Member Spotlight: Brad Roteman

CUNA Councils
May 6, 2009 | COMMENTS

Brad Roteman is vice president of member services for Healthcare Systems Federal Credit Union in Falls Church, Virginia. He was born Pittsburg to a working class family, “where my mother stayed home to raise four kids and my dad was a door-to-door milkman,” he says. “Dad was a high school dropout who read the daily paper literally from cover to cover and used his self-education and larger-than-life personality to rise to Pennsylvania State Commander of the Jewish War Veterans. From him I learned the value of charity work, community involvement, and the importance of developing leadership skills.”

Brad worked in several different jobs before joining the credit union industry, including stints as a sales and service manager for an industrial laundry, 12 years with Bankers Systems as an account representative and district sales manager, and sales rep for Chevy Chase Bank in Virginia. He joined Healthcare Systems Federal Credit Union four years ago where he has helped develop a successful service/sales culture.

Biggest challenge

In a changing financial services environment, the challenge is to remain relevant to our members and potential members by providing a level of service that makes membership a highly desired privilege.

Best advice

We preach and require the memorization of the three mantras below—if you can get your team members to live by these ideals, you will be successful, no matter what your goals are:

1. Good things happen when good people get together to do the right things for the right reasons.
2. People prefer to deal with people. People prefer to deal with people they like. People prefer to deal with people who are like them.
3. Tom Hopkins' “Champions Creed”: “I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed. And the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I fail and keep trying.”

Greatest benefit of Council membership

Networking and learning from others.

Best part of my job

Training and coaching others to commit to a life of "people helping people.”

Hardest part of my job

Getting opportunities to spread our philosophy to others outside of our credit union.

Success story

Continuous growth every month for the past four years due to the buy-in of our team to the three mantras listed above. A quick example: One of our MSRs was working on a Saturday when a member came in to ask about a $500 loan to buy a bed crib. Our MSR offered her his old crib and drove it 35 miles each way on Sunday! Why? Simple, he lives Mantra 1: Good things happen when good people get together to do the right things for the right reasons.

Biggest misconception about my job

People think I manage and do reports, etc. I am a teacher and a coach!

Hobbies and interests

Politics, history, football (Steelers x 6 RINGS), jazz, old movies, and Broadway musicals.

Recent book

Leadership Landmines by Marty Clarke.

Life goal not yet accomplished

Institutionalize our culture ideals so that no matter who is here we are going to do the right things for the right reasons every minute of every day to help people improve their lives.

Something that makes me laugh

Buddy Hackett tapes.

Favorite quote

“If you think you can't, you can't; if you think you can, you can” (Henry Ford).

Favorite music

Jazz, rock classics, Sinatra, Mathis, and Broadway hits.

If I could spend a day with anybody . . .

It would be Barack Obama, because he has shown leadership and the ability to overcome obstacles unlike anyone one else I know of alive today.

How I would explain the credit union difference to prospective members

I would bring them to our branches and let them see for themselves the energy, passion, and desire to be of help that our team members exhibit regularly!