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My name is Matt, and I am CUES.

My first job was as a paper boy for a small-town newspaper in Northwest Oklahoma when I was 11, and when I graduated from college, I became a reporter for that same small daily. As my career progressed, I began working in hospital public relations and media, where I eventually hit a professional ceiling. My next position brought me into the financial services industry as the assistant vice president of marketing at Tinker Federal Credit Union.

When I started at Tinker FCU, the marketing department was small, but as the credit union grew so did the department and my responsibilities. I am now senior vice president of marketing. During my 20-years here TFCU has offered me wonderful opportunities to evolve and has always kept me challenged.

I joined CUES in 1993 because it was just the thing I needed to learn about the industry and to develop my left-brain thinking, to balance my right-brain approach to things. I liked the way CUES considered marketing executives to be as important to credit unions as executives from the more left-brained disciplines. I have remained a member because I find the connections and networking opportunities very valuable. I’m also a member of the CUES KOMA Council and I like this smaller group for the in-depth discussions during our meetings.

One of the nice things about CUES is members are always willing to help each other. National groups are becoming more valuable as local competition increases, because in these large forums, similar credit unions can share ideas freely.

I had the opportunity to witness a shining example of credit unions helping credit unions in 1995 when the Oklahoma City Federal Building was bombed and Federal Employees Credit Union destroyed. Tinker FCU immediately converted its new teller training area into an operational branch for Federal Employees CU. During FECU’s six-week stay, credit union employees from all over Oklahoma and around the country came and pitched in, working as tellers and loan officers. Other credit unions donated documents and support materials. It was quite an experience to see the movement come together and help one of our own rise from the ashes.

My name is Matt, from Tinker Federal Credit Union, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and I am CUES.