People Helping People - Merrimack Valley Credit Union

Business Spotlight •
Credit Union at Work Highlight •
Credit Union Calendar •
People Helping People
Employees living the credit union mission every day.
APRIL 2010
Credit Union People •
People Helping People
Employees living the credit union mission every day.
Every year a small dedicated group of
Credit Union employees volunteer to
come together and hope. They hope
to make a difference in the community. They hope to inspire generosity
in their co-workers and Credit Union
members. And, they hope to raise much
needed charity funds for worthy organizations. They are the Credit Union’s
Hope Committee; Connie Calvo, Susan
Ferreira, Kellie Gallant, Jennifer Grenier,
Susan Griffin, John Howard, Terri Keiser,
Madeleine Kozec, and Kevin Schiavoni.
Several years ago, the Credit Union
adopted Emmaus, Inc. as its official charity. Emmaus is a non-profit corporation
founded in 1985 that provides housing
and services to homeless adults and
families in the Merrimack Valley. Since
its inception, Emmaus has assisted over
17,000 different children, women and
men out of homelessness and toward
permanent housing, jobs and indepen-
dent living. They rely heavily on private
donations to keep their mission going. It
was from the Credit Union’s commitment
to Emmaus, that the Hope Committee
was born.
A few years later, the Credit Union also
adopted the Merrimack Valley YMCA as
an official charity. They too rely heavily
on private contributions. Their mission of
building strong kids, strong families, and
strong communities is symbiotic with the
mission of the Hope Committee, “People
helping people.” It was and is a perfect
fit.
raising another $40,000 in 2010. They
are hard at work planning another
year of exciting fundraising opportunities. They HOPE you will join them in
the giving spirit and support the Credit
Union’s charities. For more information
on donation opportunities, see our Credit
Union calendar on the back page or visit
us online today.
Peter J. Matthews, Jr., Credit Union President &
CEO with Jeanine T. Murphy, Emmaus Executive
Director.
Last year, thanks to the efforts of the
Hope and Golf Committees and generosity of our Credit Union employees,
members, and business partners, the
Credit Union was able to donate $25,000
to Emmaus, Inc. and $15,000 to the
Merrimack Valley YMCA. The Hope
Committee has been given the task of
Peter J. Matthews, Jr. and Stephen C. Ives,
Merrimack Valley YMCA President & CEO.
Hope
Credit Union Community
Credit Union Hope Committee:
Back row left to right: Terri Keiser, Kevin Schiavoni, John Howard.
Front row left to right: Madeleine Kozec, Sue Griffin, Jennifer Grenier, Kellie Gallant, Susan Ferreira.
Not pictured: Connie Calvo.
2
Saying Goodbye
Bill Betton Retires
By Jennifer Grenier
vacant Vice President of
Operations position, and the
rest is history.
William Betton, Jr.
When I started out in the credit union
industry some 13 years ago, it didn’t take
me long to figure out that credit union
people are different. Those that stay in
this industry and make it their life’s career
are credit union through and through.
They would never dream of working at
a bank, and not because they think it’s
harder, but because they believe in credit
union ideals and carry those values in
their very core.
It was over 36 years ago, that William
Betton, Jr. began his credit union career
at Portsmouth NH US Employees Federal
Credit Union #1515 (now Northeast
Credit Union). Little did he know then,
that it would become his life’s work to
oversee and carry out the people helping people credit union mission. In the
beginning, Bill started as a Collections
Manager in a department of one. As
the years progressed he became the
Branch Manager of the Navy Yard office,
Manager of General Services, and eventually Operations Manager.
It was Bill’s relationship with former
Merrimack Valley Federal Credit Union
President Duncan MacLeod (Mac)
that brought him to the Credit Union
in 1987. They met at a computer
systems conference and quickly began
commiserating over computer problems
at each of their institutions. When Mac
was promoted to President, Bill left
Northeast Credit Union and took Mac’s
CREDIT UNION
People
As Bill’s career progressed, his
family grew along with his
credit union family. In 1976
and 1979 he and his wife
Louise welcomed daughters,
Kate and Amy. When asked
if working in credit unions has
Bill as Yukon Cornelius in the Haverhill Santa Day Parade.
carried over into his personal
life, Bill responded, “No doubt.
It’s hard to leave the job behind
Now as Bill embarks on a new part of
at work when you go home. My kids like
his life, retiring with his wife Louise,
to call me their financial advisor and over he reflects on his career. “I have been
the years their friends have called me
blessed to work with many outstanding
for advice. The Credit Union community
people who have made the difficult times
service program has fueled my desire
easier and the good times even better. I
to help others when I can. It’s a good
will miss the people, both employees and
feeling to help people based on their
members, but especially the employees
needs and not the drive to make money
who have become my second family.”
for the stockholder.”
