MidFirst Credit Union CEO Chris Johnson tried to brush past the details.
"Yeah, I wore tights,'' he said, quickly changing the subject to the reason he did it.
"Our executive management team challenged the employees,'' he explained. "If we could meet all of our objectives for 1999, we would spend a week serving lunch to them and dressing up in costume.''
Johnson said MFCU already has an excellent cash based bonus program to reward its 70 employees for meeting and exceeding budgetary, loan growth and net share goals.
"Basically, we set five very key initiatives each year,'' he said. "One of the things I do (via quarterly meetings) is make sure that everybody is well aware of what they are.''
Last year, in addition to the budgetary goals, he said MidFirst CU set out to form a CUSO.
In October, when it became evident that 1999 was going to end on a great note with all goals being met, the management team decided to add a little extra incentive. "Tights?," he was asked.
"That wasn't the worst part,'' he finally fessed up. "The tunic was short, very short.''
At least he was in good company.
Jim Miles, president of the CU's new CUSO, and Cynthia Schroeder, VP of Operations, joined the charade by donning similar get-ups in a four-day parade of popular characters to pass through the doors of the $180-million credit union that serves more than 200 SEGs in the Middletown, Ohio area.
First, it was Snow White, Dopey and the Evil Queen who showed up bearing apples and gift certificates to a local Applebee's restaurant.
Can you guess who played the Evil Queen? (This, by the way, would be the first of two times in one week that Johnson donned a dress.)
Next, Batman, Robin and the Joker took a break from fighting crime to deliver more restaurant gift certificates, this time to BW3, where batwings-minus the bat-are all the rage.
"My best day was as the Joker,'' Johnson said. "I got to wear a purple coat and comfortable pants. It was Batman and Robin who were sweating it out that day.''
The following day Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook showed up to serve employees a catered luncheon. Johnson said the week ended with a visit from Robin Hood, Little John and (yes, he was) Maid Marion and another luncheon.
All in all, the week went well. OK, so it was a little bit embarrassing when the board chairman and treasurer showed up for a meeting with a consultant and found the management team in drag.
"We ended up serving them lunch, too,'' Johnson said.
With visions of the costumes still dancing in his head, the CEO has to laugh. But, would he do it again-tights, dress and all? "It's our way of saying thanks to them,'' Johnson said. "If we have the kind of year we had last year, I'd be happy to. I just hope we get the chance.'
