Serving our members, it’s our sole purpose. Providing stellar service and products is what’s kept us in business since 1936. Together, we are real people, living the credit union philosophy of #PeopleHelpingPeople. Every day, we are grateful for the chance to showcase the #CUDifference.
Share how you’ve experienced that difference. Give kudos to FFCCU or a teammate here!
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Bill has over 40 years of experience in credit unions and previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for 30 years. Bill is a retired Captain of the Cleveland Fire Department. Along with his credit union experience, he has served for 16 years on the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund Board. He believes that credit unions are powered by providing the best customer service to members. Bill volunteers at St. Ambrose Parish and the Fire Museum renovation. Bill and his wife live in Brunswick and have two grown children.
Tony is honored to have been the current Board Director since 1999. He has been a credit union member of Cleveland Fire Fighter since 1988. Tony graduated with a BA degree in Business from Hiram College and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College. He is currently an Assistant Chief with the Cleveland Fire Department.
Ben Laurendeau has been employed in the credit union industry since 1987 in a variety of positions. Ben has held the position of President/CEO with Firefighters Community Credit Union since January of 2005. Ben holds an Associate Degree in Accounting from Terra Community College, A Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Tiffin University and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Baldwin Wallace University. Ben serves as a Director on the Ohio Credit Union League Services Corporation Board and serves on the Ohio Credit Union League Audit Committee.
Gary is a lifelong resident of Greater Cleveland and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2018. Many of his family members have served in the Cleveland Fire department and are long-time members of FFCCU. Gary holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD g from Cleveland State University. He has worked for both Cuyahoga County and the US Attorney’s office in Cleveland during his legal career. Now retired, Gary and his wife live in Lakewood.
Barb is a current Board Director of FFCCU and a fully vested member. She has an MBA in Finance and has spent 25 years teaching to all walks of life. Barb is a volunteer with the Foundation for Geauga Parks, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Lorain County Spirit of America, and Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. Barb is a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area. She and her husband have one daughter.
Alyssa Garcia Evanoff joined Firefighters Community Credit Union as the Chief Marketing Officer in February 2019. Alyssa has nearly two decades of experience in brand management and strategic marketing with a variety of organizations across the Greater Cleveland area. During her career, she has developed successful marketing and creative campaigns that have repositioned brand image and increased brand loyalty through emerging digital trends, content marketing and user experience strategy. Alyssa is a graduate of Miami University and sits on the board of the Cleveland chapter of the American Advertising Federation.
Jessica Bittner joined FFCCU as a teller in 2009. In 2012 she was promoted to branch manager, and has managed multiple branches throughout the credit union. Jessica holds a Bachelors in Human Resource Management & Business Management, with a minor in accounting from Baldwin Wallace University. She was promoted to COO in 2021.
Kathleen Riggs joined FFCCU as Chief Retail Officer in 2013. Kathy has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, holding a variety of positions. Kathleen received her bachelors degree in psychology from Kent State University and is a certified trainer of CUNA’s Creating Member Loyalty program.
Paul Humphrey was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He joined FFCCU in 2017 as the Chief Lending Officer. Paul is a graduate of Kent State University. He holds the designation of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) from CUNA. Paul has managed lending programs in both small and large credit unions and brings that unique perspective to serve the members of FFCCU.
John Carrick is the Chief Financial Officer of Firefighters Community Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio. John was hired by Greater Cleveland Firefighters Credit Union (former name of Firefighters Community Credit Union) as an Accounting Assistant in February 1993, was promoted to acting CFO in 1995, and was awarded the position of CFO in 1996. John has assisted in the acquisition of multiple mergers for Firefighters Community Credit Union and has managed two different Merging Credit Unions during the merger process. John is a former member of the Audit Committee of the Cleveland Chapter of the Ohio Credit Union League. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University.
Dennis has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2017. He is invested in forming bonds between the Credit Union and the community and helping members improve their economic situations. He has a strong desire to have a voice in the decision-making process of an institution that he was raised with and believes in. Dennis has been a part of the Cleveland Fire Department for 25 years and is currently a Captain. Dennis and his wife live in the Cleveland area with their three children.