When asked if he had any parting words
of advice for us, he simply said, “Always
There are many highlights in a 36 year
keep your sense of humor. It will sustain
career. Bill is particularly proud of the
you in the challenging days ahead.”
growth and changes at Merrimack Valley.
He was part of branch expansions and
We congratulate our friend Bill on his
the implementation of new products
retirement and thank him for his many
and services like ATMs. He was part
years of tireless dedicated service.
of the Credit Union’s change from an
employer based credit union (AT&T)
to an institution serving
the entire Merrimack
Valley community. He
oversaw the renovation
and construction of the
Credit Union’s corporate
headquarters in Lawrence.
He even managed to
survive three major
computer conversions in his
years of service. He is most
proud of the staff he leads,
which continues to receive
outstanding Member
A big thank you to Bill from the children at James F. Hennessey School
in Lawrence for being their favorite reader in the Read Aloud program.
Survey Satisfaction ratings
year after year.
3
Business
SPOTLIGHT
Their Business is Our Business
SOLECTRIA RENEWABLES, LLC
By Rachel Graf
Over five years ago the Credit Union
began offering financial solutions to small
businesses in the community. Today, the
Credit Union provides business services to
nearly 100 local companies. One of the
newest additions is Solectria Renewables
located in Lawrence, MA and owned by
Anita Rajan Worden and James Worden.
Solectria manufactures power inverters
for solar photovoltaic panels, turning
energy from the sun into electricity
to power homes and businesses. The
company makes all its inverters for
commercial and industrial buildings.
They design and manufacture premium
efficiency, high reliability power electronics and systems for renewable power
generation. Solectria’s products are sold
in the United States and around the
world. To learn more about Solectria
Renewables, LLC please visit their website
www.solren.com.
Since joining, a strong partnership has
developed between the Business Services
team and Solectria. So, when the Credit
Union needed a member to test their
new business product Remote Deposit
Capture, Richard Hanlon, AVP of Business Services, approached Solectria. “I
knew they would work with us to make
sure we had the product right, and I
knew what a benefit it would be to their
company when it was up and running.”
Now with Remote
Deposit Capture, Solectria can deposit and clear
checks within just 1-2
business days without
ever leaving the office.
and use smaller local financial institutions
like community based credit unions. The
personal connections you make will be
invaluable to your business and save you
money.”
If you would like information on how
the Credit Union can benefit your small
business, please contact Rachel Graf at
800-356-0067 ext. 2552.
When asked if she had
any advice for small
businesses either newly
established or still on
the drawing board Anita
said, “Visit your local
Chamber of Commerce,
Anita Rajan Worden, Solectria Renewables Owner
April is
“Children’s Book Month”
In partnership with the Credit Union Community Hope Initiative, Merrimack
Valley will be collecting children’s books the entire month of April. So, please
take this opportunity to help build a better tomorrow for children. Donations
may be dropped off at any Credit Union branch location in April. Books really
do make a difference!
4
Credit UnionAT WORK
Microsemi
They welcome us like family.
In the Metal Assembly Department, these are some of the employees who have benefited from the ESOL program as well as the Credit Union.
From the left: Hoang Huyah, Victoria Guzman, Merry Yung, Binh Ninh, Quyen So Tran, and Tina Niah.
By Dalia Diaz
When Lucy Anderson started her receptionist position at Microsemi-Lawrence
in 1999, she was hoping the company
would bring the services of a credit
union for the employees. Her wish came
true in 2001 when Microsemi became
an affiliate member of Merrimack Valley
Federal Credit Union. Once their 130
employees were eligible for membership
Lucy immediately joined. “It has been a
wonderful relationship that I treasure,”
she said.
I met Lucy in 2005 when I began as the
Credit Union’s Cultural Business Development Representative. Right from the
start it was clear that Lucy is a big advocate of the Credit Union. She always
welcomes me as if I am a family member
stopping in for a visit and makes sure
to announce to everyone in the plant
that I am available in the cafeteria. The
reception I get is a sign of the years of
satisfactory service and loyalty from both
sides.
“Don’t talk to me about another financial institution,” commented Barbara
Mitchell, a long-time member and
Microsemi employee. With Barbara, it’s
a family affair. She’s had several family
members join and they all use several
of our products and services. The same
with Paula Jolicoeur; she depends on
Merrimack Valley for all of her financial
needs. Both Mitchell and Jolicoeur have
made the Methuen Branch their place to
do business.
