Tag: Employee of the Quarter

We have over 100 great employees at Wauna Credit Union. Each Quarter we recognize one person who consistently goes above and beyond, and name them Employee of the Quarter. We’re kicking the year off with a bang with our Employee of the Quarter Amber Seely.

We sat down with Amber to find out more about her, and learn more about her time representing Wauna Credit Union.

Getting to Know Amber

What is your title?
I’m a Card Service Specialist based out of Clatskanie. I work behind the scenes to help make sure our credit and debit card programs are running smoothly. I also talk with members and help them when there is a dispute on a purchase. Prior to that I was a member consultant in St. Helens.

What brought you to WCU?
I was a medical assistant in Portland. When my daughter was born, I stayed home for some time, and when I was ready to come back to work I started looking for a job that was closer to home, that still gave me the chance to talk to people, and had the opportunity for growth. When a job at Wauna opened up, I jumped at it.

What is your favorite thing about working here?
There are so many things I love about working here, but my favorite thing is just getting the chance to work with people, both coworkers and members. I’m a very social person, and I love helping people. The great thing about my job is I get to help people multiple times a day.

What project has been your favorite?
My favorite project is one that’s going on right now. Our members really love our Visa Rewards Cards, and we’re constantly looking for ways to make them better. It’s been fun to look at all the ways we can give a little back to members just for using their cards. We have some exciting things coming up.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in St. Helens, and I think it will always be my home. I love the community and knowing that my neighbors are always looking out for me, and I’m looking out for them.

What was a time you laughed really hard at work?
I laugh all the time at work, but I’ll tell you when I don’t laugh, when you manage to find bad pictures of me and turn them into memes. (Editor’s note, that’s what Amber gets for stealing my phone at TMA training and taking selfies.)

Why do you think somebody should become a Wauna Member?
I think somebody should become a member, because all the decisions are made by local people. Our mission is to help people build their financial well-being. We do that by working with people to make a loan work, help them save a little bit more money, or making it easy to do their banking 24/7.

Have you ever done anything embarrassing at work?
I don’t get embarrassed easily. Recently, at one of our In-Service days I lead a group dancing in front of the whole credit union. Some people might be embarrassed doing that, but my passion is dancing, so I wasn’t embarrassed at all. We had secret practices, and nobody was expecting it. It was great.

One of the mantras we have at Wauna Credit Union is in order to be the financial institution that members choose first, use the most, and grow with throughout their lives, we have to have the best people. Every quarter we recognize one employee as the Employee of the Quarter. Our honoree for the final quarter of 2017 is Kailynn Daum. We sat with Kailynn to find out more about her experiences at Wauna.

What is your title?
For the last year, I’ve served as a Training Specialist after spending most of my six years at Wauna as a Teller/Member Consultant out of the Saint Helens branch-with a brief excursion on the Operations team in Clatskanie. I get to use my experience from being on the front line to teach our internal members (employees) in a variety of areas to help them better serve our members. I love that Wauna is committed to education and opportunity, and that I get to be a big part of that.

What brought you to WCU?
I have been a member since I was 16 and always felt valued and taken care of as a member, so when I saw a position open for an on-call teller in the Saint Helens branch I decided to go for it. I had a few years of waitressing experience but knew nothing about the financial industry so I was a little nervous coming in. With the help of my team I quickly found my bearings and I am very fortunate to have had some great mentors over the last six years that have helped me get to where I am now.

What is your favorite thing about working here?
Wauna is really committed to employees education and growth. The Credit Union really invests in its employees which in turn benefits our members, and I love that I get to be a part of that in the Training Department. It is so rewarding to see an employee grow in to their position, develop a career path and find their success.

What project has been your favorite?
The training team is very project focused so it’s hard to pick just one. The thing I love the most about taking on big projects is the sense of comradery that comes with it. Thinking back on the times that we have spent countless hours practicing for a big presentation or working in to the night on our card conversion, those were the times that really brought us together as a team.

Have you ever done anything embarrassing at work?
When I was working in Saint Helens branch one of our call center reps called needing some information, I forgot to place her on hold and instead just set the phone down. While I was getting the information for her my colleague and I were throwing down a very dramatic duet of Bohemian Rhapsody. When I returned to the phone I realized what I had done and tried to play it cool, but she had heard everything. She did complement our duet but I think it was only because she felt sorry for us.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Saint Helens and that is where my husband and I decided to stay. We love being outdoors so being within a couple hours drive of the river, ocean, and mountains (and family) is great.