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.
Karen Is AWESOME!!!! She helped me get access to my new account because I didn’t save my information after signing everything electronically and she got my account all set up for me…. KUDOS Karen Thanks so much!!!
@YolandA Davis We’re glad you were able to take advantage of our digital services, Yolanda!
I want to thank Sumintra for opening up my checking account. Excellent customer service. Thank you. Sumintra, I might be over there for Christmas Club Account too.
@Frank McDonall Come on by and see us soon, Frank. Happy Holidays.
Megan was great. Easy to work with and solved my problem in a timely manner. Very professional and pleasant.
@jim min Woohoo!
Kudos to Karen for being extremely helpful and patient with my constant questions and clarifications. Karen was very knowledgeable and our conversation went very smoothly and I was able to get all the information that I needed to complete my process. Thanks again for everything Karen!
@Gabby1990 Smooth sailing on the shores of Lake Erie!
Kudos to Megan for her swift responses and information! I needed my account information and she quickly and thoroughly verified my identity and provided all the information I needed. Thanks much Megan!
@jwstevensii All in a days work!
I just wanted to say that LeeAnn was really great with me today. Helped me with my question and even helped me with reassuring something was in the system. Really sweet lady!
@marinaunnie96 We think so too!
Sumintra was very helpful setting up our new accounts and auto loan. She is a great asset to the FF credit union team! Kudos to her!
@The Pierce Family We’re so glad we found her and added her to the team too!
This is a shout out for Sumintra in the North Ridgevilled Office. She is always willing to go above and beyond and will stay over to get the job done. She is very kind and a pleasure to work with. Thank you again!
@Theresa Corley We love Sumintra too, Theresa!
Karen from the online chat assistance was friendly and very helpful in setting up my holiday and travel club accounts. Love the feature it saved me so much time.
Sumintra Singh is a pleasure to work with. She was flexible and willing to go back and forth with an auto loan to make sure the transition was as easy and smooth as possible. She is very knowledgeable on the finances and I am happy to continue to work with members of FFCCU.
@KatieGardner Thanks so much for sharing your great experience with Sumintra with us!
Karen did a great job. Thanks.
Sumintra Singh was amazing to work with. I’ve been putting off joining because I thought it would be a huge hassle. Sumintra was so kind & easy to work with that it actually made me really excited to join FFCCU. She answered all my questions & gave me more information than I expected. I learned a lot from her and I’m so glad I finally opened accounts here! I left feeling that my money was in good hands.
@SLS1925 Welcome to the FFCCU family!
I used live chat today. LeeAnn was great! She was very helpful and efficient! She provided all the information I needed and took great care in her work! She made me feel that my information was safe with the security questions and did a wonderful job all around!
Appreciated the prompt communications and facilitating the process, Sumintra Singh. I’ve been with FFCCU for 20yrs and attend to stay with them for the rest of my life. It’s always such a positive experience. THANK YOU.
@MELISSA ATHENS Awesome Melissa! We look forward to a long and loving life together.
I wanted to say Thank you to Chris McManis. I greatly appreciated his service with a smile, and sense of humor. Also appreciated him taking the time to answer my questions, and make sure I got out in time to go to the Indians game on Saturday. I must say this truly was the best experience I ever had when it comes to banking… So happy I joined. A Big Thank you to Chris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@CindyPhelps Thanks for coming in, Cindy. Go Tribe!
Did live chat this morning with Karen. First time I used it. Easy, quick response. Karen was able to answer all questions and take care of my requests quickly.
Thanks Again Karen
Carl Mack
@Carl Glad you had a great first time live chat experience, Carl!
I used the FFCCU Chat for the first time and was very impressed on the service I received from Karen. Karen was very kind and pleasant to chat with and provided me with the information I needed! Thanks Karen and keep up the great work!
@Sherry Thanks for taking advantage of this service, Sherry! We hope you’ll try it again the next time you need assistance.
Very pleasant experience with Heather on line. She was prompt and very efficient in helping me with my problem.
@Helen We’re happy to hear Heather was able to get you all squared away!
Thank you Karen for answering all of my questions about the loans you offer. I hope that my appointment on Saturday goes well and I’ll be able to get what I need. Your information was great and I enjoy being part of this credit union. Thank you again!!! This credit union rocks 🙂
I want to say thank you to Randa Parsons at the Emerald Parkway branch. She listened to my needs and made suggestions as to products and services offered by the FFCCU that would put me in a better position financially to comfortably make my housing purchase in the near future. She was very professional and easy to work with. All in all she made my visit a wonderful experience.
Thank you Heather, for answering my questions about international fees and charges as I prepared for my upcoming Caribbean cruise!
@Stephanie Hope you have a great time sailing the high seas!
Sumintra at the North Ridgeville branch did an awesome job getting me set up with my loan. She took good care of me and was very professional. Thank you
@Joe Ruggiero This is great to hear, Joe!
Casey was really helpful with me through the chat line. I do not no how many times I have called or chatted but every one is so awesome when they are talking me. Thanks Casey
@delores Henry We’re so glad to hear that you utilize our Member Contact Center and the Live Chat and that it’s helpful!
Heather did a great job and answered all my questions and was very courteous.
Thank you to Sumintra and Ginny in North Ridgeville for helping my husband and I refinance our mortgage at an awesome rate! With the current rate special, we were able to cut our interest rate in half and take 9 years off, savings us a TON in interest.
Casey was great! She was efficient and very helpful. Thank you!
I recently joined (YAY) and Cinda in S. Amherst could not have been more helpful! She made it easy and had wonderful advice for me. Thanks Cinda!