Damian has served on the Board of Directors for over 10 years. He has been the Citywide Service Manager for the City of Cleveland since 1983 and manages the demolition of houses and buildings. He holds degrees in Law and Engineering and is a member of the Ohio Bar. Damian lives with his wife in the Cleveland area. He has been a credit union member for 30 years.
Rich serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors and has been a board member since 2009. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter since 1989 and is presently a Battalion Chief serving the city’s lower west side. Rich is a founding member and Treasurer of the Firefighters Memorial Ride. Since their inception in 2004, they have donated over $250,000 to the families of fallen Fire, Police, and EMS workers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Finance from Cleveland State University.
James is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and has served on the Board since 1982. He has also held the position of Secretary. Jim is a retired Cleveland Firefighter after 30 years of service. He is the past treasurer of Fire Fighters Local 93 and served on the Union Executive Board for 18 years. Jim is also a former Worker’s Compensation Representative for Local 93 and the NOFF.
Bryan has served on the FFCCU Board of Directors since 2006 and looks forward to continuing to help the credit union move forward and provide quality services to members. Born and raised in Cleveland, Bryan and his wife live in Lakewood and have three grown children. He holds a degree in Communications from Cleveland State University and spent 40-years as a cameraman for the MLB and NBA. After 33 years, he retired as a Captain from the Cleveland Fire Department. He is a former Sergeant at Arms for Local 93 IAFF and was Secretary for the Firefighters Memorial.
Bob is a lifelong Cleveland resident and has been a member of FFCCU since 1993. He has served on the FFCCU board since 2019. Bob is a graduate of Cleveland State University and has served as a Cleveland firefighter for the past 28 years, becoming a lieutenant in 2002. He and his wife live in Cleveland and have two grown daughters.
Jim has been a credit union member for over 40 years and has served on the Board of Directors since 2012. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter for 29 years, currently stationed at Engine Company 13. James has served on the Cleveland Firefighters Relief Fund board and was a former Union Steward and Committee Member for Firefighters Local 93. He and his wife have three children.
I was very grateful for Heather’s assistance today. I was able to obtain the information I needed to confirm a payment by a client. It was very helpful for me.
@Amy thank you for sharing this and we’re so glad Heather was able to assist you.
This was my first time using the online help IM from your website. The person (Casey) I spoke to was friendly, and extra helpful. My questions were answered in a timely manner. I am so impressed by the service I am getting from FFCCU! So happy I opened an account.
@Meagan that’s awesome. Thanks for trying our IM/Chat feature. The folks in our Member Contact Center love hearing this kind of feedback, so we’ll be sure to tell Casey that you were happy with her service!
I would like to give a huge ‘Kudos’ to Casey in the Customer Service area as she has always been such a wonderful help to me. She has helped me out in many situations and is always polite, emphatic, and efficient… It is because of service like Casey’s that I won’t go anywhere else! Thanks Casey…..
@Nichole thanks for sharing some Kudos for Casey. We’re so happy to hear this and we thank you for being a member of FFCCU.
Rebecca is the best! I will not bank anywhere else!She is kind, friendly, knowledgeable & extremely easy to talk to! My family & I appreciate you Rebecca!
We always go to Rebacca!
@Brown Family thanks so much for the Kudos! We’ll be sure to pass this along to Rebecca.
Heather made my day so much easier i had a few problems prior to talking with her but once i connected to online chat my problems were solved by her fast responses and she was very informational as well and even helped me with things and features i didn’t know about so for that I give 2 thumbs up for Heather !!
I closed my other account and solely use my Firefighters Community Credit Union account for banking and saved $144 in account fees! The interest rates are better too!
I had a wonderful experience with Casey today, she helped me out with all the questions and concerns I had.
You guys are the best Financial Institute! My husband I have been members for quite a few years and have always been treated like royalty. From time to time things our minds causes a OOPS! and Marybeth (The Greatest!!!!) at the downtown location, gives us a courteous call because she knows we are usually on top of things. She fixes the problem and puts our mind at ease. We could not ask for a better place to handle our bank accounts and loans. Again, We Thank You from the bottom of our hearts.
Steven & Priscilla Colbert
@Steven & Priscilla we really appreciate the Kudos. Thank you!
Randa at the Emerald branch was amazing! She’s so knowledgable and helped me to decide what options were best for me! She made the entire process seamless.
