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A New Day is Dawning at SunState
By bringing the right people together at the right time, the key players at SunState are poised to create a dynamic and exciting future for the Credit Union, its membership and its employees. SunState has long offered innovative alternatives and services at very competitive prices designed to help people manage their money; however, as society and competition change, so must the Credit Union.
“For years we have worked to earn our members’ trust, loyalty, respect and business. However, today presents the perfect opportunity for our Credit Union to chart a new course based on a greater vision; a vision including even better…and friendlier… member service. To this we are committed!” Woodward said, summing up the feelings of the group.
When Joe Bour joined SunState as senior vice president of operations earlier this year, he brought an unmatched level of confidence and passion to the role. His dynamic approach to member service makes him the perfect person to lead Team SunState toward the vision Woodward has created. Bour’s belief in Woodward’s vision is based on many years of banking and credit union experience in the areas of operations and lending.
While his resume lists more than 15 years with SunState, Bob Colson is new at his position as director of lending. In the past, Colson has served in several capacities in the financial services industry, from loan officer to branch manager to collections supervisor. Colson knows SunState’s membership, and he knows what it takes to bring a financial institution to the very top of a market. Colson’s personal vision, as he designs loan products, is to make SunState Federal Credit Union the financial institution of choice for North-Central Florida through products that make sense, benefit SunState’s members and deliver the value SunState members are looking for.
A SunState employee for more than 20 years, Barbara Estes has worn several hats with the local financial cooperative, from supervising the records and training departments to branch manager. Barb, as members and friends call her, has met the challenge of each role with confidence. As the newly named director of branches and sales, Estes is looking ahead for better ways to serve the Credit Union’s field of membership, primarily by making sure it provides fast and effective member service. Estes’ role is to motivate and support a team of branch managers offering outstanding products and then processing requests quickly and efficiently. Estes knows from first-hand experience that every day, SunState is meeting its goal to provide “top-notch service” to its members.
“Now, as I sit in my new position with the best team to count on, I know we will bring the Credit Union further into the professional arena and be very successful at giving our members the service they deserve. Our motto is to provide ‘Black Tie’ service every time, all the time,” Estes said.
Chuck Hudson has run the Sun-State Information Services department since 1994. Hudson oversees the primary member database and its networks, PCs and internet presence. Information security, database integrity, regulatory compliance and maximum uptime of all hardware/software remain critical focuses of his team, but now more than ever, efficient support of member service related programming has taken on a new, higher priority. With a network administrator, mainframe systems administrator, network support specialist, two programmers and a webmaster in place, SunState provides services that rival those offered by even the largest financial institutions.
Under Hudson’s direction, the department strives to improve member services and the member experience. By expanding online services, the department oversees improvements that allow members to manage their finances in a secure manner, with the option of not driving to a branch.
“With the state of the economy, rising prices for everything and budget cuts everywhere, people are being crunched financially,” Hudson said. “I believe SunState can help people weather these challenges with our member service, pricing structure and the consumer education tools we have available on our Web site.”
As the Director of Operations, Suzanne Friis’ role is to manage the cash operations of the Credit Union and supervise the teller function for all branches. With a wealth of experience in the banking industry, the last five years of which have been at SunState, Friis foresees positive and long-term initiatives designed to provide tellers with the knowledge necessary to assist members with their financial needs.
“Knowledge is confidence,” Friis said. “We are becoming more and more progressive in our approach to meet the needs of our members, and the members are telling us they appreciate the extra effort.”
Jenny Stewart-Orris spent several years as an administrative assistant at SunState prior to her promotion to project coordinator. Her role is to organize, provide leadership and oversee project teams that support the Credit Union’s business plan. In her previous work for a consulting firm, she applied the principles of project management to everyday workflow.
The project management function puts SunState in a position to offer better products and services to members in an efficient and timely manner, and also allows them to respond to the needs of our community.
“I personally take great pride in my work and will do whatever I can to help my Credit Union and members succeed,” Stewart-Orris said. “I truly enjoy the sense of community and family at SunState. I like being part of an organization that is managed by its membership. I enjoy working on something where you can see the results.”
With today’s modern technology and expansion, people still expect - and should receive - old-fashioned member service. Traditionally, this is what sets SunState head and shoulders above the crowd. Team SunState will work to ensure that you get first-class treatment each and every time you visit.
If you are searching for a financial partner or thinking about a change, now is the right time to consider SunState. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist or Levy counties. Isn’t it time you experienced the SunState difference?