The Microsemi-Lawrence, MA site is
focused on the production of discrete
devices for the defense and aerospace
markets. With its 360 workforce, many
of which are local residents, and along
Receptionist Lucy Anderson.
with a significant investment in the plant
and related manufacturing equipment
over the past few years, the Lawrence
site is a premier semiconductor production facility.
A long-time supplier of high-reliability
discrete components to military and
aerospace customers, Microsemi has
transformed itself into a global supplier
of high performance analog, mixedsignal integrated circuits and high
reliability discrete semiconductors that
manage and regulate power, protect
against transient voltage spikes, and
transmit, receive and amplify electronic
signals.
With a diverse employee population, Microsemi needed a “common
language” that would help integrate the
workforce and facilitate communication.
Kristin Yencho, Human Resource Director
at Microsemi, contacted Northern Essex
Community College for help. NECC’s
Department of Adult Literacy and Transition Programs stepped up. In January
2004, Microsemi and the College began
a three-year partnership designed to
improve production and open lines
Continued on back page...
5
...Microsemi, continued from page 5
of communication at the company’s
Lawrence facility through the English
for Speakers of Other Languages
(ESOL) program. “ESOL definitely
was something we were interested in
because we had a workplace comprised
of 12 different native languages,” she
says. “We didn’t want there to be any
roadblocks to people understanding
safety issues, but we also had some very
highly skilled non-native
speakers that weren’t
able to train anyone else
that didn’t speak their
language. We wanted
to give them the tools to
train others in those skills
that don’t speak their
native language.”
The result was that
employees unable to
verbally demonstrate their
understanding of the job
specifications now could
converse and be part of
the Microsemi culture.
Upon probing Ms. Yencho about the
relationship between her company and
our Credit Union, she said, “I like the
personal treatment of the Credit Union.
Prior to 2001, before I chose Merrimack
Valley to be an affiliate, I considered
two other credit unions and I have never
looked back.”
Save Money.
Refinance Your Auto Loan.
As low as
3.99
%
APR*
• New and used vehicles
• 2004 models and newer
• Flexible repayment terms
For more information or to apply today,
call 1-800-356-0067 option “1”.
Milagros Villanueva, another long standing member and
Kristin Yencho.
*Annual Percentage Rate. Certain conditions and credit qualifications
may apply. Membership eligibility required. For 36 monthly payments
at 3.99% APR, the repayment amount would be $29.52 per $1,000
borrowed. Rate requires automatic funds transfer monthly from a
Merrimack Valley Federal Credit Union account. Without automatic
funds transfer, the rate is 0.25% higher. Offer subject to change at
any time. Not valid for existing MVFCU auto loans.
Credit Union Calendar
April 9th
Red Sox Luncheon
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Riverwalk Complex,
500 Merrimack Street in Lawrence
Celebrate the start of the Red Sox season
with a Fenway style lunch and a donation
to charity.
April 26th
55th Merrimack Valley Federal Credit
Union Annual Meeting
5:00 p.m.
Corporate Office,
500 Merrimack Street in Lawrence
Annual business meeting and voting
results announced.
May 12th
SBA Seminar
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Corporate Office,
500 Merrimack Street in Lawrence
Learn from the experts on how to help
your small business. To register for
this FREE seminar, call Rachel Graf at
800-356-0067 ext. 2552.
June 14th
10th Annual Charity
Golf Tournament
1:30 p.m. “Shotgun” start
Atkinson Resort & Country Club
Join us for a fun day of golf or help
sponsor this special event to benefit
Emmaus, Inc. and The Merrimack
Valley YMCA. For more information or
to register, visit us online or call Kevin
Schiavoni at 800-356-0067 ext. 2426.
September 11th
Annual Flea Market for Charity
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Riverwalk Complex,
500 Merrimack Street in Lawrence
Search for new treasures or sell your own
by reserving your own space. For details,
visit us online or call Laura Wante at
800-356-0067 ext. 2100.
www.merrimack-valley-fcu.org
800.356.0067
Riverwalk Branch
500A Merrimack St. • Lawrence, MA 01843
Call Center
500 Merrimack St. • Lawrence, MA 01843
North Andover Mall Branch
350 Winthrop Ave., Rte 114
No. Andover, MA 01845
Central Plaza Branch
2 Water St. • Haverhill, MA 01830
Ethan Allen Plaza Branch
24 Plaistow Rd.• Plaistow, NH 03865
Village Mall Branch
436 Broadway • Methuen, MA 01844