Page 17 - Michigan Credit Union League: 2018 Contact Q2

staying connected with our community and listening to world just didn’t fit with what makes me tick anymore. It

our members. Because of that, we feel like we’re doing didn’t feed my soul.”

our job in keeping the area vital and growing.” Fortunately, Riegler was able to find a career that fit with

TBACU has been serving members in northwest Michigan the rhythm of his “tick” at LMCU.
for more than 60 years. Because the area is still largely
rural, credit unions are able to serve their members’ “My soul has been healed at LMCU,” he said. “I go home
needs even more effectively, according to Wybenga. A tired and exhausted and always behind, but I feel so good
close-knit, rural community allows for increased dialogue about what we do here.”

about what the region and its members need, which Leusink, by contrast, has been at home in the credit union
in turn helps credit unions engage their communities industry for his entire professional career. He empha-
more effectively. sized the benefit of knowing that, at the end of the day,

This spirit of engagement rests at the core of what credit credit unions make decisions based on their members’

unions do. For Riegler, transitioning from a long-time best interests.

career in the banking world was a way to reconnect with
his passion for helping people. When the 2008 hous- “For me, that’s particularly important because I grew up
ing crash increased pressure on financial industries to on a farm in Iowa,” said Leusink. “When you grow up in a
remain compliant, Riegler found the additional regulations farming community, much of what you do is cooperative.
Co-ops have always been in my blood.”
limited his day-to-day ability to help others.

“It’s not the banks’ fault; they were reacting to a very dif- Speaking of the merger that created 4Front three years
ficult situation,” he said. “The environment in the bank ago, Leusink highlighted that, instead of using layoffs as

SECOND QUARTER 2018 I CONTACT 17