@AlyssaCarlozzi Thanks for sharing some love for Randa! We’ll be sure to pass this along to her. Banking should be easy and we’re glad we were able to help.
Kudos to Karen W at the downtown branch. I needed a difficult task done for me in a hurry and she took care of it quickly and efficiently. She also gave me good advice about another problem. I’m a long time member and I always have great service from the credit union employees.
@Pete Jedick Thanks Pete for the Kudos and for being a long time member! Karen is an awesome teammate and we’ll be sure to share this with her!
I was introduced to a remarkable young gal by the name of Tonja Davis at the Broadview Heights, Ohio location. At first blush, one can tell she is beautiful with a quiet, yet confident demeanor. My Dad is in a nursing home; handled all of the finances for my Mom and Tonja “held my hand” to figure out details with regard to my Dad’s pension. She was caring, professional and very sweet. I indicated to her that a branch should be opened in Medina county; I would not have closed all of Dad’s accounts otherwise. The amounts were substantial. Tonja… Read more »
@Gayle Bernauer Thank you for those kind words! We’re glad Tonja was able to assist you. No matter where you are – you can access and manage FFCCU accounts with our Online Baking and Free Mobile App tools. And although we aren’t physically in Medina yet, we are part of Co-Op Shared Branching, so you can use over 5,000 locations.
If you’d like more info please email us at communications@ffcommunity.com or visit https://www.ffcommunity.com/productsservices/247-access for details. Thanks again!
LeeAnn is AMAZING!!! She always has a smile and greets me by name every time i come in, even if it’s been a few months since i have been in. She makes banking a pleasure! When my son opened his account she made a special effort to tell him about how great it was to start saving at a young age and that he can actually earn money by saving! that was over $1000 ago and he’ still saving!! Thanks LeeAnn!!
@Tracy C Thanks for sharing! LeeAnn is a rockstar. In fact, she was recently voted as our Q4 MVT (Most Valuable Teammate!)
Kudos for Chris McManis ! After being on a 2 month search for the right bank institution as former bank professional myself I have been looking for an institution that would work for my goals rather than sell me goals that work for them , and Chris understood that . I know the credit union system was the way to go I went to 3 different credit unions and the experience had in the other two where no different than the bank system I am looking to move away from and this was my last attempt I almost didn’t go… Read more »
MIKE S.,
KUDOS TO BETH M., I HAVE BEEN W/ FFCCU FOR NEARLY 20YRS, SHE IS A GREAT ASSET TO THE FFCCU, & ANYBODY THAT HASN’T DEALT W/ HER NEEDS TO TAKE A NUMBER…….I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO SAY HOW MANY TIMES I’VE CRUNCHED NUMBERS W/ HER AND THE SAVINGS I’VE GAINED…….LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING BUSINESS AGAIN!
@MIKE SHANTERY Thank you for your long-term support, Mike. It makes us so happy knowing that you continue to have a great experience with one of our teammates!
Kudos to Trisha D at the Westside Branch!!!!!!! She was totally amazing and extremely helpful. She was remarkably versed, caring and compassionate, supportive, enriching….The list goes on with positive attributes. I’m forever grateful for her assistance. Thanks to her, my wife and I are more financial stable and informed. Thanks so much. We’re proud members of FFCCU!!!!
@George You are amazing too, George! We will share your love with Trisha!
Kudos to Erin for helping me get my account set up online. She was very helpful, knowledgeable and also set up with a Dare to Compare appointment to go over all of my accounts. I am looking forward to seeing if I can save any money! #FFCCUForTheWin
@Judy We’re looking forward to hearing your savings success story!
KUDOS to Margaret for helping me re-finance my truck. She went above and beyond to help settle the matter. She even called me on her day off to tell me my loan was approved. Margaret is my new best friend and offered to help me look at some of my other expenses to see how I can save more money. #FFCCUForTheWin
@DH Awesome! Happy savings!
KUDOS to Erin for all the help she offered me online. It was nice to be able to multi-task at work and have my issue investigated and settled by online chat. #FFCCUForTheWin
@2Lboysmom Yayyy! We’re so happy to hear you had a great experience with the Live Chat!
