CHULA VISTA, Calif. – While her start in credit unions may havebeen a fluke, North Island CU Executive Vice President of memberrelations Planning Geri Dillingham has always been drawn tomarketing. “I took a marketing class my senior year of college andenjoyed the creativity and strategy of it so much that I got my MBAin it,” said Dillingham. “I just love what I'm doing so much that Ican't imagine doing anything else.” As for credit unions,Dillingham says she built a career in non-profits, and when shemoved from Ann Arbor back to San Diego a chance interview at acredit union first introduced her to credit unions. Once shelearned about the cooperative service and focus of the financialinstitution she was hooked. After getting her feet wet in creditunions, an opening at North Island CU some 16 years ago proved tobe a perfect fit. “It has been such an incredible workingenvironment due to our CEO Mike Maslek's vision,” said Dillingham.“From the beginning marketing has been viewed as a strategic rolein the credit union's growth, and not only do we have a fabulousmarketing team but Mike has empowered us with complete freedomcreatively and strategically to help set the direction for thecredit union.” The North Island CU marketing team also taps thestrengths of four key advertising agencies that meet monthly andwork interdepartmentally. Dillingham says with the outsourcedrelationships it adds a “virtual” dimension to the department. As amember of the “sandwich generation” Dillingham is the first in theoffice so that she can be home in time for her two boys ages 8 and10 and her parents who also live with her and her husband. “It isfunny. I'm 45 and on most weeknights my mom is still putting dinneron the table,” laughs Dillingham. “I've gone back to get my Mastersin Finance so after dinner my sons and I are complaining about ourhomework, but it is great because it's a good example thateducation should never stop and we all need to keep learning.”These days in addition to school and family trips across countryvia train, Dillingham and her husband are renovating their home torestore it to its original 1910 glory days. “It's like the GoldenGate Bridge – there is always a renovation project in process,”said Dillingham. “When you live in a constant state of havingcontractors in your house it's taught the kids a lesson inflexibility.” Despite her frenetic pace at home and at work,Dillingham says she loves to relax by whipping up meals rangingfrom Italian to Southwestern barbeque. “I just love to cook thesehuge gourmet meals. In fact when we remodeled the kitchen I had tohave a six-burner gas range,” said Dillingham. “You know we work sohard every day that cooking for social occasions is just a greattime to relax with friends.” Dillingham says building andestablishing the North Island brand promise of making members'financial lives “easy, worry-free and a little more fun” is at theforefront of future marketing plans. That promise carries over intoevery aspect from disclosures to operations and Dillingham says itis one of the hardest parts of the brand process. “A personal biasof mine is that when we do have an opportunity to share the creditunion message that we take the high road and there is no need toget into negative campaigns,” said Dillingham. “Instead ofattacking bankers in advertising, we use the space to promote ourmerits.” Dillingham says it is an exciting time to be a marketer asthe role continues to evolve. Her hope is that more credit unionswill see marketing as a strategic tool and hire accordingly. It isimportant since she says consumers generally believe all creditunions are one conglomerate. “Our biggest challenge is establishinga unique individual brand while still promoting the overall brandof credit unions,” said Dillingham. “Despite the awarenessadvances, overall consumers still don't understand the credit uniondifference. There needs to be that global understanding that we'redifferent not because of our common bond but our governance and howwe operate cooperatively-banks just don't have it. There's atremendous amount of education that we as a whole still need todo.” [email protected]