16 THE NAFCU JOURNAL SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2022 Carolina—which gives us an advantage as we grow.” One example of this advantage at work is the ability to shift resources from a market that is stable to another market that is experiencing faster growth. “Our North and South Carolina locations are in areas experiencing strong growth in population, so our community banking approach requires more people on the ground to develop community relationships, identify and promote products community members need and create access to our services.” In addition to creating “community- focused” services that result in organic growth, Grinnell pointed out that it is also important for credit unions as they continue to innovate and partner with fintech organizations to generate income and actively seek new members who may not normally interact with credit unions in more traditional ways. “The two approaches of community-based, organic growth and a more innovative, inorganic growth with partners work together to position us for continued financial strength.” Grinnell’s focus on taking care of people— both members and employees—reflects advice he received at the beginning of his career. “I’ve been fortunate to work with talented, selfless people who want to see me and the credit union succeed, and every day I remember something I’ve learned from a number of great mentors,” he said. “In my early days, I was told to take exceptionally good care of people. Running the business is the easy part, but it’s the people that take an organization from moderately successful to greatly successful,” he said. “This sounds simple, but many organizations get it backwards and focus primarily on financials and operations, when it’s the people who make the real difference.” For this reason, when he is asked what he wants to be remembered for in the credit union industry, Grinnell said, “I want to be remembered for how our members feel about the credit union and how employees feel about working at CCU. I want them to love their credit union.” I want to be remembered for how our members feel about the credit union and how employees feel about working at CCU. I want them to love their credit union.
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