@Joyce Guardado We’re so happy to have you as part of the FFCCU family, Joyce! Some see us again soon.
Casey helped me get a really good idea of what kind of Auto Loan rate I could expect based on my score. I’m not sure yet if I’ll purchase one yet but it was really helpful for me to make up my mind before I actually apply for a loan. Thanks Casey!
@Mike Hope you’re enjoying your new ride, Mike!
Randa Parsons, you have been very helpful. I love the way you handled my loan in such a timely manner. I’m definitely keeping my money in the credit union.
Heather was awesome!
Yes Karen was very nice and she help me to go to web site without any more problems.Thanks Karen
Thanks to Sumintra Singh at the N. Ridgeville branch for making our vacation loan a very easy enjoyable experience
We are going to shift much of our business over to them and close one of our other credit union accounts for the convenient and friendly N. Ridgeville office. Thanks so much Ron
HUGE Shout out to Virginia Hainen from the Oberlin branch! She went above and beyond to help me in a very short amount of time. She knew exactly what I needed and found the best solution. She made sure everything was completed on time, even working on her day off!! Very helpful, responsive, and professional throughout the entire process. Thank you for everything, Ginny!!
-RHM
A huge thank you to Christopher McMannis for helping me receive my first car loan! Chris really helped me understand everything going on for a 19 year old kid starting in his career with the sheet metal local 33 union. Chris really took his time and was very patient with me. He stayed in contact with me throughout the day to make sure everything was in order. Super cool guy. Thanks for your help Chris!
-Colin
@Irishgill24 We’re so happy you had a great experience. We know that the first car buying experience (or any really) can be confusing and makes people a little nervous. We’re so glad we could help get you started on the right path.
LeeAnn was very helpful with assisting me today!!
Heather id a great job and saved me from going into the branch. We are rushing around getting ready to leave, and she helped us out greatly.
Heather did an excellent job of going above and beyond to assist me today. My goal was just to reset my ATM pin, but she saw that I didn’t have an online account and was able to create one for me in seconds flat. Excellent customer service!
I want to give a kudos for Pam in customer service, phone line she is so nice and knowledgeable, she keeps a positive attitude and helps me with my crazy complex accounts. Pam is a great employee please let her know I appreciate her service. Every time I call I asked for Pam please to assist me.
@Devenia Awesome. We’ll let Pam know that her hard work doesn’t go unnoticed!
I am in mexico and my daughter was trying to get on my account in the states to see if her money went tru from PayPal when she sold her iPhone. Well.. she locked me out of my account so I went online and talked with a representative and she was able to help me get my account unblocked. So I give a big kuddos to ffcu for being able to help me with my situation. Thanks again 🙂
Her name was Karen She was very helpful thanks again
@Michelle Angle So glad we were able help you outside the country!
Chris McManis came out to our training center to talk to first year apprentices about the difference between a credit union and a bank. Quite a few of the students had questions about different services offered by the credit union, Chris knew the answers to everything asked. He was very personal and gave us a broad spectrum of ideas on ways to save and get on financial track.
Personally i have been a member of FFCCU for almost 10 years so learning new things the bank is doing was extremely helpful.
Zane
SMART Local 33
I just opened an account and was having trouble setting up my online banking. Heather was able to help me get everything set up. She made everything very easy for me. Thanks!!
Jessica
Sumintra spent 2 hours going over our auto loan and email account set up with us. She was very thorough in explaining everything to us on how it operates.Thank you.
Doug and Luz
@vinitest We’re great! How are you?
I just chatted with Heather and she was able to help me out 100%! Thank you!
@SheriBoomerMasterson Excellent! So happy you had a great experience.
I concur with SJ … Heather was very helpful and informative
@RM We’ll let her know!
Shout out to Heather from online chat support — very efficient and helpful, streamlines process for members to be able to type requests to a live associate and have rapid processing times!
@SJ This is great to hear! We know members are busy and it’s great to hear that the LiveChat is making life easier.
Shout out to the staff at the Willoughby branch for providing great customer service – always friendly; always helpful. I would also like to give kudos to your online chat customer service reps. It’s a very convenient service and your staff is always able to assist. My last online chat I was assisted by Heather. She was a delight to work with. Her positive attitude and friendliness really made my day.
I absolutely love being a member of FFCCU. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Linda
@Linda Thank you for the shoutout, Linda! It’s because of members like you that we are celebrating our 80th Birthday on Sunday!
I wanted to thank Margret Gilbride for her outstanding customer service. There has been 3 times in the past months she has helped me with my financial questions. She has a great personality and she always is smiling no matter how tough the question is. She goes above and beyond every time I see her.Thank you very much and it is people like her that make your financial institution a pleasure to business with. A very happy customer
Tom C
KAREN D.& KAREN W. ROCK!!!!!!!! She told me about the great Dare2Compare special where I was able to transfer a credit card balance from a higher interest rate over 13% to 1% for a year. This will save me soooo much money. She also was kind enough to take really great notes so when I spoke to the loan specialist they’d know what my concerns were. Super Proactive! Later, I met another Karen who told me about the awesome sig loan process and I was able to get a great rate. Thanks so much for your speedy help and insight. I was… Read more »
Today was the first time that I had been to FFCCU for any type of business. Karen Cornelison helped me with all of the paperwork required for an auto loan. And she sure knows what customer service is all about! She took time to explain all of the features and requirements needed to close the deal. She’s knowledgeable; efficient; professional—-and I don’t want to forget patient! Kudos to a lovely lady!
@CherylLeeMonica we really appreciate you taking the time to give Kudos to Karen. We’re so happy she was able to assist you with your auto loan. Member service is what makes the difference at FFCCU. Thank you again for the business.