribute band and has played since he was 15. never says no. “ e rst time I had to say no I was I’ve been a band mom since then, and knew all of the scared. It was di cult. I had to explain our policy and local groups. In fact, my email address is ‘rokmom.’ ” why this loan wouldn’t work. Many times when I say Her daughter also looks up to her mother, nd- no it’s from a gut feeling.” ing inspiration and guidance in her own credit union She can be strict. “Some- career. times I’ll spend hours with Credit scores Another thing about Estes, loan o cer at Old Domin- a member, methodically ion University Credit Union in Norfolk, Va., is that she contacting and paying o ‘don’t tell the story detests credit scores. “I don’t believe in them. ey don’t creditors. When we’re n- tell the story you need to hear. If you’re going to lend ished, I say, ‘ is is the only you need to hear.’ money to somebody questionable, why charge an out- time I’ll do this for you. If rageous rate just to foreclose on them a year earlier?” you go back to these lend- Her lending decisions run the gamut, from $100 con- ers again, where will you get the money to pay them o ?’ ” sumer loans to $1 million mortgages. She recently Helen meets with almost all applicants face to face. helped an overseas professor who had a $450,000 “ ey have to sit down and talk to me. I know the down payment on a $1 million mortgage but couldn’t people I lend to and I know their stories.” get a secondary market-approved loan because he If her answer is “no,” she’ll work with the member didn’t have a credit score. and explain the steps needed to make improvements “I gave him the loan,” she says, adding that everyone before the credit union can o er services. “Sometimes involved agreed the member was a good credit risk. they cry, and sometimes I cry right with them.”

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Estes_Helen.indd 19 9/25/13 3:08 PM PAM FINCH From Auditor to Advocate Her zeal for credit unions extends back sought-a er memberships in the industry.” to her rst job as an auditor, when Pam During her tenure at Mid-Minnesota, Finch facili- tated a strategic planning process built on the prin- Finch visited Mid-Minnesota Federal ciples used by c. myers. Credit Union in Baxter, in 1992. e council executive committee established metrics “From that point on, I looked forward to serving to measure success, set deliberate objectives to meet credit unions. e people were friendly and the atmo- those goals, and monitored progress using a scorecard. sphere was welcoming.” “With the proper focus on outcome, our success Mid-Minnesota’s then-CEO, Ray Burnett, recruited soared,” Finch recalls. her as chief nancial o cer (CFO) in 1996. “When I retired from the executive committee we During Finch’s tenure at Mid-Minnesota, the credit were the largest of the six CUNA Councils, earned an union grew from $60 million to $250 million in assets. impressive Net Promoter Score, broke our own confer- “My goal was to maintain a loan-to-share ratio as ence-related records, steadily o ered more educational high as possible,” recalls Finch. Other CEOs would opportunities, and were strong nancially,” she adds. tease her for “being disappointed with anything less Ultimately, all six Councils adopted the scorecard than 110%. I liked to run lean because the best invest- approach and the Council Forum uses it as a tool to ment is an investment in members.” monitor success. at style changed in 2008 with the ight to safety. But Mid-Minnesota continued to thrive, re ning its Moving on long-standing consultative sales and service culture, Her mission now is to bring strategy and finance adding branches, and absorbing very little capital loss together. She wants credit union leaders to think di er- during the corporate crisis. ently about how to reach the next level of performance. “I feel good about where the credit union is posi- “Credit unions are facing a crucial time,” says Finch, tioned as I move on,” says Finch, who began a new “and they must shout from the roo ops the value they position in September with consulting rm c. myers. bring to consumers’ nancial world. If we continue to do the right thing by our members and educate con- Council leader sumers as to why they should become members, the As a 17-year member of the CFO Council—eight opportunity to make a di erence is endless.” years spent on the executive committee—Finch recalls, That could be why Finch holds a special place “We had fun, worked hard, and grew one of the most for rocker Jon Bon Jovi. “My 14-year old rocks out when he hears ‘Living on a Prayer.’ Aside from his During the CUNA CFO Council’s 2013 annual conference, Council Chairman David D’Annunzio presents Pam Finch with an award recognizing her years music, Bon Jovi passionately supports worthy causes— of service and outstanding leadership. D’Annunzio is senior vice president/ de nitely a rock star who has made a di erence in chief ﬁ nancial ofﬁ cer, Heritage Trust FCU in N. Charleston, S.C. many lives!”

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Finch_Pam_Rockstar2013.indd 20 9/25/13 3:08 PM Passionate About CU Philosophy and Leadership As vice president of training and leadership development, Amy Gravitte focuses on developing stronger leadership throughout Coastal Federal Credit Union, Raleigh, N.C. Gravitte developed “3-2-1 Launch to Loyalty,” a member onboarding program, and executed “Levels to Achievement” to ensure sta can grow and develop in their roles. She implemented a custom learning management system, “Coastal University.” As one of about 1,000 graduates from the National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education (DE) program, Gravitte’s commitment to further credit union philosophy and principles is evi- dent in everything she does. She was part of a team of DEs that developed the annual Principles & Philosophy Conference, which is now gaining national recognition. Developing training materials and programs that help co-workers meet members’ nancial needs is ful lling to her. “I’m passionate about leadership development and talent management,” she says. Her colleagues embrace her e orts. ey see the results: increased awareness of credit unions’ heritage and philosophy, improved employee engagement, and growing member loyalty. For credit unions’ continued success, sta must stay true to the member-owned structure and to the unique di erences of all credit unions, believes Gravitte.

AMY GRAVITTE Photo by Paul Styron Gravitte also recommends employees take advantage of training opportunities to maximize their skills. She wants to contribute to those training opportunities at Coastal Federal as much as possible. “I really love and want to do what I’m doing. I look forward to ‘I love to participate making bigger and more meaningful contributions,” Gravitte adds. “I love the people. I love to participate in work that makes a di er- in work that makes ence. I like to go to work every day. I believe that honest work is honorable. I respect work and people who work. Every one of our a difference.’ roles is important, otherwise the jobs wouldn’t exist.” Gravitte recognizes that some credit union professionals might not be in the right roles. at’s why it’s important for leaders to recognize people’s talents so they can be in the positions that bene t most from those skills, she says. What Gravitte does through her training e orts gives sta the tools to serve members with con dence. “ ey deserve the best opportunity to deliver their best to members,” Gravitte says.

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Gravitte_Amy.indd 21 9/25/13 3:09 PM ‘CUs can make a huge difference in the lives of people struggling to keep up.’ JEFF HARDIN New Conference Kindles Cooperative Spirit Je Hardin, director of communications at important for credit unions to share the values and the North Carolina Credit Union League, principles that set us apart,” notes Ashley Ru n, vice president of marketing, Local Government Federal might be a credit union rock star, but he’s Credit Union, Raleigh, N.C., who chairs the volunteer emphatic that all stakeholders get credit committee that’s planning this year’s event. for the good things happening in the state. Opportunities lie in serving the unbanked and In 2010, Hardin and other graduates of the Credit underserved, says Hardin. “Many people have been le Union Development Education (DE) program met behind in the so-called ‘new economy.’ Credit unions to talk about what cooperative principles and prac- can make a huge di erence in the lives of people strug- tices might mean coming out of the Great Reces- gling to keep up. It won’t be easy, but this is exactly sion. at conversation evolved into the Principles why credit unions were created in the rst place. & Philosophy Conference, a two-day event designed “I think the next step in the process is for credit to enhance the value of the credit union franchise unions to look for cooperative relationships on the statewide. local level,” adds Hardin. “ e more we engage with “Plenty of people were pulling that wagon,” says other co-ops and community organizations, the better Hardin, referring to the 30 volunteer DEs in North o we’ll all be in terms of market share.” Carolina who designed the rst conference. Philosophy becomes part of credit union operations, Entering its fourth year, the conference has trained human resource practices, and new-member outreach more than 100 credit union sta on credit unions’ his- as conference graduates: tory, philosophy, and mission. • Assign a DE to greet each new employee and begin In August, the National Credit Union Foundation the orientation process. (NCUF) presented the Cooperative Spirit Award to the • Reﬁ ne their leadership focus toward the operating North Carolina DEs, collectively, for this model project. principles, review policies to determine if they’re in “As a result of the North Carolina event, several oth- sync with these values, and deepen their work within er states are considering similar philosophy sessions,” communities. says Lois Kitsch, NCUF’s national program director. • Add history and principles training to their employ- The impact of the conference extends beyond ee onboarding and educational modules. the information it provides. “Five years ago there were four or ve DEs in North “So many credit union employees have joined the Carolina, now there are 50 to 60 due in part to these movement from other industries in recent years, it’s philosophy conferences,” notes Kitsch.

