Summit Credit Union’s mission is to empower women and others to build financial security, wealth and avoid poverty in retirement. Kim Sponem, Summit’s CEO and president, says: “When women succeed and have equal economic power, everyone benefits. Families, communities, businesses and economies thrive.”
Continually communicating Summit Credit Union’s goals and mission to employees provides the clarity they need to excel at their jobs.
Kim Sponem, Summit’s president and CEO, said its workplace is wrapped around its core purpose — helping members achieve financial wellness.
“We can never communicate our messages too often,” she said. “It allows our people to make better decisions, feel ownership and see the impact they make.”
All Summit employees are trained as financial educators.
“It gives them firsthand knowledge on how to help others,” Sponem said. “When a member actually sends you a handwritten note in the mail, you know you’ve made a difference. And we get quite a few of those. And when members are having trouble making ends meet, we have people to help them get back on track.”
All-staff gatherings are held twice a year, Sponem meets with department heads regularly, and she sends out a video or written communication every two weeks.
In the past six years, Summit’s workforce has doubled to about 925, with about 700 of those in the Madison area.
“I look at growth as a reflection of how well we’re doing,” she said. “It’s a scorecard measurement. If more people want to be part of what you do, then you’re successful.”
Summit provides workplace flexibility. “We work really hard to reduce stress in our employees’ day-to-day lives so that they can help our members reduce their stress,” Sponem said.
As the credit union has grown, Summit invested in training its managers in effective ways to coach employees and help guide their careers in ways that benefit both the credit union and its staff.
“It’s not always about today,” Sponem said. “It’s also about where people want to go. If they’re happy doing what they’re doing, fine. But if they want to look toward something different, we need to know that and work to help them.”
Summit Credit Union’s mission is to empower women and others to build financial security, wealth and avoid poverty in retirement. Kim Sponem, Summit’s CEO and president, says: “When women succeed and have equal economic power, everyone benefits. Families, communities, businesses and economies thrive.”
