GENEVA, Ill.–NuMark Credit Union opted to do something a bit different with its annual All-Staff Training Day (ASTD) this year: it held the event at a food bank.

The event, which is held to discuss upcoming plans for the credit union and to recognize stand-out employees from the previous year, was held at the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) West Suburban Center in Geneva, Ill, where staff spent the morning packing meals for community members in need.

NuMark reported it has partnered with NIFB since 2016, helping to provide meals to those in need whether by donating financially, or donating their time volunteering for NIFB’s Mobile Food Truck and food packing events. 

Through their efforts at the event, NuMark said its employees packed a total of 39,693 lbs. of food, including chicken and pork sausages, fruit snacks, apples, noodles, and bread. The food packed by NuMark employees equated to 33,077 meals.

“Holding our annual All Staff Training Day at the Northern Illinois Food Bank allowed us to prioritize team building and an amazing volunteer opportunity,” Learning & Development Manager Carol Sheetz said in a statement. “Including a team building activity in our ASTD was engaging and fun. When the activity includes working together as an organization to pack food in the NIFB warehouse that will benefit many in the communities NuMark serves, it truly incorporates the credit union philosophy of people helping people.”

The Afternoon Session

Following the  morning of community service, NuMark said the afternoon was dedicated to its All-Staff Training Day, which is held every year on President’s Day.

“ASTD is an opportunity for NuMark employees to interact with coworkers they don’t see in person every day, while also learning about all the upcoming projects anticipated for the upcoming year and reviewing achievements from the previous year,” the credit union said. “It’s also when the recipient of the Rookie of the Year award is announced as well as the President’s Club recipients of the previous year.”

NuMark CU said Rookie of the Year and the President’s Club are yearly awards given to six stand-out employees, nominated by other staff members at the credit union. The Rookie of the Year award is given to a staff member who has been at NuMark less than 12 months who displayed expertise in their field and passion for their work. The President’s Club is comprised of five NuMark employees who showed exemplary work throughout the year, going above and beyond in their scope of work. 

“This year they had another twist for the President’s Club, where each nominee was chosen as a representation of each of NuMark’s core values: passionate, accountable, collaborative, knowledgeable, and member-centric,” it stated.

The Winners

The recipient of the Rookie of the Year Award was given to Graphics Coordinator Adam Claiborne, who recently celebrated one year at NuMark. 

The President’s Club for this year, along with the specific core value they represented, was comprised of Brandi Pollitt (Member Centric), Diana Koc (Knowledgeable), Mack Story (Collaborative), Melanie Anderson (Passionate), and Noemi Adams (Accountable).

About the Winners

In a statement, Numark CU said:

• Claiborne joined NuMark towards the end of January 2024 and hit the ground running, creating new visuals for our mission, vision, and core values tree; creating the persona for NuMark’s new chatbot Mel; planning, shooting, and editing video content; and so much more.
• Operations Specialist Pollitt is a NuMark vet, having been at the credit union now for over 17 years, and throughout her time has shown a great interest in the needs of members and ensuring their experience at NuMark is as seamless as possible.
• Koc, NuMark’s Accounting Manager, is another President’s Club recipient who has been with NuMark for nearly 10 years, dedicating much of her time to continued learning about the industry. In 2024 she spent months studying for, and passing, the Accredited ACH Professional exam to further assist staff with questions.
• Story is the Assistant Vice President of Branch Operations, and during his 11 years at NuMark so far, has made an impression on employees across the credit union’s 13 branches as someone to turn to when needing help with a project, insight, or even just words of encouragement during times of stress. 
• Anderson joined the credit union two years ago, and as the Organizational Development Specialist, and has demonstrated a passion for making NuMark a great place to not only through her usual tasks assisting managers and updating job descriptions, but when she stepped up as the DEI chair, organizing and leading the group through various efforts.
• Adams has truly been a great example of the NuMark brand and philosophy over her three-and-a-half years, continually looking for ways to help members and coworkers through problems,  ready to take ownership for her team, and own up to a mistake while working hard to fix the issue.