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Hardin_Jeff_Rockstar2013.indd 22 9/25/13 3:09 PM Social Media ‘Spokester’ Speaks From the Heart In 2010, as Mississippi’s Young and Free “spokester”—a job she competed for via social media— Sarah Dale Harmon drove up and down Mississippi in a bright purple car visiting credit unions. Meeting people who operate service- oriented, cooperative credit unions helped her decide on her career path. A er her stint with the Young and Free youth marketing campaign, she attended the Credit Union Development Education program in 2011, and later was hired as marketing specialist at $132 million asset Magnolia Federal Credit Union in Jackson, Miss. “Credit unions have products and services created for the sole purpose of helping people,” notes Harmon. “ at’s something I can feel good about. I don’t have to ‘sell’ anything to members—I just have to be honest with them.” Since joining Magnolia Federal, Har- mon has overhauled its Facebook/Twit- ter pages and added other social media Magnolia’s statistics are impressive. In networks such as Vine, Pinterest, Blogger, the first half of this year, membership and Instagram. increased 7.6%, checking accounts and “Social media is an inexpensive way to online banking grew by promote our products and services, com- approximately 10%, and municate with our members, and increase mobile banking was up ‘I don’t have to our presence in the community,” she says. more than 21%. Harmon makes Magnolia Federal’s In addition to han- “sell” anything to Facebook page attractive by updating it dling all digital market- daily, giving away prizes on Trivia Tues- ing, Harmon also serves members—I just day, and posting articles, tips, and pictures as Magnolia’s “Adopt-a- of sta out in the community. School” liaison, recently have to be honest “Sarah Dale’s social media results are working with a school astounding,” says Lanet McCrary, vice located in the communi- president of marketing and business ty surrounding the credit with them.’ development. “ e ‘Likes’ on our Face- union’s newest branch. book page increased from just over 200 in “Sarah Dale has amazing social media October 2012 to more than 3,600 today.” skills and the ability to reach our local Magnolia Federal had reached approxi- youth,” says McCrary. mately 26,000 people through Facebook as “We aren’t a huge credit union,” adds of May 2013—a gure that grows month- Harmon, “but with a little initiative and ly, with most of those contacts residing smart use of our advertising dollars, we’ve within its eld of membership. really had some success.” SARAH DALE HARMON

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Harmon_Sarah Dale.indd 23 9/25/13 3:09 PM A follow-up children’s album—aiming to make the band “the School House Rock/Wig- gles of nancial education”—is slated for release later this year. “It’s our way of helping consumers understand credit unions, but also letting credit union people, especially young professionals, know they’re part of this amazing movement,” says Helminak, the league’s vice president of development. The band was an outgrowth of NCUF’s Development Education (DE) training program—which has been providing lessons in cooperative principles, credit union philosophy, and member-centric business models for more than 30 years. Both went through the training. Both were inspired. “Suddenly, it turns your credit union job into ey Sing the Songs a career you believe in, where you’re working toward a greater good,” Helminak says. at Make the CU e two struck up a friendship when Helmi- nak was going through training in 2009 and World Sing Morris was serving as a mentor, having gone By day, they’re professional commu- through the program years earlier. ey discovered they both played guitar, lived in Madison, nicators for the credit union move- Wis., and had an unbridled passion for credit ment. By night, they’re literally credit unions. union rock stars. For fun, the pair started playing covers of In their spare time, Christopher Morris from classic rock tunes at local open mic shows. But CHAD HELMINAK the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) it wasn’t until their participation in an inno- and Chad Helminak from the Wisconsin Credit cent credit union-themed song contest that they Union League travel the country singing the honed their thri rock sound. movement’s praises as musicians with a mis- e band’s entry, “Movin’ on With My Mon- sion, known as e Disclosures. “People think we’re crazy sometimes because we nish our day jobs and then go work on ‘No one told us to start a CU credit union music, but it’s something we love and have a passion to do,” says Morris, NCUF’s band, but somewhere along the director of communications. “It might seem a little weird, but we have a niche and it’s great.” way people encouraged us to be e duo embarked on the unique musical journey in 2009, releasing an album of credit union-themed songs “(Hey, We’re) e Disclo- creative and that happened.’ sures,” in 2011.

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Disclosures_Rockstar2013.indd 24 9/25/13 3:10 PM ‘People think we’re crazy sometimes because we ﬁ nish our day jobs and then go work on CU music.’

ey,” was an immediate success. Shortly a er its release, it blew up on the Web in credit union circles and landed on e Hu ngton Post. “ e response was great,” Morris says. “Music and humor proved to be a unique and e ective way of communicating messages.” Since then, the band has released tunes for International Credit Union Day, Bank Trans- fer Day, National Credit Union Youth Week, as “ en I went through DE and it changed my well as a legislation-speci c advocacy song. It life,” Morris says. “One thing DE does is that it has performed at sta training sessions, league ties the movement together and helps you real- meetings, vendor meetings, and CUNA confer- ize the powerful, global impact of credit unions.” ences, including one at the historic Estes Park. Ever since, Morris has been involved with the “I think what we’ve been able to prove is that program in various capacities. if you give young people a chance and some Together, Morris and Helminak are a potent room to think big—like Chris and I have in our combination of passion, creativity, and intelli- workplaces—good things will come out of that gence. And they complement each other well. organically,” Helminak says. “No one told us to Helminak says of Morris: “A lot of ideas start a credit union band, but somewhere along oat in the ether sometimes. He has this ability the way people encouraged us to be creative and to package it and put it into something that’s that happened.” actionable. He has creativity, but also a ground- While their nights, weekends, and vacation edness about him that allows that creativity to day gigs have the cachet, Morris and Helminak come alive.” have been known to rock their day jobs, too. Meanwhile, Helminak, jumps where many Helminak started in the league’s communi- others might not, Morris says of his bandmate. cations department but advanced into devel- “Chad is one of those people who always has opment and outreach. He’s been in uential in the spark to take it to the next step. He’s always organizing a strong network of about 300 young willing to go for it,” Morris says. credit union professionals. Both are thrilled to share their passions with “It’s really energizing to help other people get each other and the world. It’s brought them to red up about credit unions,” Helminak says. places and given them experiences they never Morris got his credit union start as a temp at imagined. NCUF while he was trying to nd a high-school “We’re so lucky and honored to do this,” Mor- teaching gig. ris says. CHRISTOPHER MORRIS

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Disclosures_Rockstar2013.indd 25 9/25/13 3:10 PM CHERRY HEDGES

Emphasis on Education Drives Success At Virginia Credit Union in Richmond, debt, and seminars for rst-time home buyers. commitment to nancial education Last year, Virginia Credit Union reached a new milestone when more than 12,000 people participat- comes right from the top. ed in its nancial education programs. Young people A rm belief in the power of nancial education accounted for two-thirds of the participants. to help members succeed led President/CEO Jane Effective financial education makes for smart, Watkins to seek out a trained educator to serve as savvy consumers. the credit union’s rst full-time director of nancial After Hedges worked with a local community education. college, an instructor recalled the way one of her e commitment became a reality when Virginia students discussed home ownership in a nal exam Credit Union hired former public school teacher paper. Cherry Hedges six years ago. “Integrating new thinking about their future is the “I was attracted to Virginia Credit Union because goal of this program,” the instructor wrote to Hedges. of the vision it has for helping its members,” says “I’m so pleased to see students asking questions and Hedges. “I loved the idea of using my teaching expe- trying to take ownership over their adult nances. rience to help people get ahead nancially.” ank you again for bringing your knowledge and e credit union o ers week-long money camps for tools to our program.” teens, an introduction to personal nance for college Virginia Credit Union is the largest state-chartered students, adult workshops in budgeting and reducing credit union in Virginia with 220,000 members, 550 employees, and 16 branch o ces. During the past 10 years, assets have more than doubled from $1.1 billion to $2.5 billion. Education and empowerment for members and the community have been a key to the credit union’s success. “Our sole purpose as a cooperative is to help our members be more successful,” says Watkins. “ at’s why we put such a priority on nancial education.” “People are hungry for this,” says Watkins. “It took the recent recession for people to wake up and see how important it is.” ‘I loved the idea of using my teaching experience to help people get ahead ﬁ nancially.’

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Hedges_Rockstar13.indd 26 9/25/13 3:10 PM fﬁ cial White House photo fﬁ by Pete Souza O JOHN HERRERA A Champion of Change If he could be a rock star, John Herrera Latino Community and other credit unions, Her- would be Elvis, “because he had good rera says. “We work for our members. We want to promote the idea of volunteerism and the shared looks and good moves.” benefits of community development. We work Herrera has made good moves since he together better than we do individually.” co-founded Latino Community Credit Union, e White House announcement said Latino Com- Durham, N.C., in 2000. The credit union has munity Credit Union “has become the fastest growing grown to a $100 million asset institution today community development credit union in the nation with more than 55,000 members (a 30% increase and a banking model for new immigrants.” in the past ve years). “I remember when we started, people saw immi- A senior vice president at Self-Help Credit Union, Durham, N.C., since 1999, he was recog- grants as too expensive to serve,” Herrera recalls. nized earlier this year in the White House’s “Cham- “But we were created to serve the underserved.” pions of Change” ceremony, which honored 11 The previously underserved individuals and foreign-born entrepreneurs. businesses have reward- North Carolina has several rural, underserved ed Latino Community’s ‘Every day you’re areas, where prospective members live on farms faith in them by not only with little access to the nancial services found keeping the credit union in large cities, says Herrera. He sees a network of strong, but also by help- changing people’s lives.’ local farm bureaus, churches, mobile branches, and ing it grow during the mobile communications providing nancial prod- recent financial crisis, ucts and education to meet their needs. adds Herrera, a naturalized American from Costa “Once folks know the bene ts of the credit union, Rica, who cites his faith and his family as the driv- they’ll use it,” says Herrera, who has seen his credit ing forces in his life. union help members buy their rst homes and rst Herrera sees Vietnamese communities in sev- cars, open businesses, and send their children to eral areas as needing the same nancial services college. Helping members in their nancial quests that Latino communities need. And, he adds, these is what Herrera nds most rewarding about his job. services are the same as what northern European “Every day you’re changing people’s lives by helping immigrants needed only a few generations ago. them grow nancially and realize their dreams.” “ e sooner we embrace them, the sooner we’ll “People helping people” is the primary theme of have stronger communities,” says Herrera.

