Getting to know your Center Manager

In our continuing series of FCFCU Center Managers, we have a chat with Veronica Ramirez.

Veronica manages our Downtown Center that is located inside the federal building. She started with Financial Center in February 2008. After making my way through federal security, I sat down with Veronica to have a chat.

Eric: What was the last movie that made you cry?

Veronica: Stepmom - You know the one with Jennifer Roberts.

Do you mean Julia Roberts? 

Oh yeah. It is an emotional roller coaster! Bring a tissue!

What do you like about fall?

Trees changing, apple cider, pumpkin carving, camp fires, and friends. But, I dread Winter. Dirty and slushy snow is so gross! I was born in Merriville, Indiana, and I don’t like the cold.

Why are you so cool?

I have a dog with a mohawk! That’s cool. And I get along with everyone because I think I’m a nice person.

What is the best birthday present you ever received?

My car! When I graduated college my car quit and my Dad gave me a birthday/graduation present. It is a black Saturn Aura and it is much prettier than my ’97 Ford Taurus wagon that always broke down.

What is it like to work in the federal building? 

I love it! I have my own staff of body guards! You get to know the people that make the government run. I also like my parking pass and my employees, Missy and Victor, are very entertaining. We see many of the same members and I’ve built a very good relationship with them. I really enjoy it here.

Did you follow a boy band when you were a little girl?

(big laugh) Well yeah, didn’t everybody? Backstreet Boys. Nick Carter is my boy! My Mom is so cool, she took me to the concert in Chicago. It was awesome! I had books on them.

Scary.

What was your worst subject in high school?

History, but who needs to know history when you have Google?

What activities were you involved in during high school?

I was a flag girl in Color Guard. I was definitely not athletic. I played the clarinet in the band, but I wasn’t a nerd! Don’t make me look like a nerd, Eric! I’m really a cool kid!

Is there someone (other than the executives-which we all admire) that you admire at the Credit Union?

Beth Briggs! She is going to crack up at this, but she is so good at finding answers and is extremely polite. She is the absolute best at follow up. I love it when I need her help! 

I have to agree.  Beth is great!

Watch a lot of TV?

Nope, about 3 hours per week. Grey’s Anatomy is my show. I can’t sit still for very long, and I’m not allowed to control the remote. I flip stations too much! 

Are you a gambler?

Not so much. My boyfriend says that I am bad luck for gambling. He won’t buy lotto tickets when I am in the car with him. I’m not great at games, so I think it is better that I don’t play games that I can lose money playing. 

What do you find gross?

Spiders! Creepy and crawly and just gross! I don’t have an issue with stomping on them, but then I feel really bad.

Thank you for being such a good sport! 

Last night I attended the sold out Dave Ramsey live event. Ramsey has had a nationally televised radio show on 95.9 in Indianapolis for the past several years.  Dave introduced his financial life history to the audience by telling about his personal bankruptcy when he was in his late 20’s.  He spoke of creative financing that allowed him to build a house of cards with real estate.  He explained, like all house of cards, the house folded and that he swore he would never get in that position again.  Dave spoke of teaching our children the correct way to view personal finance and how to make proper college decisions.  His daughter had wanted to go to the out of state Auburn University instead of the University of Tennessee.  His conversation was a simple one…UT is $5,300 per year…and Auburn is $14,000 per year…What are you getting for your extra $9,000 per year?  She went to UT.

After Ramsey’s bankruptcy he sought out the advice of “older rich people”.  They told him that getting rich over a long period of time is the only way to get rich and stay rich and saving is the only way to get rich…you can’t spend your way rich.  That is the basis for his business and how he teaches people to become wealthy…over a long period of time.   He says that he offers the same financial advice as your grandmother, only he keeps his teeth in.

Working at the Credit Union gives us all a chance to help improve the financial well being of our members.   One of the sites that Dave Ramsey recommends is www.checkingfinder.com.  If you go to the site and put in an Indianapolis zip code, then you will get Finance Center Federal Credit Union as the number one result. Several of my new members have mentioned this site as the reason for coming to open a new account.  They were looking for a financial institution that cared about them and would take care of all of their financial needs.   We strive to help people build wealth and increase the financial well being of our members on a daily basis.  Come see us!

In our continuing series of FCFCU Center Managers, we have a chat with Haylee Teeple.

She manages our student-run Center at the J. Everett Light Career Center on the North Central High School campus. Haylee has been with us since June 2008 and she joins us today for an interview.

Eric: Haylee, thanks for the time. Are you a Hoosier? 

Haylee: Yep, Anderson, Middletown, Pendleton High School, and Ball State.

Will you tell me two true things about you and one lie in random order. We’ll try and pick the lie.

