There are some really cool peeps here; and I'm not talking about that marshmellowy-bunny-shaped goo that goes out before Easter...I mean our people. I like finding out about people. It's the little nuances that make for a culture.

For example, did you know that Adam in Investments used to be a fire fighter? Or that Vicky in Business Services tracks the movement of our southern resident orca whales (J,K, & L-Pods) on a daily basis? Or that Amber, our Administrative Project Coordinator, once lost an arm-wrestling match with a DJ in mashed potatoes?

That's good stuff.

And here are some excepts from a formal interview I conducted with our CFO, Randy Gunderson:

Tina: Tell me something about yourself that I don’t know.

Randy: When I was in high school and considering a profession, I decided on accounting because my Godfather was in accounting and was very successful.  After I got through college, I found out that he was actually in marketing. Tina: You’ve been with Verity Credit Union for almost 10 years.  In our competitive marketplace, what keeps you here?

Randy: This may sound corny, but it’s Verity’s core values and commitments.  I’ve worked at companies that have no soul and it’s a pretty empty feeling at the end of the day.  There’s a lot more to work than simply a paycheck.

Tina: What is one professional goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?

A kid from Yakima with a CWU education turns out to be a CFO…I’m living the dream!  Seriously though, my near term goal is to get more involved with Verity’s mentorship program.  I’ve been working with someone lately and find it very rewarding.  Next year, I would like to spend at least twice as much time supporting this for myself and others.

Tina: CFOs are often stereotyped as nerdy-numbers-driven-pocket-protecting-geek-types.

Randy: …just don’t tell my kids, they still think I’m cool.

Tina:  The other day our CEO said to me that he was glad you were the lead on a project because you have a lot of passion.   What are you most passionate about right now?

Randy: Today’s competitive marketplace continues to be a challenge for small and mid-sized credit unions.  I feel very strongly that credit unions should partner together and share expertise to provide services that would be too difficult/costly/risky to provide individually.  There are a few great credit unions around here that understand this and are working hard to leverage their individual strengths to better all credit unions in our region.

Tina:  What is your vision for the future of our organization?

Randy: I think ours is a credit union that “gets it”…see my answer to the previous question.  I think that we have the right strategy and the right people to make Verity a real player in the areas that we serve. 

Tina:  What is your definition of leadership?  

Randy: I think the best leaders are visionaries and great communicators.  Someone who has a clear idea of where they want to take an organization that can then rally their people to move toward that vision.

Tina: Let’s take it to the next level with this last interview question.  It’s a two-part-er: A typical lunch for you is a $2 hotdog from 7-11, a Coke, and a Snickers Bar.  What can you identify in that meal that is actually food?  Why don’t you ever gain weight?

Randy: I’ve actually graduated up to the $2.99 ham and cheese sandwich from 7-11, although I do like a hot meal once in a while and the hotdog meets that criteria.  It’s certainly not diet or exercise that keeps my weight in check, so I’ll call it lucky genes.