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Herrara_John_Rockstar2013.indd 27 9/25/13 3:10 PM JEANETTE RADMER

Bringing New Business on Board Numerica Credit Union’s team of business development managers has been together just one year. But what a year it’s been. Drawing from their separate areas of expertise, Manuel Hochheimer, Janet McNeilly, and Jeanette Radmer teamed up to identify the Spokane Valley, Wash., credit union’s target demographics and introduced initiatives to broaden its market share within those segments. The trio’s Dealer Center Outbound Conversion Program dramatically improved engagement among indirect auto loan recipients. Its University Out- reach Program deepened interactions between Numerica and more than a half-dozen colleges in its service area. And the credit union’s emphasis on the growing medical, dental, educational, and small-business communities in the region meshes with its goal of attracting more 25- to 49-year-olds. Radmer sums up the team’s strategy: “Be strategic in your business development e orts. Know the demographic your credit union is targeting in its e orts to be successful and thrive in the future. en, reach out to that demographic, get to know them, and introduce them to the bene ts your credit union has to o er.” e group’s successful onboarding program stands out as its chief accom- plishment. In the past year, Numerica connected with approximately 70% of its indirect members, converting nearly 20% of them into primary nancial institution members—a rate about 10 times the industry average. “Simply by reaching out to people, having a conversation, and listening to their stories, we’ve become a partner in their quest to nd nancial well-being, rather than the place where they have their car loan,” Hochheimer says. Numerica tailors nancial educa- MANUEL HOCHHEIMER

28 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Numerica_Hochheimer_McNeilly_Radmer_Rockstar2013.indd 28 9/25/13 3:11 PM JEANETTE RADMER ‘Know the demographic your CU is targeting in its efforts to be successful.’

tion presentations for students and faculty at colleges such as Gonzaga University, Whitworth University, and Eastern Washington University, and partners with them on community involvement projects. e credit union also o ers a tour of its headquarters with an executive Q&A. anks to the region’s emphasis on becoming a business corridor, many of those rising stars remain in the area following graduation to start their careers. Numerica has positioned itself as their trusted nancial adviser. “I get excited about learning what motivates members and identifying their unique needs,” McNeilly says. “ is process wouldn’t be as ful lling if I didn’t work for a company that I believe in. I can honestly say I enjoy going to work every day.” JANET McNEILLY

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 29

Numerica_Hochheimer_McNeilly_Radmer_Rockstar2013.indd 29 9/25/13 3:11 PM CUNA Strategic Services RELATIONSHIPS THAT MATTER STRATEGIC ALLIANCE PROVIDERS

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Compushare Ad.indd 3 9/23/13 4:33 PM HANK HUBBARD 1 Making an Impact in Motown “You’re Hank Hubbard, the president into a broad smile. “Would you like to hear the good of Communicating Arts Credit Union, news?” the member asked. Communicating Arts had twice renegotiated terms right?” the member asked with an angry of Aaron McIver’s used vehicle loan for his beloved look on his face, interrupting Hubbard’s 2005 GMC Yukon. e original $23,000 dealer loan guided tour of the credit union’s branch carried an astounding 24.95% interest rate over six in Highland Park, Mich. years. e credit union sliced that rate in half, and For the rst few years of the branch’s existence, then by half again a er helping McIver improve his Hubbard couldn’t walk into the lobby without a mem- credit score, to 5% over ve years. ber thanking him. No nancial institution had opened at memorable exchange, which inspired the a location in that underserved community encircled credit union’s Auto Bailout Loan program, explains by Detroit in 20 years, since before the Chrysler Cor- the community development credit union’s positive poration relocated its headquarters to the suburbs. impact through its progressive programs—and the But this exchange started with a di erent tone. reason Hubbard loves his job. “And as a member, you work for me, right?” the “ e truth is, you kind of get sucked into serv- man asked rhetorically. Hubbard nodded. ing the underserved—once you try it you just want e member complained that his calls to the credit more,” says Hubbard, a past winner of CUNA’s Lou- union continually funneled directly to voice mail. ise Herring Philosophy in Action and Dora Maxwell Hubbard responded that Communicating Arts had Social Responsibility Community Service awards, just opened a call center to address that problem, and and the Michigan Credit Union Foundation’s Com- asked if anything else was bothering him. munity Volunteer recipient for 2011. Suddenly, the man’s mood changed, and he broke Since Hubbard’s successful launch of the Auto

32 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Hubbard Hank.indd 32 9/25/13 3:11 PM ‘The truth is, you kind of get sucked into serving the underserved—once you try it you just want more.’

Loan Bailout program, Communicating Arts has helped more than 250 members reduce their loan rate by an average of nearly 7% and save about $100 on their monthly payment. e branch in gritty Highland Park—where parts of Emi- nem’s 8 Mile and much of Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino were lmed—has opened about 3,200 accounts since coming to the neighborhood in 2008. A branch in Detroit’s Eastside 2 neighborhood opened more than 1,300 accounts since 2011. Communicating Arts promotes community-focused projects and partnerships, including annual charity drives, nancial education seminars, and free tax assistance. Recently, Hubbard spearheaded a volunteer day with the Metro West Chapter of Credit Unions at a Detroit-based food rescue 1 The building that housed the world’s ﬁ rst moving assembly line— producing the Ford Motor Co.’s Model T—stands in disrepair nonpro t. About 125 credit union sta and members par- across the street from Hubbard’s Communicating Arts CU branch in ticipated, raising nearly $14,000 for Forgotten Harvest and Highland Park, Mich. packing more than 11,000 pounds of reclaimed food. HANK HUBBARD “Ever since I’ve known Mr. Hubbard, not a day goes by Hubbard plays with children at an AIDS orphanage in Kenya, 2 where he’s traveled twice on behalf of the World Council of where he isn’t doing something for the community,” says Credit Unions. The children love to play with his long, straight hair Sharlena Clair, administrative assistant to the vice president and beard, Hubbard says. of nance at Communicating Arts and one of 30 young pro- Communicating Arts CU employees work a craft tent at a holiday fessionals and high school students Hubbard mentors. 3 fair, helping children make ornaments. “Seeing how driven he is builds my appreciation for working for this company. He inspires not just his employees, but Hubbard and Shandel Small, a Communicating Arts CU branch 4 manager, volunteer at Forgotten Harvest, an organization that the community, too,” says Clair. rescues surplus food and repackages it for food pantries in Detroit. Of Detroit’s many rock stars. Marvin Gaye is Hubbard’s favorite. Gaye’s social awareness also appealed to Hubbard, A Communicating Arts CU crew, led by Hubbard, boards up 5 abandoned homes around Detroit, where the home vacancy whose modern music idol is Bono—the philanthropic, social epidemic breeds crime and lowers the value of nearby properties. activist lead singer for U2. “He’s the poster boy for using his powers for good,” Hubbard says.

3 4 5

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 33

Hubbard Hank.indd 33 9/25/13 3:11 PM He Means Business Under Eric Jenkins’ leadership, orders at once, which would put me in the position CU Partner Link’s rst big idea has of potentially having to walk away from an order for lack of funding,” says Watkins, who used to rely on become the “Next Big Idea.” traditional lines of credit and home equity loans to e company’s NOWaccount, which enables small balance the books. “NOWaccount allows me to go a er business-to-business sellers to better manage cash ow, larger national accounts because we have the funding won a “Shark Tank”-like competition, claiming the to process just about any o er we close.” National Association of Credit Union Service Orga- Logo Sur ng added two service reps and increased nizations’ honor for the industry’s best new concept. its average order total 35% to put the company on pace NOWaccount provides simple, cost-e ective access for a record year. It counts among its clients both start- to capital by turning accounts receivables into cash. up companies and giants such as e Coca-Cola Co., e product also gives credit unions a “legitimate e Dow Chemical Co., and O ceMax. chance to o er something of signi cant value for small Jenkins envisioned making precisely that type of businesses that banks can’t or won’t provide,” says Angi impact when he joined CU Partner Link as chief Harben, director of communications for the Georgia operating o cer a er more than 20 years represent- Credit Union A liates (GCUA). ing credit unions. at includes a stint as a senior vice GCUA and the Cornerstone, Iowa, Ohio, and Califor- president at GCUA and a 10-year run as president of nia/Nevada Credit Union Leagues own CU Partner Link. Palmetto Health Credit Union in Columbia, S.C., dur- NOWaccount has “supercharged” business prospects ing which time the institution grew from $5 million to for Logo Sur ng Promotional Products, an online $50 million in assets. retailer based in Georgia that produces branded mate- To become the nancial institution of choice for rials, says Logo Sur ng CEO Matthew Watkins. members, credit unions “must be willing to evolve “Before, I was literally afraid of getting too many big quickly and be open to creating value for consumers in new and innovative ways,” Jenkins says. CU Partner Link aims to drive revenue for credit unions by expanding membership, increasing loan originations, and creating additional fee income. “Small businesses can be very pro table members if you have the right products and services to meet their needs,” Jenkins says. “ is is largely an untapped market for many credit unions.” Photo: Stuler Photography ERIC JENKINS 34 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Jenkins_EricRockstar13.indd 34 9/25/13 3:08 PM JEFF JOHNSON