My nickname in high school was Skippy.  I’m going to run the mini marathon. I hate reading.

Who was your favorite childhood celebrity? 

Madonna was my first favorite album.

What is your favorite store? 

Kroger! I mean Kohl’s. I like a lot of stores. (Singing) Let’s go Krogering.

If you were stranded on an island what three things would you want?

My Husband, a set of knives, and matches. 

What word describes you? 

Genuine

If you were an animal which animal would you be? 

A lion! I could protect my family and I would be the top of the food chain!

Would you bungee jump? 

Yes, but I would puke my guts out.  And, I wouldn’t parachute out of a plane…

What is the difference?

I don’t know…I just wouldn’t.

What would you do if you won $10 million? 

Oh, man!  I would start a not-for-profit to help needy families, pay off my debts, invest (at FCFCU), buy a fabulous boat, vacation home, a lake house, and cars too. Oh my, I wish I really had won!

Tell me about the first time you did public speaking.  

I won a medal for the best speech in our 9^th grade speech class. It was on flag burning. The next thing I knew I was up on stage in front of the whole school, the local VFW, and my mom!  I was so nervous and just like many speakers it was bad for the first minute and then I just kind of kicked it in and did fine. 

What is your greatest moment?

Being a mommy, a mentor to the kids here, a wife, and just overall helping people.

What radio station do you listen to?  

99.5. Smiley is the man!

What is your favorite TV show? 

Big Brother. I know I know, but it is terribly addicting.

On a scale of 1-10 rank yourself as a chef? 

7. No, a 6.  Not gourmet, but good. My staple is shepherds pie. It is yummy!

What makes FCFCU the best credit union in the nation?    

The commitment to the members is what we all work for and we take that very seriously. We really do want to do the best for our members.  Our involvement in the community and the financial education of our youth really makes us stand out. 

Did you know that FCFCU has 3 student branches in local high schools?  Did you know that these branches educate our local teenagers in banking and personal finance?  These branches were also cited as one of the reasons that your credit union won Federal Credit Union of the Year!

This series will take a look at the many faces of our award winning credit union and let you in on what makes these people incredibly special. First up in the series is Isaac Gaidoo.

Isaac Gaidoo, Park 100 center manager

 Isaac thanks for joining us and for your 4.5 years of service to the members.

1. If we saw you on a Saturday at the Home Depot what would you be wearing? Blue shorts-a Miami Dolphins t-shirt-and sandals- no hat. You wouldn’t recognize me.
2. Do you have any phobias? Yes…Dishwater! I don’t do dishes, the floating food grosses me out! Man that is gross!     Isaac, they have dishwashing machines now.
3. Where were you born? Cape Coast, Ghana. I moved to Canada when I was 3 and then 7 other US States before settling in IN.
4. What is your earliest memory? Flying into Canada and seeing the lights on the ground…it was amazing to see all of the lights of Western Civilization.  
5. Role Model?   Gandhi.
6. If you were an animal what kind would you be? Definitely a Tiger. Why? Huge and Strong and you wouldn’t want to mess with a Tiger. What will people think of that? Hmm                   
7. Do you have any hidden talents? I used to be a rock solid tennis player…used to be that is. 
8. Where did you go to school? Several places but I graduated from Indiana Wesleyan and Kelley School of Business. Currently I’m working on my MBA at Kelley. Physics was my favorite subject in school.
9. Have you ever won a trophy? Many trophies…but my last one was in high school and I won 2^nd place in an indoor shot putt competition. 
10.  What was your favorite band while you were in middle school? RUN DMC Favorite DMC song? It’s Tricky…tricky tricky tricky tricky huhhh!
11.  When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Dr. Gaidoo
12.  If you could have a super power what would you choose? I’d fly! I think about that often. Is it strange that I think about that a lot…    Yes it is Isaac..
13.  Can you eat hot foods! Love it hot! In Ghana people eat with a wet towel on their shoulders so they can wipe the hot spices off of their hands so they don’t get it in their eyes. The hotter the better!
14.  What do you like best about our members? The kinship with members and how they are so friendly to me and the staff.
15.  What is your favorite story about helping a member? Recently I had a member who was looking to buy a car. All of the prices he was getting on the market were too high for his budget. He was in my office talking to me when I realized that the CU just had a repo for the same kind of car he wanted. We were able to sell him the car and save the member about $10K. It was great for the CU and for the Member. 
16.  What is your favorite credit union activity? Helping out with the member education classes. It is fun to help members learn.

Thank you Isaac. So what we have learned here is that you are a RUN DMC loving Gandhi mixed with a flying Tiger that is afraid of dishwater…that explains everything and absolutely nothing. You are an interesting fellow.  Thank you for being a good sport.