OKLAHOMA CITY-A one-two punch of helping to create a successful Generation Y outreach program and focusing efforts on financial literacy earned Tinker FCU SVP-Marketing Matthew Stratton NAFCU's Professional of the Year Award (assets more than $150 million).
Only one person at the $1.8-billion CU was surprised the 18-year veteran won: Stratton, himself. "I knew my name was in the hat, but I was surprised," he said. He was nominated by Tinker CU CEO Michael Kloiber.
"I have a great staff behind me," he said. "I started as assistant vice president of marketing. Since then, the credit union has grown. The department has grown, and I just stuck around."
The marketing department, and financial education programming department both report to Stratton, who believes the CU's "Buck the Norm" program played a role in his selection. BuckTheNorm.com reaches out to young adults with tips on budgeting, auto loans, resumes, and other things of interest to Generation Y.
Stratton said TCU reported a 7% to 8% growth from 2008-2009, which he attributes to the Buck the Norm.
"From my perspective, I think this time is a great opportunity," Stratton observed. "There is more mention of credit unions in general media. More people are beginning to wake up and say, 'Maybe I should look into credit unions, too.'"