e Right People, the Right Initiative, the Right Time

Developing the credit union movement’s to get to market faster with more innovative products,” rst integration speci cations has been as he notes. “ e end goal isn’t technology, it’s to improve rewarding as the need is obvious, accord- our competitiveness in the broader nancial services marketplace.” ing to Je Johnson, who—as former CUFX first tackled personal finance management vice chair of the CUNA Technology specifications, which have been in production more Council—spearheaded the project. than a year, followed by membership application. Most But consider the scale of this undertaking: Counting recently, specs for online and mobile banking have been conferences, committee meetings, and working groups, approved, with a request for proposal issued this fall. Johnson estimates participants have invested between “Each iteration has built on the iteration before and 10,000 and 15,000 volunteer hours getting Credit we improve each time,” Johnson says. “ e project will Union Financial Exchange (CUFX) up and running. never be done because things always change and the “A tremendous amount of e ort has been put into specs need to change as the world changes.” CUFX from credit unions, core processing providers, Early adoption of these standards by credit unions and third-party vendors,” says Johnson, senior vice pres- and vendors will ident of information systems at Baxter Credit Union in be key to CUFX’s Vernon Hills, Ill. “More so than any time in the past, success, according ‘The end goal is to improve our technology is a key driver of success, and it’s gratify- to Johnson, who ing to know that technology professionals are coming wants to elevate competitiveness in the broader together to solve such a big industry challenge.” credit unions’ CUFX is an open, vendor-agnostic, broad integra- visibility in the ﬁ nancial services marketplace.’ tion standard designed by credit unions and vendors to nancial world. reduce the time and costs of systems integration, which “The credit have increased as technology grows more complex. union movement Johnson quips that the need for CUFX is as self-evi- is uniquely positioned for the bene t of its members,” dent as being nice to your mother on Mother’s Day. He Johnson says. “If credit unions, core processors, and attributes the success of the e ort to the right people third-party vendors all focused on serving members discussing the right initiative at the right time. through integrated, robust, and secure o erings, we He’s focused on delivering results, not getting credit. could provide solutions unmatched by other nancial “Ultimately, the member wins, because we’ll be able institutions.”

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 35

Johnson_Rockstar2013.indd 35 9/27/13 9:11 AM Lay_Rockstar13.indd 36 36 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARSROCK CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE Ex-Punk Rocker JoinsEx-Punk Revolution Digital win hiswin girl’s heart. women. James Lay quit Robert one to Most guys join rock bands to woo JAMES ROBERT companyhis new with acouple hundred dollars. his guitar and other band equipment, and funded olution fascinated he quit him.So band, the sold and opportunities the presented by rev- digital the impress her.” Lay “I recalls. her liked alot and wanted to would never make acareer out of apunk band,” Balance, and waiting tables to pay bills. the dream—playing emo inthe punk band Perfect inhis nativeCollege Texas, Lay was living his LAYtems during his sophomore year at San Jacinto Lay had recently acourse taken inWeb design “I told who library metinthe girl this me I Until one day... While studying management information sys-

OCTOBER 2013 for continued success. And according focus, to aboutspeak avoiding,” Lay says. “Focus is amust creditthings to all unions, is which something I tems for credit select unions. ing marketing digital and generation lead sys- Media to CUGrow, emphasize will which build- He rebranded his company from PTPNew experiences. digital process around to deliver purpose their 1-on-1 inaligningpeople, his belief product, andtry keting awards, and shared throughout indus- the American credit unions, won more than 50mar- growing and is stronger than ever. he inhis started parents’ basement in2002is girl—Delena,nowthe his wife—but business the 20% market share, and continuing to grow.” years from now, credit unions are celebrating a haven’tthey done before. and embrace brave the world digital new inways credit self-limiting unions cease practices ifthey dust.”collect tration tools the and while most of supplies the person is le with an un nished joband frus- But ifthere’s no construction plan inplace, a mer, nails, and wood, concrete to build afence. to hardware the store to purchase ashovel, ham- tothem market or maximize potential. their toolsdigital without any long-term plan to bring Tube came onto scene. the streaming in2003—two years video before You- league, Jonathan, company the produced a platforms. With his brother and longtime col- industry.ize the underscores company’s the desire to revolution- organization from to great.” good [leadership Jim guru] is what Collins, an takes “We were slowly but surely becoming all is month marks another step bold for Lay. Lay has worked with more than 400North eleap of faith paid o . Not only did Lay get “My vision and hope,” Lay says, that “is ve agolden could this Lay be believes age for “Here’s analogy,” agood he says. “You go down But Lay frets that many credit unions adopt Lay has long savored leveraging media new CU Grow’s “destroying thebox” mantra 9/25/13 3:08PM DAN McGOWAN A ‘Come-From-Behind’ Story Line Stop if you’ve heard this before: Man Florida credit union a er losing his bid for CEO. at inherits motley crew and transforms night he saw a job opening at Pioneer West Virginia Federal and applied in unorthodox fashion—mention- them into an elite organization. ing he’d just been let go, so the timing was good. Sounds like “ e Bad News Bears,” “ e Dirty Doz- at candor resonated with CEO C. Dana Rawlings, en,” or “Major League.” Now, it’s the script of Pioneer who was in his rst year on the job. Rawlings called West Virginia Federal Credit Union in Charleston. McGowan the following e once struggling credit union just completed night and they hit it o ‘We are the little CU its third acquisition in as many years, and is now the immediately. largest credit union in the southern half of the state. “For some reason, Along the way, it earned national awards and a clean he seemed to think we that could, and did, slate from regulators. would make a great team,” The turnaround was a team effort, says Dan McGowan says. “Turns and continues to do McGowan, the credit union’s executive vice president/ out he was right.” chief nancial o cer (CFO). “ ink of the emotions Among his many great things.’ you feel when watching those ‘come-from-behind- achievements, McGowan to-win’ movies,” says McGowan. “ at’s us—we were engineered a tenfold judged losers but now we’re clearly winners. We are increase in the credit union’s investment portfolio the little credit union that could, and did, and contin- yield, developed a variable-rate certi cate in which ues to do great things.” members’ return can only increase over its four- or ree years ago, McGowan found himself in the ve-year term, and conducted the rst nancial lit- role of outcast a er he was ousted as CFO from a eracy training program for the board of directors. Rock Star Dan McGowan (center) credits Pioneer West Virginia “Dan has the ability to see things how they can be, FCU’s success to his “backup band,” PIMA (Pioneer’s Intrinsically not as they are,” Rawlings says. “He’s relentless in his Motivated Achievers). pursuit of excellence.”

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 37

McGowan_DanRockstar13.indd 37 9/25/13 3:09 PM Coastal FCU_McAdams_Livingston.indd 38 38 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARSROCK CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE PATRICK LIVINGSTON

OCTOBER 2013

Photos by Paul Styron CU Professionals and Communities eir YoungBetween Build Execs Bonds in the leatherin the pants.” though McAdams is quick to add:“not Jagger and Elton John, respectively, spanned ages the with work–Mick their themselves as long-lived stars that have McAdams and Patrick Livingston see If rock could be stars, they Brandon nities for credit union participants to interact with about volunteerism local and networking opportu- to community the adds alot of value to what you do.” you want ifyou’re not to willing sacrice. Dedication get another job. You’re not going to get happiness the you’re only init for paycheck, the you then should product development manager. “You have to care. If adds McAdams, Federal’s Coastal consumer lending you’re not doing your jobas acredit union executive,” communities.”their stand impact the that credit unions are making in says Livingston. “A lot of members the don’tunder- dren’s groups, and other similar community e orts, it’sties, volunteerism the missions, inrescue chil- accounts that credit unions bring to communi- their credit unions—provide. that services the nancial institutions—particularly typically aren’tpast, Millenials brought up knowing and prospective members. Unlike generations of the employees bridge awareness the gap with members tion. He CUaware sees as away to help credit union Federal’sCoastal director of business transforma- Elton John according does, to Livingston, is who also erations and to strive to engage much Millenials, as communitiesthe that credit unions serve. andcesses burdens, and proactive take steps to help opportunity to share and ideas contacts as well as suc- are who those to new profession. the It provides an knowledgethe veterans gap experienced between and sionals together to from learn eachother and bridge creators of CUaware, brings which credit union profes- Federal CreditCoastal Union N.C.,and inRaleigh, McAdams and Livingston are employees with CUaware’s website (cuaware.org) oers information “If you’re for not sacrificing your community, It’s not only typical checking, the savings, and other Part of helping communities those is to span gen- 9/25/13 3:29PM CU Professionals and Communities eir YoungBetween Build Execs Bonds Coastal FCU_McAdams_Livingston.indd 39 generations. members reach potential their now and infuture and McAdams hope helps credit unions and their that’s e the behind orts of CUaware, Livingston which to need grow they products wealth. their and services Federal atjob is helping Coastal members obtain want.they One of things the he likesabout best his members to understand—rather than assume—what unions to members to need talk and prospective and need,McAdams says. But he that advises credit tobers obtain want they products the and services proactive, should make they it also for easy mem- vast array of products,” McAdams explains. area, small you inavery havespecializing to know a to McAdams expand skills, their adds. cut to move to adierent jobwithin organization the ing to stretch themselves, evenifit means apay taking right opportunity. guys can here.” win Good members. “Young employees can excel. have ey the unions oer opportunities for employees as well as for what do,” they explains McAdams, adding that credit it, inthroughout like peers their industry. the community, inthe logged but don’t much talk about contributed to hundreds the of hours CUaware has but are largely unknown community. inthe have Both nity event. of types e ose orts are commonplace, manager gets who up at 3a.m.to travel to acommu- to mile amember’s meet extra branchneeds—like the stories of credit union managers and sta going the Association for and ideas inspiration. businesses and National the Cooperative Business not only to credit unions but to other cooperative mending that credit union leadersof future the look spirit of credit the union,” Livingston adds, recom- from veterans. creditticularly with new union participants learning executives and sta to from learn one another, par- one another. esite encourages also credit union It’s asimilar philosophy of people helping people While credit union executives and sta should be “ is isn’t of Bank where America, you have people Credit union leadersof future the will- to need be “Credit unions are terrible about bragging about McAdams, like Livingston, says he’s inspired by “You cooperative inthe immersed fully to need be OCTOB ER 2013

CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARSROCK CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE 39 9/25/13 3:29PM BRANDON McADAMS Getting Results And Enabling CUs Heather Moshier is all about results. at’s where she nds a lot of her motivation to serve as executive vice president of IT at San Diego County Credit Union. Moshier is also the former chair of the CUNA Technology Council. Credit unions need more leaders like her, says Brian Bodell, CEO of Finivation. e rm specializes in systems integration and so ware development for credit unions, community banks, and technology providers. “Heather combines the pace and exactitude seen in many tough indus- ‘The business must tries, like venture capital and hedge funds, with the warm, people-orien- drive technology.’ tation of the credit union movement,” says Bodell. “Not an easy thing to do.” At San Diego County Credit Union, Moshier makes sure technology is a “business enabler.” “ e business must drive the technology,” she says, not the other way around. Moshier brought the same results-oriented style to her leadership role with the CUNA Technology Council. “Heather has demonstrated clear leadership as chair, push- ing forward many initiatives and driving both people and organizations to be decisive, fast, and accurate with their execution,” Bodell says. “I have seen few people be such a strong driver, yet still be liked and admired by all involved.” He says Moshier and her team have been important driv- ers of the CUNA Technology Council’s volunteer-powered Credit Union Financial Exchange (CUFX) initiative—an open, vendor agnostic, broad integration standard designed to reduce the time and cost of systems integration. “Heather’s work on CUFX has required much creativity, focus, and persistence,” Bodell says. Moshier’s high standing among peers might be due to her strong inclination to work as a team and collaborate for the greater good. “I strongly believe in the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people,’” she says. “I love the credit union industry like family. We learn from each other, collaborate, and discuss and share information to help each other succeed.” HEATHER MOSHIER 40 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

MosierHeather_Rockstar2013.indd 40 9/27/13 9:11 AM ‘I hope every day I can have a positive impact on somebody, somewhere, someplace.’ DICK NESVOLD Steward of the Movement’s Principles Dick Nesvold is an innovative and passionate steward of his credit union and the movement. The president/CEO of SouthPoint Federal Credit Union in New Ulm, Minn., took over the top post in 1996 and has presided over tremendous growth and

prosperity for members, even through the past few years Shayds of Color of economic turmoil. He oversaw the construction of a new main o ce, meaningful. Our focus and vision are about the better- the introduction of checking and debit cards, a eld of ment of our members.” membership (FOM) expansion, and a name change— Nesvold is an engaged leader, communicating regu- setting up the credit union for a sustainable future. larly with sta and volunteers, participating in credit “It’s not just about being bigger,” Nesvold says. “When union-sponsored activities, committing himself and we expanded our FOM it was all about nding that crit- sta to training, and investing his time with community ical mass that we could leverage to try and stay on the groups. “He sees the need to reinvent ourselves regu- playing eld as long as we can.” larly,” says Diedrich, “and he’s willing to take a chance Nesvold’s innovative leadership has been a di erence- on ideas that will lead to greater success in the future.” maker for the credit union. “ ese changes might not e entire movement bene ts from Nesvold’s com- have happened without his foresight and intuition,” says mitment to the credit union cause. He’s been an advo- Troy Diedrich, SouthPoint Federal’s vice president of cate for credit unions in Washington, trying to make marketing and development. “He has hired the right elected o cials understand the impact excess regula- people and instilled in them his vision.” tions have on institutions such as SouthPoint Federal. at vision is simple yet profound: Making people’s Nesvold has built credit union bonds abroad as well— lives a little bit better each day. “Fortunately, the credit speci cally in Paraguay. He was one of nine credit union union charter and the cooperative philosophy are pretty professionals inducted into the World Council of Credit cool things,” Nesvold says. “I’m not sure our members Unions’ International Executive Volunteer Corps. and potential members always understand what that “I hope every day I can have a positive impact on means, but for those of us in leadership roles, it’s very somebody, somewhere, someplace,” Nesvold says.

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 41

Nesvold_DickRockstar13.indd 41 9/25/13 3:10 PM HJB Chicago, Ill Photography,

Intellectual Curiosity Trumps Insularity Intellectual curiosity explains Jason One of Alliant’s goals is to promote Osterhage’s a nity for a wide responsible borrowing in a way that creates lasting social bene t. at jibes with Oster- range of subjects. hage’s dedication to monitor groundbreakers These subjects include Frank Gehry’s in all elds. provocative architecture, the powerful les- “Look beyond credit union boundaries to sons of business thinkers Nancy Duarte and de ne the limits of what’s necessary and pos- Alexsander Osterwalder, and Pixar’s blend of sible to accomplish,” Osterhage says. “Our productivity and creativity. business is unique in ways that matter, but I “I nd inspiration in all of these places believe we can spend too much time talking because I share Peter Drucker’s view that to ourselves about ourselves.” management is a liberal art,” says Osterhage, With social entrepreneurship, cross-sec- senior vice president of lending at Alliant tor collaboration, and conscious capital- Credit Union in Chicago. “It draws on psy- ism becoming buzzwords, credit unions pos- chology and philosophy, economics and his- sess a rare opportunity to di erentiate them- tory, current events, culture, ethics, and the selves, Osterhage says. latest applications of the physical sciences. To that end, credit union executives must “I’ve always tried to nd my way onto teams recognize that they serve as the primary where I’m the dumbest person in the room,” he engine of growth and change, he adds. continues. “If I ever feel like I’m the smartest “Leaders would do well to think of them- person in a room, there’s the potential to stop selves as strategic leaders of social enterprises learning and growing.” navigating today’s business environment— Osterhage entered the credit union indus- and then search within that broader frame try eight years ago with Delta Community for ideas and inspiration,” Osterhage says. Credit Union in Atlanta and last year moved to Alliant, where he’s intrigued by the organization’s commitment to ask challenging Jason Osterhage and his family—which includes his questions and remain committed to credit wife, Melanie; son, Noah; and daughter, Charlotte—are

JASON OSTERHAGE union philosophy. all smiles on their new home turf, Chicago.

42 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Osterhage_Jason.indd 42 9/25/13 3:10 PM JENNI PARAMORE Enthusiasm + Education = Enduring Results Enthusiasm comes naturally to Jenni “My job is to develop and present nancial tools so Paramore, community outreach education people can make wiser, more informed nancial decisions,” says Paramore. “We make these classes available coordinator for Directions Credit Union, to anyone who asks.” Mans eld, Ohio. Initially, management used incentives to get front- at enthusiasm has been a boon to nancial edu- line sta to track new accounts gained through com- cation in northern and central Ohio—a primary goal munity outreach. Now the leadership team is working in Directions’ strategic plan for more than ve years. to develop an ongoing program to track results. “Our business development department was given Some of the program the task of becoming the No. 1 source for nancial results come back to Para- education in our communities,” says Paramore. “I’m more as anecdotes, which ‘We make classes pleased to say that has happened.” she calls “the experiences Last year, Paramore logged a total of 255 outreach that thrill me.” hours, reaching almost 6,500 people. A er attending an eight- available to anyone Venues for nancial education include churches, week money management shelters, public and private schools, libraries, prisons, program at Richland Cor- who asks.’ and juvenile detention centers. Directions’ programs rectional Institution, one of also target college freshman as well as nontraditional the o enders told Paramore student programs. Select employee groups receive cus- that because of what he learned about nances, a er tomized “lunch and learn” presentations. his release he and his wife decided to get on a budget that would allow them to pay o their debt, repair their credit, and prevent bankruptcy. “Another time, while at lunch, I noticed that the waitress was using a Directions Credit Union pen. I commented on it, and she told me that her son had recently completed the Reality Store program for eighth-graders. In one class, he learned to balance a checkbook register and reconcile a statement. “When I called the branch to ask about the young man’s experience, I was told that he asked all of the questions that we discuss with the students. He had learned one of our most important lessons—‘Don’t sign your name to anything you don’t understand, so ask questions!’ “My hope is that I help my communities to be better, smarter communities—the kind of place where people want to live and grow,” says Paramore. As for who she’d be if she were a big-name Rock Star? “Bob Dylan, because of his social commentary.”

Paramore (left) presents a check to Diane Tobias, children’s librarian, for the Mansﬁ eld-Richland Public Library’s summer reading program.

