President and CEO
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union
Anchorage, Alaska
Q: What led you to the credit union sector and to Alaska USA Federal Credit Union?
A: My start at Alaska USA began with a summer job as a part-time teller while I was completing my college degree. At the end of the summer, the branch manager suggested I consider transferring to a branch in Fairbanks, where I was finishing my degree in criminal justice. A short while later I found myself working at an in-store branch that had expanded hours that allowed me to stay employed at the credit union to earn money to help pay for school.
After graduating, I moved back to Anchorage, where the credit union is headquartered, and was promoted to assistant branch manager. So, instead of a career in law enforcement, I realized I had found a different path — one where I could also be of service to my community through the people-helping-people philosophy of credit unions.
From the March-April 2018 edition of The NAFCU Journal magazine.