Don't look to Tammy Gallegos to ever toss up her hands and giveup. For the vice president of marketing, communications and servicequality at America First Credit Union in Riverdale, Utah, there isalways a solution.

“There is always a plan B or C, and as a team we will figure itout and make it happen,” said the latest Women to Watch honoree. “It's justa matter of how we're going to get it done, and that's possiblebecause of the amazing people we have working here.”

A shared member-centric focus has helped the $5.9 billion creditunion not only grow but also build its reputation within thecommunities served. A credit union member since she was a child,Gallegos got her start in the industry and America First CU whenshe took a part-time job while going to school thinking she'd be anurse.

“I always wanted a career where I could help people so this isnot so far off,” she said. “I wake up thinking every day we have anopportunity to try to make a difference and leave things betterthan we found them. At the end of the day if a member benefitedbecause of our efforts then we have accomplished what we set out todo.”

Some 25 years later Gallegos is still thrilled about her choiceand credits the many opportunities available across various areasfor keeping her at the credit union. She likened the learningexperience to building a puzzle and seeing how the many piecesconnect and work together to form a beautiful picture.

“I think what I've found out about myself over time is to trustmy instincts,” she said. “When I first got into management I wasnervous and the best advice I got was to take the time you need tounderstand and educate yourself so you can make good choices anddecisions. But shame on you if you're not up to speed within adefined period of time. It's an individual learning curve. Thelesson stayed with me to never sit and be complacent, because youhave to venture out and better the credit union world.”

As someone who is passionate about what she does, Gallegosbelieves in further fostering an open environment where employeesfeel comfortable enough to voice their opinions and ideas.

“I once heard a quote, 'Hire the best people, give them theresources they need, and get out of their way,'” said Gallegos. “Iabsolutely trust people to do their job well or they wouldn't be intheir position, and the same is expected of me. We are accountableto each other. We have to be willing to try something new and seewhat works. I think good leaders listen, mentor and coach workingin the trenches beside you, not just giving orders. Every stepalong the way I've been fortunate to have someone who I've lookedup to or who changed my life in some way.”

The America First vice president added that transparency inclearly articulating the vision combined with a trust in stafferscan translate to an environment where teams feel empowered tochallenge and question the status quo. The results are not only ateam driven to support and bring out the best in each other, butalso to find solutions that improve the member experience.

To that end in 2002, Gallegos was charged with developing andenacting a defined service culture, which could help staffersbetter understand, embrace and measure accountability across theorganization. After implementing service surveys, member feedbackchannels, and secret shopper programs, within a year the NetPromoter Score measurement became a benchmark. Today on averagesome 40,000 surveys are returned and pushed through to the branchlevel. Staffers respond to those who request feedback and with ascore of 83%, America First is close to reaching its goal of85%.

“When we started this we realized our members wanted to talk tous and we put a program in place asking the right questions to helpus learn from our past, evaluate our present and look forward todetermine how we can grow in the future,” said Gallegos. “For us,the Net Promoter Score is a simple, easy-to-understand metric thattells us where and how we can improve.”

To Gallegos, within that space of improvement lies the heart ofinnovation.

“I think innovation is reinventing processes currently in placeor identifying what's missing in the process or what can we dobetter to evolve with the member – that's the lifeblood of anyorganization and what sets you apart,” she said. “Competition iseverywhere, from traditional players who want to stay in the gameto nontraditional players trying to get in. A concern for everycredit union is how to stay top of mind, keep members interestedand engaged.”

Given the clutter and noise within the financial services space,finding what resonates with members boils down to being aware,listening and taking risks, the Gallegos added.

“Years ago we had passbooks and today it's mobile banking.Consumers will go where they can get that immediate information,”she said. “The challenge is to constantly look ahead and find waysto let members and the community know we are more than just anotherfinancial institution … but a real partner.”

She added that also means that to remain relevant, credit unionscannot be content to simply check off products, services ortechnology offerings. It's an ever-shifting and constantly evolvingchallenge, but she believes credit unions are well positioned.

“I'm excited about technology and the opportunity it provides interms of what we can put in members' hands to make their liveseasier,” said Gallegos. “As an industry we need to ask more oftenwhat is best for the member. Sometimes people are so busy doing theday-to-day we can forget to do our job, which is keeping an eye onthe member. Are the products and services what's needed, are wemeeting consumer expectations, because that's why we are inbusiness.”