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Paramore_Jenni_Rockstar2013.indd 43 9/25/13 3:11 PM 1 1 Parks (left) and board member Tom Murphy represent Sioux Valley Community CU at the Pioneer Valley Days parade in August. 2 Intern Alexa Modrell reads the winning ticket at Sioux Valley Community’s annual Member Appreciation Day as Parks looks on. 2

JOHN PARKS Hooked on CUs From Day One John Parks has had a major impact on with free bill pay. He increased advertising to com- Sioux Valley Community Credit Union’s municate the credit union’s willingness to lend. Parks completely rewrote loan policies, allowing operations, but perhaps his greatest greater exibility to lend to those who qualify or need contribution is his e ect on sta . a second chance. Sioux Valley’s delinquency rate has “I can’t imagine working with someone other than stayed under 0.5%, and the credit union now promotes John Parks,” says Katie Johnson, director of operations. buy-down interest rates for loans nanced elsewhere. “He’s a great coach and mentor, and his positive per- Sioux Valley’s loan portfolio increased from $5.3 million sonality is addictive.” to $9 million between March 2012 and August 2013. In 2011, Sioux Valley Community—which serves a “Our board and sta are engaged in the community, 12-county area of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota— working with local schools and businesses,” he says. “Our lost its CEO, who was killed in a roadside accident. sta does an excellent job researching needs and imple- e economy was weak, and a large meat-packing menting their ndings. Our board helps with everything employer had closed and from joining parades to celebrating sta victories.” ‘The people made it laid o 1,400 workers. The credit union has partnered with Siouxland Membership was in Community Action Agency to o er individual devel- easy to get involved, decline, lending was slow, opment accounts with matching funds from the Iowa and investment earnings Credit Union Foundation. were next to nothing. Parks is in his fourth year as president of the North- learn, and grow.’ “ at made it tough try- west Iowa Chapter of Credit Unions. ing to keep three branches His passion for credit unions has grown with his running,” recalls Johnson. involvement, starting with his rst visit to a credit Parks arrived in March 2012, having previously union shortly a er college. “I opened an account and served as branch manager for two other area credit was hooked because of the great service,” he recalls. unions. His accomplishments since then are impressive. “Working for credit unions, I’ve received tremen- He added a debit card program, which helped the dous support from directors, sta , and professionals credit union bring back previous members and gain at all levels,” says Parks. “ e people have made it easy new ones. Next came user-friendly online banking to get involved, to learn, and to grow.”

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Parks_John_Rockstar2013.indd 44 9/25/13 3:13 PM PAUL PHILLIPS A Heart for Service At a strategic planning session a few Sales. Borrowers get not only a loan, but also classes years ago, directors and key executives at in personal nance and vehicle maintenance. Most of the loans go to single minority mothers Freedom First Credit Union, Roanoke, with credit scores below 600 and annual incomes of Va., focused on one vital questi on: no more than $18,000. “If we weren’t here, who would care?” Phillips reports a “man- From the discussion arose a new commitment. ageable” delinquency ‘We’ve created an “We said, ‘Let’s be di erent,’ ” recalls Paul Phillips, rate for the $1 million president/CEO. Under Phillips’ leadership, Freedom portfolio. interdependency First embarked on a bold e ort to serve people who He remembers the lack access to traditional nancial institutions. first borrower, who between the CU “In doing so, we’ve breathed new life into the cred- arrived to make her rst it union and given our work purpose,” Phillips says. car payment only to nd and community “Our skill sets are evolving to include such things as the lobby door locked grant writing and leading community collaborations on a Saturday. stakeholders.’ to do things for-pro ts either would not or could not “She started cry- do. It’s been a fun journey.” ing because she was so In 2010, Freedom First obtained designations as a proud of making that rst payment,” Phillips says. community development credit union, a low-income e woman soon realized the drive-through was credit union, and a community development nan- open. For the rst time in her life, she used a drive- cial institution. It also created products and programs through to conduct nancial business. designed specifically for low-income people, who Freedom First also participates in the Federal Home comprise 61% of the credit union’s members. Loan Bank’s Set-Aside Program to issue forgivable One such program is Responsible Rides, a collabo- loans for home weatherization, repairs, mobility adap- ration with community nonpro ts and Enterprise Car tations, and more.

Membership is sweet at Freedom First CU, which provides free ice cream during family-oriented community and nonproﬁ t events. “We really believe that doing good is good business,” says CEO Paul Phillips (left).

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Phillips_Paul.indd 45 9/25/13 3:12 PM the net-worth restoration. “It has been really hard work, and took a lot of dedication to keep our founding leaders’ dreams alive with our credit union,” she says. “Many people would have given up. Our credit union very easily could have been gone. But we have a mission to help Her Refusal to Quit union ironworkers. No one else would be here to help them.” Is an Inspiration Robinson wasn’t interested in hearing “no” or When Paci c Northwest Ironworkers “can’t” during the long days and nights it took to right the ship. And her positive leadership ROBINSON Federal Credit Union approached and “why not” attitude keep the credit union the brink, Teri Robinson helped moving forward. pull it back. “I look at how we can do things instead of And her grace under the pressure of a net- how we cannot,” she says. worth restoration at the Portland, Ore.-based e credit union movement is important, credit union caught the attention of many in Robinson says—members belong for many the credit union movement. reasons. Understanding these reasons should “Her credit union is thriving now and others be a driving force for all credit union leaders. are taking note of what she’s done—implement- “We are relevant and needed more now than ing her ideas and positive attitude to help their ever,” she says. “You have to believe this as a own credit unions perform better,” says Brady CEO or leader in your organization or give up Howe, president/CEO of Cutting Edge Federal your spot to someone else who does.”

TERI Credit Union, also based in Portland. Robinson wasn’t always sure things would work out in the face of daunting nancial dif- ‘It took a lot of dedication to keep culties. But she conjured up a positive attitude, put her head down, and got to work. our founding leaders’ dreams alive.’ “I wasn’t afraid to ask for help from my vendors, sta , and board,” she says. “I told them ‘I’m in it to win it.’ So, how are you going to help me? I didn’t give them a chance to tell me ‘no.’ ” Robinson’s determination and success at roughout the restoration, the plan was to Paci c Northwest Ironworkers Federal reaches hold on to shares and loans—not to bleed o beyond the branch walls. “She uses her experi- assets—and to continue making loans despite ences and expertise to motivate other leaders in past losses. the credit union industry whenever possible,” e plan worked. Now, Robinson has to wor- Howe says. “Her positive, can-do attitude is ry about growing too fast a er emerging from contagious and inspiring.”

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Robinson_Teri_Rockstar1013.indd 46 9/25/13 3:13 PM JIM SCHRIMPF Calling the Central City Home ‘Bass’ e Beatles’ breakthrough in the early “With the right product mix, competitive pricing, and 1960s inspired Jim Schrimpf to set aside risk controls, you most certainly can.” Brewery o ers payday lending alternatives, credit- his accordion and play rock ’n’ roll. builder accounts, mobile and text banking, mortgage But he wasn’t sure which instrument to play. A loans under $25,000, individual development accounts friend told him that his band always had a hard time that match up to $2,500 for a down payment on a house; nding a bass player. sells bus passes and stamps in its lobby; and conducts “Even at 12 years old, I understood supply-and- nancial seminars. Its Fresh Start Checking provides a demand,” Schrimpf recalls. “So, bass it was.” second chance for consumers locked out of the main- Nearly ve decades later, Schrimpf still channels his stream banking system. 1 Fab Four idol, Paul McCartney, at Milwaukee-area gigs In the past 13 months, with his band, e Boomers. But even during a 30-year Brewery claimed the Wis- hiatus from music to raise three sons, Schrimpf found consin CU League’s Louise his groove in the credit union movement as a cham- Herring Award, the Spirit of pion of services for people of modest means. CU*Answers Award, and the Schrimpf became CEO of Brewery Credit Union in Milwaukee Business Journal’s Milwaukee in 1999 when it was at a crossroads. Two Central City Business Award decades had passed since the credit union expanded for serving the underserved. its eld of membership a er the demise of some of the city’s major brewers—Schlitz, Pabst, and Blatz. Brewery posted losses for three straight years before 2 Schrimpf’s arrival. e board directed him to restore the credit union’s pro tability or nd a merger partner. Schrimpf decided to concentrate the credit union’s e orts on the central city. Traditional nancial institutions had largely abandoned the area and its low- to moderate-income residents. To Schrimpf, that meant less competition and a great opportunity. Since refocusing on the central city, Brewery has doubled its asset size to $36 million and its membership to 7,645 while obtaining 17% capital. “Don’t assume you can’t pro tably serve working poor and modest income households,” Schrimpf says.

1 Schrimpf performs at Milwaukee-area venues, “slappin’ da bass” with his band, The Boomers. 2 In the 14 years since Schrimpf became CEO, Brewery CU has doubled its asset size and membership by focusing its services on low- and moderate-income members.

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Schrimpf_Rockstar13.indd 47 9/25/13 3:14 PM ‘I love the CU movement. The league Left: Segarra is a top-notch negotiator, attracting top-tier speakers for league is part of events, including “The Pursuit of Happyness” author Christopher Gardner. my life.’ Below: Yvette “is the glue that holds us together,” says Candice Nigro, director of marketing/communications for the New Jersey CU League (right).

Much More an a Paycheck Not much that goes on at the As NJCUL’s special events manager, New Jersey Credit Union League Segarra plans major conventions and conferences. (NJCUL) gets past Yvette Segarra. One of her duties is to line up keynote But somehow her colleagues managed to speakers, which over the years have included pull o a surprise party last year to celebrate the likes of Christopher Gardner of “Pursuit Segarra’s 25th anniversary with the league. of Happyness” fame and Joe Torre, when he To make sure she would be surprised, only managed the New York Yankees. Paul Gentile (the league’s CEO at the time, “I’m a good negotiator; I give myself credit now CUNA’s executive vice president of strategic communications and engagement) and for that,” Segarra says. “We save a lot of money.” a couple other people were involved in the Some years ago, for instance, the league party planning. paid a he y fee to bring in comedian Paul Other employees were a bit perplexed Rodriguez as a convention speaker. e next about the announcement that there would year Segarra called Rodriguez directly. be an all-sta meeting one Friday evening. “I told him we had no money and asked Segarra had no inkling what was going on if he’d come back,” she recalls. “He did for until she walked into the room and spotted half the price.” her grandson. Another part of her job is building rela- “It was absolutely wonderful,” she says of tionships with vendors, whether it’s coordi- the event in her honor. nating a newsletter, selling booth space at When Segarra arrived at the league in 1987, conventions, or enlisting fund-raiser spon- she didn’t know what a credit union was. But sors. She looks forward to working with new it didn’t take long for her to embrace credit league CEO, Greg Michlig. unions’ people-helping-people philosophy. e secret to success in all such e orts “I love the credit union movement,” she is “treating people the way you want to be says. “ e league is part of my life. It’s not treated,” Segarra says. “If you treat people

YVETTE SEGARRA just a paycheck.” fairly, it works.”

