By Barb Kachelski, CAE
"It's great to hear SOMEONE is building and growing," said my auto mechanic when I brought my car in for service after attending a groundbreaking for $300 million CitizensFirst Credit Union in Oshkosh, Wis.
The credit union is home to CUES Chairman Carla Altepeter, CCE, and 12 additional CUES executive and director members.
Before the CitizensFirst CU Board symbolically broke ground, CU Immediate Past Chairman John Bermingham, CCD, said the expansion of headquarters shows the credit union's commitment to serving its members, the community, employees and the environment.
Staff members, who dressed in green in honor of the LEED- (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building design, each followed the board in hoisting a shovelful of earth to make way for the new building.
It is obvious the credit union is building and growing in more than one way. In a separate conversation, John mentioned to me that–-in his years as chairman which ended the night before–-the board focused on building a strong board. He shared that new chairman Brenda Haines is "perfect for the job" due to her work expertise in governance and strategic marketing, as well as her energetic and outgoing personality.
And at a staff meeting before the groundbreaking, staff saluted three employees who earned degrees this spring, growing their knowledge.
Carla (seen here exiting the digger with a helping hand from Dave Voss, president of Miron Construction) shared a story about the credit union's founders, who each contributed $1.25 to establish the credit union in 1937. Their initial investment paved the way for the groundbreaking this week, and laid a foundational attitude of hope and growth that lives on today … to inspire people like me and my auto mechanic.
Barb Kachelski, CAE, is SVP/chief operating officer for CUES and a former newspaper reporter.