KUDOS to Sumintra at the North Ridgeville branch! It’s so nice to have someone remember your name and your spouse’s name, even when you only see them maybe once a month. This is one of the most important reasons why we have continued over the years to be a part of a credit union, because you are not just a number, you are an individual. Thank you to Sumintra and to all the others at the North Ridgeville branch for always making us feel welcomed! KUDOS! KUDOS! KUDOS!
@michelle Sumintra made a great addition to North Ridgeville!
Kudos to Sandy Ananewich, FFCCU loan officer! My husband and I were moving abroad when we were utilizing Sandy’s support. She’s helpful, thorough, and walks you through any questions you have. Even when it wasn’t her “lane” she helped us get on the right track from afar. #FFCCUForTheWin
@Robyn_Mack We love Sandy too, Robyn! This is the kind of story we love to hear!
We would like to thank Chris McManis for all of his hard work and determination while helping us secure a loan. Chris put 110% forth in helping to get both my husband and myself on the loan. It took some time but Chris worked diligently and answered all of our questions…even after we signed the paperwork there was a little confusion but Chris worked on the situation until it was correct. I can say that my husband and I were 125% satisfied with the dedication Chris has for his job and helping his customers. We really appreciate all of his… Read more »
@The Piscitellis Thank you so much for sharing your great experience with us! We will let Chris and the teammates at Emerald know that their hard work does not go unnoticed!
I want to thank Tomesha at the LaGrange branch, for helping me to realize my potential. She was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. Not only did Tomesha help me with my goals and future plans she put me in touch with everyone I needed to make my dreams a reality. I appreciated that she did not sugar coat anything she gave the facts. Because of her honesty and knowledge I’m in the process of transferring all of my accounts to FireFighters Community Credit Union! Tomesha is a GEM!!
@Cathy Moyer Cathy, wow! It is words of encouragement like yours that keep us going. Thank you!
I LOVE dealing with the staff at the branch. They recently helped me fix a major mistake (of my doing) and then helped me open a second account. My kids also have savings accounts there and love talking to the ladies! Thank you so much for all you do!
@Jennifer Linn Awesome! We love hearing stories like this!
I LOVE dealing with the staff. I recently made a major mistake with my account and they immediately helped me correct the mistake and also helped me open a second account. Thanks for a great job ladies!!!
To: FFCCU/Karen Wiens
I should have done this three months ago. In September while in London, England you returned my call and within two minutes reset the password to my FFCCU ATM card. I did not set my password properly prior to leaving the USA. You really helped and saved our vacation. Thank You very much. Have a Merry Christmas.
William Annandono
@WL Annandono We’re so glad you had a great trip! Happy Holidays!
Well here we are in the middle of another Holiday Season.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our GREAT teammates for another
outstanding year of service to our members. The Board of Directors takes great
pride in the employees at FFCCU. Here’s hoping each and everyone of our
teammates and members and their family’s have a wonderful Christmas Season and
a prosperous New Year. The best of health and happiness to all.
Bill Deighton
Board Chairman FFCCU
@Bill Deighton_Chaiman Thanks, Bill! We are grateful for you and your service to FFCCU!
I wanna thank Mary for helping me today and Maria, she always has a smile when u walk in at Emerald Parkway
@ruben davila We love smiling!
Karen Wiens at the downtown branch was so helpful! She listened to me and offered me much more than what I was originally looking for. Thank you!
@Erica We’re so glad Karen was able to help you!
Beth needs to be permanent at the North Ridgeville branch she completes our little family there. Sumi and Kelsie are an important part of our little family but we need Beth back to complete us. Thank you Beth for teaching me about shared banking.
@onebadnana It makes us so happy that you love Beth and the North Ridgeville branch! Here’s a link to help you find shared branching locations - https://www.ffcommunity.com/us/locations#locator
Jovan at the Wellington branch is Mr Customer Service!! It’s great to still have the personal touch even though the CU grows and grows. Been a member since 1982 when I knew all 3 employees well!
@Eric E You’re absolutely right. Jovan is Mr. Customer Service! Thank you for your loyalty to FFCCU, Eric!
The Wellington Branch is the best they have help me in many ways
Kudos to everyone at the Willoughby location …. Valerie and Connie… YOU ROCK
Patricia Montgomery
@PatriciaMontgomery We agree. They do rock!
