Freedom

If you’d have told me last year what 2020 would be like, I wouldn’t have believed you. Yet here we are. From the global impact of the pandemic to the global impact of the tragic events in Minneapolis, we have seen the best and worst in humankind.

Having lived in the 60’s, there is a disheartening familiarity to it at times and though I may have only been a young boy, I was nonetheless cognizant of those dramatic times. Polio vaccines in school, the Vietnam War, civil unrest and so on. Recent events have made me realize just how aware I was back then even though only nine. It’s astonishing how sights, sounds and smells trigger memories long forgotten. I recently awoke with a particular verse playing in my head from a song called “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan which goes:

Yes, ‘n’ how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take ’til he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind

I’m sure, as with all of us, our collective life experience informs who we are and guides us down life’s path. No doubt they are the reason I wound up in a credit union that focuses on improving the lives and experiences of those we serve. They also remind me that Freedom is not just our name; it is a symbol of our commitment to our community.

Our mission of people helping people requires we not be silent in troubled times. It requires we stand united with all people against racism, hatred, intolerance, and injustice. It requires that we stand, as an organization and as human beings, in support of equality, diversity, inclusion, and the well-being of our global community.

Mike

Michael MacPherson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Freedom Federal Credit Union

A Message from President and CEO, Mike MacPherson

May 15, 2020

Dear Members,

There has been a lot of talk recently about “reopening”. I imagine it raises questions for you about our plans at Freedom and I would like to address them; I just don’t have all the answers yet. What I can tell you is, we will not rush things.

Like everything you hear, we too will be taking a phased approach. What that approach will be exactly, or when it will happen, will first be dependent, and in alignment, with the Governor’s Roadmap to Recovery guidance announced on May 13, as well as what we feel is best for our members and employees. There will be numerous other considerations including, but not limited to, staff and member safety, social distancing needs, controlled access, hours of operation, branch configuration, and so on.

We are learning a lot from our experience serving you with the current changes in place at our branches, and how you have embraced those changes. This will help us determine what is necessary and what is in your best interests going forward. We also consider how we can best maintain our culture, our relationships, and our connection to the community in a more “touchless” world.

While we don’t know what the upcoming weeks and months will look like, we know it will be different, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We know we are not alone in this; every business will need to evolve in some way. We have had, and will continue to have, discussions about next steps and gather information since each location can pose different challenges. Whatever decisions are made will be based on the same strategies we have focused and built our success on – the employee and member experience.

Believe me, I would love to be the modern-day Nostradamus and to tell you every decision regarding reopening, or potential changes, will be perfect from the start. The reality is this is all new and we must ease into any action one step at a time. Most decisions are the result of facts, research, analysis and so on. We will not risk the trust you place in us by guessing or by worrying about what everyone else is doing. We have, and will, make decisions based on what we know and what we believe to be in the best interest of all for the greater good. You deserve that. All we ask in return is your understanding and flexibility as we navigate today’s “conditional normalcy” (whatever the conditions dictate will be what is normal).

For now, when we can safely open lobbies in our branches again, they may look and operate a bit differently. Masks will be required, social distancing should be expected, and appointments may be necessary for the short-term. You may also find that branches may be slightly reconfigured with plexiglass barriers, staff employing necessary physical distancing, signs posted with instructions for conducting business and floor markers indicating where to stand.

Regardless of how things look and what requirements are necessitated, rest assured you are still our priority and that Freedom, at its core, remains unchanged in our purpose, mission and commitment as we forge a new path in service of you and our community.

We will communicate our plans in the coming days and weeks. Until then, I want to thank you for your patience, your support, your resilience, and your trust in Freedom.

Warmest Regards,

Michael MacPherson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Freedom Federal Credit Union

Wanted – Reliable Psychic

When I was young I remember a man known as The Amazing Kreskin. While he claimed to be an entertainer, his appearances mainly focused on being a mentalist or psychic with ESP (Extra Sensory Perception). I remember ESP being quite the rage in those days and we even had a Kreskin ESP game that tested your powers of ESP. I think we all believed that with the included “mystery pendulum” we could answer all of life’s important questions about love, career, finance and travel (as it touted on the box cover). Oh to have that mystery pendulum right now.

Of course, the truth today is that none of us can predict what’s next and, like the reality of Kreskin, it may just come down to what you want to believe to get you through the day and on to the next. There are so many suggestions, so many differing opinions, so much data (both accurate and misleading) that our best bet is to do the best we can, keep each other as safe as possible and keep smiling. When Freedom made the decision to modify operations we put out an end date of April 30th. That’s obviously not happening. Two weeks from now is too soon given the available and reasonable information so the message now is that we will operate under current conditions for the foreseeable future. I wish I could give you an exact date, but again, no mystery pendulum.

Don’t be discouraged though. The uncertainty of when branches open to the public is minor in the grand scheme. We’ll do it when it’s right. While other businesses may be under a great pressure to reopen fully, thanks in large part to our tireless staff, Freedom is positioned to weather this storm without loss of jobs or placing anyone at increased risk. Many of our employees still go out every day to perform an essential business. I want to acknowledge that we appreciate their commitment to our members. Thank you!

I am so proud of the efforts of our staff. Yes, I can get emotional about this sort of thing and go a little over the top, but I don’t know how else to be when I see the commitment, flexibility, adaptability, smiles, perseverance all in the face of a difficult situation. So, while I’m not psychic, because of the unyielding dedication of our staff and the loyalty of our members, I can see a very bright future for all of us.