President, Tri-CU Credit Union (formerly Tri-Cities Community Federal Credit Union)

Number of employees

you oversee:

17

Brief background of

your business:

Tri-CU (formerly

Tri-Cities Community Federal Credit Union) is the only small local credit union

in the Tri-Cities, originally founded in 1969 by the IBEW #112 Electricians

Union, right here in Kennewick. We have grown rapidly the last decade, having

nearly quadrupled in assets and employees, and just relocated into a beautiful

new office last winter.

We serve anyone who

lives, works or worships in Benton or Franklin county. As a credit union we are

a not-for-profit, tax-exempt financial cooperative, led by a volunteer board of

directors elected by our membership. Our mission is not to make money at the

expense of our members but rather to help our members achieve financial success

by giving them better rates, better service and lower fees than they can get

anywhere else.

How did you land your

current role? How long have you been in it?

I have been the

president for 11 years, when we were still called Kennewick Credit Union.

Previously I was in executive management at a credit union in Port Townsend and

another credit union in Idaho. I was raised in Western Washington and grew up

working in the Alaskan commercial fishing industry, including managing a

seafood processing company. This background helped me be something of a

jack-of-all-trades (master of none), which was a nice fit for managing this

small credit union (at least the directors thought so).

Why should the

Tri-Cities care about the banking industry?

Helping individuals

achieve financial independence is key to security and happiness, so access to

convenient and low-priced financial products and services is key. When this

community supports local community banks and credit unions, the positive effect

on our community is huge — because 100 percent of the money stays local.

Do you have any

upcoming events planned to commemorate Tri-CU Credit Union’s 50th anniversary?

Why yes, during the

entire month of August for every new account or loan we will donate $50 to the

“charity of choice” of that new member. Our lobby party will be on Friday, Aug.

2 from 1-5 p.m. We will have a dunk tank, snow cones, cookies and a charity

raffle to give away four $500 golden tickets to the charity of their choice. We

are excited to have been serving this local community for 50 years and are

excited to give back to the community even more at this celebration!

What’s contributed to Tri-CU’s success?

The board of

directors, management and staff really maintain an innovative and laser-like

focus on service, convenience and lending to meet the needs of our members. It

appears to be working because we are strong and growing.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

I believe that most

importantly a leader should care about their employees and their members, and

be internally motivated to help them improve their lives.

What is the biggest

challenge facing credit union presidents today?

The biggest challenge

is keeping up with increasingly complex and burdensome regulations —

regulations that were designed for gigantic and highly-complex banks that limit

our ability to help our members. I don’t think anyone will be well served if

growing regulations drive all the small community banks and credit unions out

of business, so competition evaporates, and our only options are between a

handful of impersonal and self-serving big banks.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

If you want to be a

good leader, then your goal and focus should be making a positive difference in

the lives of your employees and members. Nothing else will matter in the long

run.

Who are your role models or mentors?

My mentors would be

the current Tri-CU board of directors. They are experienced, intelligent,

forward thinking and conscientious local folks who care about Tri-CU and our

community. A role model would be the CEO at my first credit union job. He was a

man of high integrity and was devoted to giving back to his employees, their

members, his community and his family.

How do you keep your

employees motivated?

First

I try to hire employees who share the same values of energetic innovation and

helping others. Then I try to ensure they have the tools to do it (training,

technology, etc.). Lastly, we constantly highlight amazing service stories of

helping our members to strengthen that culture.

How did you decide to

pursue the career that you are working in today?

It’s a rather

interesting story, and the credit goes to my wife. I grew up working in the

commercial fishing industry in Alaska, then went to business school at Western

Washington University, I could learn how to better manage our family seafood

processing company. Due to planes being grounded during 9/11, we took a huge

loss when a large shipment of seafood went bad waiting on the tarmac, which was

the beginning of the end. I started back to college to get a teaching degree to

teach business, when a friend offered me a management job at a small credit

union in Port Townsend. I turned it down because I was already on the path of

being a teacher, but my wife suggested I at least try it out or talk to the CEO

before turning it down. I tried it, loved it and here I am almost 20 years

later.

How do you measure

success in your workplace?

When our credit union

is financially healthy (boring financial ratios and benchmarks), when we are

able to help our members to save money and achieve financial success, when we

are able to give back to the community, and when it is a good and profitable

place for the employees to work… then I believe we are succeeding.

What do you consider your leadership style to be?

This is difficult to

define and describe, especially about one’s self. I like my employees to be

happy and love serving them. I am a high energy person, and I love innovation

and change ... so probably a combination of servant, charismatic and transformative

leadership styles.

What’s your best time management strategy?

Every few days I

organize my priorities on a paper checklist, so that my most urgent and

important items are at the top and I don’t waste too much time on tasks that

don’t really matter (80/20 rule). I keep that checklist within view on my desk

every day.

How do you balance

work and family life?

I am blessed to have a

job that is generally 9-6 on weekdays, which means I can usually spend evenings

and weekends at home with my family. I avoid scheduling or allowing any

personal hobbies or activities from interfering with that family time.

What do you like to do

when you are not at work?

First comes family

time. I also like to serve in my church, and lastly, I like to cycle and run (I

train for a few competitive races every year).

Best tip to relieve

stress?

Ride a bike really

hard for a couple hours, then go play the banjo.

What’s your most-used

app? Favorite book?

I tend to avoid social

media, although my favorite app is probably Strava, a competitive fitness

tracking app. The most important books in my life are the Holy Bible and Book

of Mormon, whereas my favorite “fun” book is anything written by science

fiction author Brandon Sanderson.

Do you have a personal

mantra, phrase or quote you like to use?

I hope my employees often hear me say:

“This isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity,” or for me to ask them: “How is

this helping our members?”