DUBUQUE, Iowa — Dupaco Community Credit Union is overcoming the stereotype that credit unions are run by graying managers.
Dupaco recently announced the promotion of one the young members of its senior management team. Danielle Gratton joined Dupaco Community in 2006 as vice president of finance and internal auditor. The 29-year-old has now taken over the role of chief financial officer after the semi-retirement of former CFO Mike Ferris.
"Danielle has a great future here at Dupaco," said Bob Hoefer, Dupaco president/CEO. "She's already a trusted member of the management team. Smart, having a great work ethic, and being honest with a conservative approach are just some of her many strengths."
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Gratton didn't immediately start out in the credit union field. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 2001 with a degree in accounting. She then went on to get her CPA and went into the field of public accounting as an auditor for McGladrey & Pullen. Gratton said being an auditor helped her see the difference between credit unions and banks from an inside perspective.
Though in college Gratton was familiar with credit unions, she said she didn't fully understand credit unions until she was in the auditing field.
"The concept of who could join a credit union didn't become clear to me until I was working as an auditor," Gratton said.
Gratton's relationship with Dupaco started when she worked as an auditor for the credit union. Making the change from public accounting to the internal auditor/vice president of finance for Dupaco was easy, Gratton said, because she was already familiar with the systems and the people at the credit union.
"This is a great position to be in. It's amazing to look back at the progress the credit union has made," Gratton said. "The decisions we make now will influence the future. I'm very fortunate to be at an institution that is progressive."
As a young executive, Gratton said that she is also grateful to work in a place where her voice can be heard.
"Everyone is able to voice an opinion here," Gratton said. "You might not win, but your opinion is going to be heard. That's something that's very important for my generation."
Dupaco just celebrated its 60th anniversary, and Gratton said this is a very exciting time for the both Dupaco and the credit union industry as a whole.
"The generation before us treaded the course, and it's up to us to navigate the future," Gratton said.
"It's going to be interesting to see the transfer of knowledge between the baby boomers and the younger generation."
Specifically at Dupaco, Gratton said that she wants to help the credit union continue to evolve and bring in young employees.
"I think that getting employees to recognize that Dupaco is progressive is key to brining in young employees. Flexibility is key for younger generations. Dupaco offers employees a flexible schedule and the ability work from home. Having both those opportunities for employees is very important."
In her new role as CFO, Gratton said that she wanted to continue to be a positive influence on the financial strength of the credit union and continue to give value back to members. Personally, Gratton said that one of her goals in her career over the next few years is to develop into an industry expert through networking.
"What I love about this job is that everyday is new. I'm always up for new challenges and want to continue moving the organization forward."
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