Broaddus: With NAFCU 25 Years and Still Feeling Challenged

ARLINGTON, Va.-Susan Broaddus just celebrated 25 years at NAFCU with an all-expense paid trip to London, courtesy of the group. Broaddus, who has worked her way from secretary to editor of the trade association’s Web site (www.nafcu.org) and Update newsletter, was provided an all-inclusive vacation in jolly old England in recognition of her 25 years of service, perfect for the humanities major. “It was really cool. I never crossed the Atlantic before,” she said, as she excitedly described all the sites of the historic city. Broaddus added that she is now “keyed up” to go see everything over there because a week was not long enough to take it all in. “It’s a really full, busy city, but there were not problems anywhere,” she observed. “[NAFCU] has been really good. I’ve had a lot of support here,” Broaddus commented. “I know that plays into why I’ve been here so long.” At “not even 50 yet” and on her fourth CEO, she has no thoughts of retiring. “I don’t know what I’d do after this.” More than 25 years ago, former NAFCU General Counsel Bill Donovan hired her as a secretary. She said her appointment gave the department a total of three staffers. Broaddus admitted she did not know much about credit unions, but it sounded good. She later became an administrative assistant for the regulatory affairs division until she was encouraged to apply for a position in the communications department as Pat Keefe, who now works at CUNA, was taking over as vice president of communications. Not only did NAFCU grow to about triple its size over her quarter of a century, but Broaddus felt she grew as well. “It’s really been quite a growth experience. I never imagined writing news on a daily basis,” she said. “I can’t believe we do that.” She explained that the communications department used to be just a couple of people, but now it has grown to eight. Broaddus’ current job responsibilities include NAFCU Today, a daily member-credit union e-mailing with news and other items from the Web site, as well as the Web site itself on the editorial end. She is also the editor of NAFCU’s weekly newsletter, Update. She checks with NAFCU’s various departments for news and is constantly keeping an eye on the Web site. Present NAFCU Vice President of Communications Jay Morris, her immediate supervisor, commented, “She’s a very good writer and an excellent editor.” NAFCU also held a celebration in her honor last month. Regarding her longevity, Broaddus said, “I don’t know if I chose it or it just worked out that way. I’ve gotten to do a lot of things here.” The constant new challenges she said have helped hold her interest, and she added, “I really enjoy writing about credit union issues.” As much as NAFCU has evolved and been able to expand the scope of its reach, the association has really stayed grounded. “We’re very much focused on federal issues for federal credit unions,” she stated. The essential ingredient, according to Broaddus, remains direct member contact. The credit union difference and their “underdog” stance to the banks has also held her attention. “The first thing that comes to mind is the people focus.Credit union people.they’re so focused on their members,” she explained. Most of her spare time is taken up with her efforts to complete a bachelor’s degree in the humanities. She said delving into philosophy, religion, and history really makes her tick. “It’s really personally fulfilling more than anything,” Broaddus said. Aside from that, she likes reading and hanging out with friends and her two cats. -