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Segarra_Rockstar13.indd 48 9/27/13 9:10 AM EMMA SMALLEY e Accidental Educator When Emma Smalley sees a need, she Professionals Commission and member develop- rolls up her sleeves. ment coordinator at Great Erie Federal Credit Union, e nancial counselor for Boulevard Federal Cred- Orchard Park, N.Y. it Union in Amherst, N.Y., constantly pushes herself “I admire Emma’s tenacity and dedication to her and her credit union to improve, excel, and reach out cra ,” she continues. “She is genuine and really wants to those who most need credit union services. to help the underprivileged residents of Bu alo’s West Smalley is working with NCUA to start a new credit Side neighborhoods.” union for poor communities in Bu alo, N.Y., who Smalley has made the cred- ‘Many of our proposed have limited access to high-quality, a ordable nan- it union movement’s mission cial services. her own. e city has seen a great in ux of refugees and Since starting as a credit members do not have immigrants from all over the world. And while there union teller, she has pushed are some credit unions in Bu alo, none are in the herself and her credit union a ﬁ rm grasp on the immediate poor, west-side neighborhoods the new to improve. institution wants to serve. With encouragement from language, much less “Many of our proposed members do not have a her manager, Smalley started rm grasp on the language, much less the nancial Boulevard Federal’s nancial the ﬁ nancial system.’ system,” Smalley explains. “ e idea of these smart, education department. She kind, and industrious people walking into a big bank also earned her Develop- and unknowingly signing up for high-fee checking mental Educator certi cation accounts was enough to keep me up at night.” from the National Credit Union Foundation. With support from her husband, friends, the Credit “I got into nancial education by accident,” Smalley Union Association of New York (CUANY), and the says. “I was a loan processor, and I was really dis- National Federation of Community Development couraged when people had bad credit because they Credit Unions, Smalley’s plan got underway. e credit didn’t understand how it worked—no one told them union could be up and running by the summer of 2015. the rules of the game. “Starting a new credit union is beyond rare, and “To me it seems basic that nancial education is I think Emma’s ability to think outside the box and important,” she adds. “What other area really a ects strive for the highest goals really make her unique,” everyone? Peoples’ ability to properly handle their says Cara Carlevatti, vice chairman of CUANY’s Young nances has a huge impact on the quality of their lives.”

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Smalley_Emma_Rockstar2013.indd 49 9/25/13 3:16 PM BOB STOWELL 1 Inner Fire Fuels Desire to Serve Others When Bob Stowell isn’t performing his that improve life for people around the globe. duties as a Minnesota credit union exec- “There are parallels between credit unions and Rotary,” says Stowell, senior vice president/chief oper- utive, he might be o in Haiti mixing ating o cer at US Federal Credit Union in Burnsville, concrete for a village well-house Minn. “Rotary serves others, and so do credit unions. construction project. Our credit union takes great pleasure in helping our Or you might nd him administering polio vaccine members secure their nancial future.” drops to children at a clinic in India. For Stowell, the urge to help others goes back to Such activities are part of Stowell’s volunteer work childhood. He grew up enduring parental abuse and through Rotary International, which sponsors projects neglect.

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Stowell_Rockstar2013.indd 50 9/25/13 3:16 PM When he le home at age 18, he was six feet, two inches tall—and weighed only 120 pounds. “Food was rationed at home,” he recalls, “so I was starved, always hungry. e truth is, when you’re hungry, nothing else matters.” Stowell had performed poorly in school, and his social skills were impaired. His future looked dismal. But those bad memories turned into major motivators years later. “I don’t want people in the U.S. or any country to be deprived of water or food,” Stowell says. “I don’t want others to have to live the life I had.” A er leaving home, he signed up for a four-year stint in the 2 armed services, which included a year in Vietnam. Eventually, he nished college and embarked on a banking career. Stowell also searched for a service organization he could ‘When you’re hungry, join to ful ll his personal motivation to make a di erence— and that’s when he discovered Rotary. nothing else matters.’ He’s been at US Federal since 2006 and is active in the CUNA Operations, Sales & Service Council and the CUNA Lending Council, for which he serves on the executive com- Many of these children—and even adults in 1 remote Indian villages—have never seen mittee as secretary-treasurer. pictures of themselves, making Stowell’s Over the years, Stowell has made several trips overseas to smartphone a popular item. work at or visit various Rotary projects. He has seen with his own eyes the impact these projects have. Stowell administers life-saving polio drops 2 to children in India. “We must continue to Stowell remembers meeting a woman in Haiti, for instance, work hard until this disease is eradicated.” who told him that a new village well would save her hours of hauling water in a ve-gallon pail weighing 40 pounds, Dr. Abul Sharah (left) trains women in India 3 to educate their peers about family balanced on her head. planning, basic health care, and cleanliness. Her two children also had to haul water. She pointed to her youngest, telling Stowell, “Now he can go to school.” The man in the center, who serves as a 4 village mayor of sorts, wants Stowell to “It occurred to me that if we can get people water, we get check out his spear. “I tried to make sure it did them through the day,” Stowell says. “If we can give them an not get too close to me,” Stowell says. education, we get them through life.” A mobile clinic started by Dr. Abul Sharah Whether it’s his volunteer work or his credit union day 5 (right) provides medical services in remote job, Stowell relishes working in an environment that values Indian villages—saving thousands of lives each BOB STOWELL cooperation. year. “ e credit union philosophy mirrors my personal philosophy,” he says. “It’s about nding ways to give others hope.”

3 4 5

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Stowell_Rockstar2013.indd 51 9/25/13 3:16 PM Empowering Employees to Serve Members Sandra Sullivan-Woods’ personality is “I direct it back to them,” she explains. “I let a hit with employees and members at them tell me.” And she leads by example with high energy Spartanburg (S.C.) Regional Federal and empathy. Credit Union. “I love laughing and joking around,” Sullivan- Described as “fun, caring, and creative,” the Woods says. “And I don’t ask sta to do anything branch manager raises the bar on member ser- I won’t do myself.” vice at her credit union through coaching and West recalls a time when Sullivan-Woods empowering employees. saved an account from closing “by using her “I always try to make everything fun,” says ability to put members at ease.” Sullivan-Woods, who has been known to sing to West tells the story her sta and make up motivational credit union this way: A member “You’ve got to cheers. “You’ve got to keep yourself pumped up.” approached the credit Her methods are paying o , says Spartanburg union intending to close Regional Federal CEO Patricia West. rough his account because he was keep yourself Sullivan-Woods’ leadership, employees have moving to another town become empowered to better their workplace where he was buying a pumped up.” and members’ lives. new home. He mentioned “She has created new and unique ways to show that he was having trouble sta how not to miss opportunities and to real- sprucing it up and Sullivan-Woods actually spent ize they’re in control of their future,” West says. time going over color choices with him. “Her coaching has given employees a sense of At the end of the conversation, the member ownership and pride in helping our members.” chose to stay with the credit union due to the Sullivan-Woods encourages her sta to gure personal attention he received and the products out what works and what doesn’t and suggest that made his membership too valuable to lose, ways to improve operations. even though he was moving to another city. e great thing about Sullivan-Woods, accord- Sandra Sullivan-Woods stops for a picture with her son at an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event in South ing to West, is that she’s ambitious, always will- Carolina. Sullivan-Woods takes an active role in her credit ing to learn, and will continue to grow with the union’s community activities. credit union. SANDRA SULLIVAN-WOODS

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SullivanWoods_Sandra_Rockstar2013.indd 52 9/25/13 3:16 PM On a Mission to Protect the System Robbie ompson, president/CEO of the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas (CUAD) would like to be Michael Stipe, lead vocalist for R.E.M. “He’s creative and a little quirky, and I look a little bit like him,” ompson says. ompson’s creativeness shows through in how he consistently champions new products and initiatives involving member education, awareness, and advocacy. He was the driving force behind CU Social Good (cusocialgood.com)—a website that provides an online accounting of credit unions’ community activities. He also helped launch the consumer awareness campaign volunteerism, and other individual and CU on the Road that brings credit unions’ message community support e orts. “Community to local community events. CUAD’s daily electronic involvement is built into our DNA,” he says. newsletter, e Memo, gives readers quick updates Despite all of these e orts, overregula- of current credit union industry events. And social tion and overlegislation remain threats. media enhances all CUAD communications. “If credit unions were legislated or regu- All of these lated out of existence, it would be a terrible efforts and ini- blow to members and their communities,” tiatives broaden ompson says. and strengthen Cooperative spirit and community CUAD’s rela- involvement separate credit unions from tionship with other financial institutions. That’s why state and federal he advises current and future leaders to lawmakers. embrace the cooperative philosophy. He recognizes “I’m passionate about protecting the that success is credit union system,” says ompson, who a group effort, regularly attends local, state, and national and he’s quick to legislative meetings to promote the credit credit his sta for any recognition he receives. “We union message. He also works with state built a collaborative and innovative environment credit union associations, credit unions, and where everyone’s voice matters,” he says. other entities to advance the cause. “When you believe in something, it makes Credit unions still don’t have the recognition they ROBBIE THOMPSON should, according to ompson. “Credit unions are your job a lot more ful lling,” ompson the right nancial institutions for most Americans.” adds. “I enjoy ghting for credit unions. ey do the Credit unions are community stewards, ompson right things. I enjoy telling people about the credit says, pointing to their dedication to member service union di erence.” rather than to pro ts. e CU Social Good website Getting the credit union message out never ends has more than 1,000 contributed stories discussing in ompson’s opinion. “We need to do a better charitable activities, nancial literacy, scholarships, job of telling our story. People need to understand credit union advantages. I’m stunned by the lack Thompson regularly attends local events in addition to state and of knowledge of the credit union di erence. Let’s national legislative meetings promoting the CU message. change that.”

