Member Spotlight: Sharee L. Coleman

CUNA Councils
November 6, 2006

I’ve been the vice president of marketing at Delaware Federal Credit Union for close to five years. Prior to “seeing the light” and redeeming my wicked ways, I held various marketing positions at several credit-card banks in Delaware, Arizona, Ohio, and Minnesota. Taking the position at Delaware Federal Credit Union not only brought me career redemption, but also brought me home to my native Delaware. It also gave me the opportunity to change people's lives through financial education, delivery of affordable financial products and services, and participating actively in volunteer and community initiatives.

I am not married but I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by a very large, boisterous, fun-loving family, loyal and dependable friends I've had since childhood, two god-sons I can spoil and then return to their parents, and of course my extended credit union family.

Biggest challenge for 2006

It’s a tie between creating career enhancement opportunities for my staff and changing the behavior of credit-challenged members, (both existing and potential members).

Best advice

KISS (keep it simple stupid). This theory may be old, but it's tried and true. If your product or service is complicated it won't get off the ground, no matter how much you spend on marketing it.

Greatest benefit of Council membership

The willingness to share information so we can all be successful. To me, the most valuable aspect of the Council is the opportunity to give and receive valuable information. It also reminds me how many people are just as passionate about the credit union movement as I am.

Best part of my job

Interacting and delivering financial literacy to youth, mentoring and coaching my team

Members, and giving back to the community through sponsorships, scholarships, and charitable initiatives.

Hardest part of my job

Reaching the underserved and/or the credit challenged. Making them aware that my credit union can help them and that they have options other than payday or predatory lenders. Making them aware that, with a few changes, they can become financially healthy.

Success story

Time is money, and most people don't have enough of either. To address both issues, my team, with the help of our business partner Visions Ink, developed an interactive, mini compact disk (CD), no bigger than a business card. The CD allowed us to speak to multiple, key decision-makers at once. It allowed us to be unobtrusive yet still get the credit union benefit out to local businesses. The CD made its recipients curious enough to play it and allowed them to look at information according to their schedule, not ours. The CD worked so well, and produced such great results, that it earned a 2006 NAFCU Marketing Award, which we graciously accepted at this year's conference in Toronto.

Hobbies and interests

Delaware is a coastal state that borders the Atlantic Ocean, so I'm a marketer during the week and a beach bum on the weekends. I love boating and catching seafood straight from the Chesapeake Bay. I love domestic and international travel. I love what I do for a living, spending time with my family, and laughing.

People would be most surprised to learn that I . . .

Would one day like to enter the political arena. I also want to write a book about how to revive the lost art of providing stellar customer service. I also used to ride motor-cross!

Recent book

Think Big Act Small by Jason Jennings

Life goal not yet accomplished

Holding political office.

Something that always makes me laugh

Bankers who feel threatened by a credit union’s tax-exempt status.

If I had an extra hour in the day . . .

I would first give thanks for the extra hour, and then spend it talking and laughing with my family.