Get to Know Our CEO
Podcast Transcription
Money Talk is a podcast brought to you by PFCU where we will share tips and tricks and talk to the experts on all things finance related. Join us as we cover everything from credit and loans to cyber security and careers. No matter where you are in life, PFCU is here for you.
Maddy: Welcome to this special episode of PFCU’s Money Talk Podcast, I’m your host Maddy. This week we’re getting to know PFCU’s CEO, Michele Makley. She has been on the podcast before to share a little bit about herself but I really enjoyed getting to know her a little bit more and what she enjoys, her career path and some of her favorite things. Please join me in welcoming Michele!
Michele: Hi, I’m Michele Makley, I am CEO at PFCU.
Maddy: Thank you for being here today, I appreciate your time. So, let’s start off with thinking back to your very first job like back when you were maybe 16 or whatever that was.
Michele: That was a long time ago.
Maddy: What was that job?
Michele: So, that job, I started out, I think I was 15 because I couldn’t drive, I remember that. And so, my mom and dad had to take me and drop me off and pick me up. But I started working at a local grocery store and just bagging groceries, carrying groceries out to the cars and then I think when I got a little older, I kinda worked my way up to cashier. So, once I hit cashier, I thought, oh my gosh, I’ve made it. This is awesome, right? No more carrying out groceries in the snow and the rain but yeah, that was my first job.
Maddy: Yeah, people don’t carry groceries out to your car anymore. Like, unless you help but was that something that was done all the time? Was it like a service?
Michele: Yeah, it was. And it’s funny because that grocery store is still there today and so, I still go there and they still carry out groceries.
Maddy: They do?
Michele: Yeah.
Maddy: Oh my gosh, that’s too funny.
Michele: It’s hilarious but they do and actually just kind of like warms your heart because you don’t see that anywhere.
Maddy: Right.
Michele: And so, it’s really nice but yeah, they still do it today.
Maddy: And I’m sure you have shared this before but if you want to talk about just really quickly how you got started in the credit union world, if it was at PFCU, if it was somewhere else and kind of what that looked like.
Michele: Yeah, so I, it’s funny because I started my banking career I guess I would say, you know I did co-op when I was in high school. So, I did co-op for a while and then I worked at a community bank. So, I’d get out from school early, you know, go to work for 4 hours or whatever and then go home but so I started that and then after school I started working at M1. I was working at M1 and I was taking classes at college and doing all of that working 40 hours a week and started there, was there for about a year, and we had a small staff, it was a small credit union and so you kind of just did a little bit of everything so I got a lot of experience. And then I had a mentor there and he actually applied at PFCU and he called me probably a month after he started working at PFCU, back then it was Portland Federal Credit Union and he called me and he’s like, you really need to apply here, and I’m like, no I’m really comfortable where I’m at, this is great right now, and he’s like, no I really think this would be a better fit for you. And so, he called me a couple times and so I finally said, alright, I will apply and so, I did, I interviewed, got the job and started out on the teller line and then from there moved basically, I was answering phones so I was waiting on people but then I would answer phones too at the same time in-between members and then started doing new accounts, certificates, all the member service stuff, then got into loans then I feel like I just worked my way all through the credit union and so, that’s really how I got started though.
Maddy: It’s funny, it all goes back to your mentor.
Michele: Yes.
Maddy: That really kind of pushed you to apply and then you’ve been here every since.
Michele: Yeah, it was. He was a really good mentor and he saw something in me that, you know, I was young and so, wasn’t really thinking beyond a couple weeks.
Maddy: Right.
Michele: And I really had no intention to stay in the credit union world but I never left, so.
Maddy: Yeah, yeah. Alright, what is something that someone would be surprised to learn about you?
Michele: It’s funny, I was thinking about this. I think they would be surprised to know I love history. So, I’m a history buff, I love the history channel. I like to visit museums, things like that. And I think that’s just something that nobody would really guess about me but I don’t have a lot of time to do it but any chance I get, I love history.
Maddy: Yeah, nice! So, when you like, plan vacations and stuff do you like to go to those historical places, what does that kind of look like for you?
Michele: You know, I think going forward my vacations will be planned more like that. I think in the past my vacations have really rotated more around my children and where they want to go but yeah, definitely. I was out in Washington DC not that long ago, and we did a visit to Arlington Cemetery and the history there is just overwhelming and it was just an awesome place to go and to see so it’s, those things like speak to me.
Maddy: Is there a favorite vacation you have taken or a dream vacation you would like to take?
Michele: You know, I think, I’ve always wanted to go to Paris so that would be a vacation that I would love to take at some point in time. And I think my favorite vacation though was when my kids were all little and we took them to Disney World just because they had so much fun and it was like, you know, they were kids and just seeing everything through their eyes and they were excited about everything they just loved it and so, that warmed my heart so, that’s my favorite memory of a family vacation.
Maddy: Right, yeah, very nice and then you have your dream, of Paris, someday right?
Michele: Right, yeah. Exactly.
Maddy: What do you like to do for fun?
Michele: I, you know, I like to, when the weather’s nice I love to golf. My husband and I actually the last few years we’ve gotten into golfing quite a bit so, we both love to golf. We like to hang out with friends, go to dinner, I like to go to museums. I think that’s fun, I know not everyone does but I really do and just spend time with my family. We have lots of cookouts and get togethers and things like that so those are the things that I love to do and are important.
Maddy: And summer is coming up, it’s right around the corner so tis the season of doing that stuff.
Michele: I know, I’m so excited. I’m tired of the winter.
Maddy: Me too. What is your favorite thing to spend money on and your least favorite thing to spend money on?
Michele: My favorite thing to spend money on would probably be vacations. I think those are well worth it. By the time your vacation rolls around, you’re so ready and so, I think that would be my favorite thing to spend money on. My least favorite thing would be any bills that are unexpected. You know, like if my washer breaks or my dyer breaks.
Maddy: That’s the worst, yeah.
Michele: Or my dishwasher or whatever and I have to repair or replace it. I hate doing that, I hate spending the money for it.
Maddy: And you can’t not to do it too
Michele: Right!
Maddy: Like, it’s something that you have to have.
Michele: You do, you have to be able to wash your clothes and do your dishes and stuff like that.
Maddy: Okay, so the last thing we’re going to do is a lightening round, we’re going to do a this or that. So, we’ll go through these really quickly and then we’ll be done.
Michele: Okay.
Maddy: Alright. Coffee or tea?
Michele: Coffee.
Maddy: Summer or winter?
Michele: Summer.
Maddy: Hulu or Netflix?
Michele: Netflix.
Maddy: Online shopping or do you prefer to go to the store?
Michele: That’s a hard one. Online shopping.
Maddy: Are you more of an early bird or night owl?
Michele: Early bird.
Maddy: Cats or dogs?
Michele: Dogs.
Maddy: Now you do have dogs, right?
Michele: I have two fur babies.
Maddy: Aw. Do you prefer texting over calling or do you like to call?
Michele: Text.
Maddy: Text. Eating in or going out to eat.
Michele: Going out.
Maddy: And beach or mountains?
Michele: Beach.
Maddy: Okay, that’s all I have for you, I appreciate your time.
Michele: Thank you!
Maddy: Thank you!
Money Talk is a podcast brought to you by PFCU. PFCU offers many products and services to fit your needs, from our various loan and account options to our team of financial coaches to help you reach your goals. Make sure to take advantage of the many conveniences PFCU offers such as the mobile app, mobile wallets, bill pay and more. Visit our website at PFCU the number four me dot com to learn more. PFCU is an equal housing lender and is federally insured by the NCUA.