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Thompson_Robbie_Rockstar.indd 53 9/25/13 3:17 PM A Source of Innovation Content manager Lisa Totaro a single day, and present their creation the next morn- sensed that the nonstop urry ing to the rest of the marketing department. One project that paid immediate dividends demon- of short-term tasks assigned strates how Innovation Day can circumvent a classic to the marketing department Catch-22: a productivity tool an employee knew would at Sunmark Credit Union in improve his e ciency—if only he had time to create it. Latham, N.Y., hampered the Another project will be unveiled soon: a “nontraditional employee communication channel” that cuts group’s creativity. through the morass of emails, Totaro says. Credit Totaro—who once interned at Sunmark encourages innovation, as evidenced by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and “crowdsourcing” a wide variety of designs for a new Museum—for a grand-slam solution. website. Totaro’s team selected a Guatemalan designer’s She recalled Filene Research Institute CEO layout in the open Internet competition. Mark Meyer’s advice that credit unions must “Lisa is the true de nition of a leader in that she leave their comfortable but limiting cul-de- always puts what’s best for the organization ahead of sac and get on the autobahn of ideas. So what’s best for herself,” says Cara Carlevatti, mem- Totaro latched on to a concept that compa- ber development coordinator for Great Erie Federal nies such as Google and 3M employ. Credit Union in Orchard Park, N.Y. She implemented Innovation Day last fall, Totaro belongs to e Cooperative Trust and sits on generating diverse ideas from her marketing the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Coun- team, and held another event last month. cil. She formerly chaired the Credit Union Association “Innovation doesn’t always come from of New York’s Young Professionals Commission. the top down—o en it springs from lower “I’ve had opportunities to grow, and I seek to create levels and moves up,” she says. “ at’s a real- opportunities to help other people reach their poten- ly good sign for the future of our industry.” tial,” says Totaro, CUANY’s Outstanding Young Profes-

LISA TOTARO Participants must cra a project or idea in sional for 2013.

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Totaro_Lisa_Rockstar.indd 54 9/25/13 3:18 PM BILL VOGENEY

Developing Tomorrow’s CU Leaders Look at Bill Vogeney’s career and three asset credit union nearly 25 years ago. themes emerge—service, education, and “It was a great learning experience, although one I wouldn’t recommend for everyone,” he adds. nancial performance. Currently executive vice president/chief lending Vogeney has served as an o cer of the CUNA Lend- o cer for $3.7 billion asset Ent Federal Credit Union ing Council since 2010 and is currently council chair. in Colorado Springs, Vogeney says his lending philos- In 2011, as part of the executive committee, Vogeney ophy and practices helped during the recent recession. assisted members of the Crashers group—now known “Looking back, I think we bene tted from making as e Cooperative Trust—in their bid to attend the decisions about lending products, underwriting, and council’s annual meeting. “Getting young people strategies that were reasonably sustainable regardless who are passionate about credit unions and lending of the economic environment,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot involved in this experience is very satisfying,” he says. of companies and products perform really well for sev- What initially attracted Vogeney to the council’s eral years, until some series of events causes turmoil. conferences was the opportunity to exchange infor- “I try to make incremental changes and measure mation. “I met great lending professionals, and I love the results,” he says. “Our credit union might not be sharing ideas with other credit unions,” he adds. among the fastest growing in an economic expansion, “Bill is always willing to help credit unions of but we won’t have to stop lending or make drastic any size, especially smaller credit unions with fewer adjustments to tighten credit in a downturn, either.” resources,” says Aaron Bresko, senior vice president/ Vogeney says good leaders should be good educa- chief lending o cer for GTE Financial, Tampa, Fla. tors. “I like teaching and developing people. Develop- “He shares documents, best practices, and his exten- ing tomorrow’s credit union leaders should be every sive knowledge when consulting with them on any executive’s most important job.” lending topic,” adds Bresko, previous council chair. Networking with young professionals reminds “I’m a golf fanatic,” says Vogeney, who blogs on golf club Vogeney of his good fortune when he was hired at collecting, has written a book on collectable putters, and still age 27 as vice president of lending at a $200 million ﬁ nds time to actually play his favorite courses.

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Vogney_BillRockstar13.indd 55 9/25/13 3:18 PM ‘Everything we do or say is for the betterment of our members.’

Walking in Members’ Shoes Machel Montano, a soca singer and and push a member out the door. We’ll nd a way songwriter, gives audiences high energy to achieve our members’ nancial goals and dreams.” Members know Whittaker’s dedication, so they seek her and fast-paced performances. at’s the out when they need help. She loves the interactions, which type of energy Nancy Whittaker brings is critical to learning how to meet their nancial goals. to her job as manager of member servic- “Sometimes you can learn what our members need es and compliance for Cayman Islands just from a casual conversation,” Whittaker explains. Civil Service Cooperative Credit Union. “By seeing a member walking to work every day, we’ll Whittaker uses it to motivate her team and provide go the extra mile to assist that member with a car loan.” members with services they need. Her dedication is evi- ose are the moments Whittaker nds personally dent in her 12 years with the organization, where she rewarding. “It’s always nice to hear a member say we started as a member service representative. elma Badal, helped them purchase their rst home, rst piece of assistant manager, member services and compliance, property, or rst vehicle. We have a great group of believes Whittaker will be a CEO down the road. members.” NANCY WHITTAKER But for now, Whittaker says her main goal is to assist members in meeting their nancial goals. As a team leader, she empowers her sta to learn new ways to reach out to members and discover their needs. is involves giving sta the tools to serve members and to understand the credit union’s philosophy: Mem- bers helping members reach their nancial goals. “I’m a member of the credit union,” Whittaker explains. “Sta have to stay focused on what the credit union is about. We o er everything a retail bank o ers, but we’re completely di erent. Everything we do or say is for the betterment of members. “Sta place themselves in our members’ shoes,” she says. “They understand members’ needs rst. For example, a member might want a short-term loan that would be di cult to repay. Instead, our sta might o er a long- term loan with more a ordable monthly payments. We don’t want to just say no

56 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS OCTOBER 2013

Whittaker_Nancy_Rockstar2013.indd 56 9/25/13 3:18 PM e Nerf of Some People! Every credit union person who’s met Corlinda Wooden knows she loves brainstorming’s freeform style. Even so, “ ough I’m a big believer in brainstorming, we have a set of rules we follow that everybody must be clear on,” she says. “If somebody breaks a rule, others at the table can lob a Nerf ball at them. is keeps the environment fun and focused.” Wooden uses Dr. Suess- and game show- themed training sessions to encourage people’s Recently relocated to Houston from Unitus Com- playfulness and make the experience fun. munity Credit Union in Portland, Ore., Wooden le behind a legacy of innovation in terms of training and motivating sta . She now runs Wooden Consulting, Monthly Huddles.” ese are structured which aims to teach her methods to credit unions check-ins across the entire branch net- nationwide. work with themes such as “achieve,” How does Wooden come up with her ideas—such “believe,” “own,” or “show.” as sessions with Dr. Seuss or game-show themes? “I During check-ins, “we announce like to take a cooperative approach and use people’s the team’s successes by name, discuss natural talents and playfulness. We’ll have all-day failures—not by name but by descrip- brainstorming sessions that start off with stimu- tion—and maybe look at a funny You- lating mental exercises. en we cover goals, the Tube video that spoofs a particular results we’re trying to achieve, and how we’re going situation to help keep everyone laugh- to achieve them.” ing while they are learning. Wooden picked up her “We never assume that failure was Keep people techniques by attending malicious or that somebody was try- many conferences and sales ing to fail,” she continues. “If a person’s meetings. “I watched how intent was good and their heart was in laughing while [speakers] motivated people the right place, their mistake becomes and then rolled those good a teachable moment.” they’re learning. practices and insights into Wooden’s training techniques fall my own style. I looked at into three categories: what companies like Nord- 1. Facilitating internal classes; strom and Ritz-Carlton were 2. Leading outside huddles and sales

doing to set clear goals and motivate [sta ], and want- conferences; and CORLINDA WOODEN ed something similar we could do ourselves.” 3. Coaching one-on-one. “ ese are the sessions e “Member Service Sales and Service Standards” that provide those wonderful ‘aha’ moments, when program Wooden designed stems from enterprise- you see a person understand something. We do these wide initiatives. “But because branches have their compassionately so the person I’m helping feels com- own agendas tailored to their teams and circum- fortable telling me what I need to know and accepting stances, we needed to create standards more speci c feedback.” to our unique role.” Outside of work, Wooden describes herself as an out- Another technique she developed to help keep doors woman who grew up with horses. She intends for service standards alive and present was “Consistent her two daughters to continue the tradition.

OCTOBER 2013 CREDIT UNION MAGAZINE ROCK STARS 57

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