The Branch is AWESOME! All the girls there are so helpful! Does not matter what time or day I go in there all of the girls are smiling and happy!They always go above and beyond with my banking needs! This is how a credit union should run!! These girls are so dedicated to the customers that bank here! We would never leave!
Thanks!
Laura Shupe
@Laura Shupe We’re so happy that you’re happy! Thank you for the kudos! We will share with the wonderful staff in South Amherst.
Karen is awesome!!! Just when I thought I had no way out of a bad financial decision I made, she came to my rescue with a suggestion that worked out great. I can breath easy knowing my credit union has a staff who is knowledgeable, friendly and professional in handling my needs. Thank you Karen for everything!!!!!
@OneHappyMember We agree. Karen is awesome! We will let her know you think so too!
I want to thank Jenny, Melissa and Jovan at the Wellington branch for making my first credit union experience a great one! Keep up the fantastic work!
My thanks to Ginny at Oberlin. So helpful, so friendly, so wonderfully pleasant…always!
Words cannot express my great appreciation for the help I received from Randa Parsons at the Emerald Pkwy Branch. This young lady went above and beyond my expectations. I will highly recommend her and this branch wherever I go. As a matter of fact I already did! Thank you so very much Randa any and all future car, house purchases you know I’m coming to see you!
Carol M. Lewis
I would like to thank Ginny at the Oberlin branch for all her assistance over the past years. She always has a smile when you come into the credit union. Ginny is the main reason we stayed with FFCCU after the merger.
Craig
I would like to give a big thank you to Rebecca at the Broadview Hts. branch. She closed my auto loan for me & took the time to make sure I understood the whole process. I truly appreciate someone who goes above & beyond to make sure everything is right & Rebecca is one of these people. Thank you again!
Mary R Walkos
We would like to thank Shawn at the Broadview Heights location for helping us with our auto loan. We had an issue getting in contact with another agent, called Shawn and she was able to assist us immediately without setting an appointment! It was a Saturday morning, we arrived at noon and the closing time was 12:30pm. Shawn continued to help us past normal business hours until everything was finalized. Amazing service and that’s something companies cannot buy. Thanks Shawn!!!
Regards,
Glen & Shaunese
I would like to give a very sincere thank you to Beth, who processed my name change. I am always hesitant in face-to-face dealings because I am gay, and don’t want to feel discriminated against for getting married. I was treated with BEYOND the utmost respect and professionalism. I am so pleased to be a member here, and because of Beth, we are considering moving our entire savings here. Thank you!
A BIG thank you to Margaret @ Emerald for always going above and beyond. She always has a genuine smile on her face and helps with any and all issues and concerns we have with our accounts. Hats off to her as she is a wonderful asset to Fire Fighters Community Credit Union 🙂
My girl Ginny is THE BEST! She’s always ready with a smile when I come through the door. She is always helpful and she never bats an eye when I’ve forgotten my account number for the one millionth time! Ginny is fantastic!
Because everybody is friendly and know what they are doing.
I’d like to thank Ginny at the Oberlin branch. She’s awesome.
I know when I go into the Oberlin Branch Ginny will always be there with a friendly greeting. I can always count on her to take care of any matter or business that needs to be dealt with. Friendly, professional, and always helpful!
I go to the Oberlin branch a lot & today they had cookies & candy & water. It was a nice added touch & i appreciate it. Thanx Ginny
I just want to thank Randa at the Emerald Branch for all the assistance she provided me this week. She went above and beyond and was polite and friendly. I would recommend Randa and the Emerald Branch to anyone. Thank you so much Randa!!!!
I want to thank Beth for the help with my loan and for being such a fun person, I love coming to the credit union and seeing and talking to Beth. She knows my family and all of our names when we walk in. She treats my grandson extra special. I also want to say Kelsey is a great addition to North Ridgeville.
I wanna give thanks to all the girls at Emerald Pkwy. in Cleveland especially Maria T. She knows me by name n she help me with problem I might have.. Kudos too all !!!
@ruben davila thanks for sending some Kudos out for our Emerald Parkway Branch located by the Cleveland Airport. Maria is an awesome teammate and we’ll be sure to pass this along to her. Thanks for being a member of FFCCU!