Member Spotlight: Jennifer Weiss

CUNA Technology Council
September 8, 2009 | COMMENTS

Jennifer Weiss is vice president of IT for Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union in Albuquerque, New Mexico. An Albuquerque native, Jennifer has worked at SLFCU for 13 years, mostly in IT. “My expertise is with online banking and electronic services, but I really enjoy all aspects of technology,” she says.”

A graduate of the CUNA Management School (2005 with honors), Jennifer is currently working toward her MBA. She has been a member of the CUNA Technology Council for about five years. Jennifer and her husband have a 16-year-old son, 14-year-old daughter, and two chihuahuas.

Biggest challenge

Ensuring we stay current with our members' expectations with regards to technology. Things are evolving and changing so fast it is hard to keep up.

Best advice

Work hard and put 100% into everything you do. You never know who is watching or when the next opportunity will present itself. Never slack off!

Greatest benefit of Council membership

Networking with other Council members and learning from each other. I really enjoy the list serve and the Council-sponsored webinars.

Best part of my job

I work with the best people on the planet!

Hardest part of my job

Deciding what to focus my efforts on first. There is always so much to do and it's hard to determine what should come first and still be able to effectively balance our members' expectations, employees' expectations, and our board's expectations.

Success story

We are opening a new branch that is going to be our flagship technology branch. The branch ops team and IT worked closely together to ensure that everything will be installed, tested, and ready to go when the branch opens on 9/21.

Biggest misconception people have about my job

All play and no work! We have fun in the technology area and some people think we have “too much fun.” Everyone in my department works very hard and does a good job of balancing work with fun. I think having employees who enjoy their jobs and enjoy coming to work every day translates into more productivity, so it's a win-win for everyone.

Hobbies and interests

I am going to school to get my MBA right now, but in my spare time I love running, exercising, going to my kid's sporting events, camping, and boating.

Recent book

My MBA finance book—boring.

Life goal not yet accomplished

Running a full marathon (planning on doing one in 2011).

Something that always makes me laugh

Dilbert.

Favorite quote

"Whatever you are, be a good one" (Abraham Lincoln).

Music in my MP3 player

A huge mix of country, hard rock, alternative rock, and 80's hair bands! I have two teenagers and am trying to keep up with them, but just can't get used to the hip hop and rap.

If I could spend a day with anyone it would be . . .

Jennifer Aniston, so I could hear the real story why she and Brad broke up.

How I would explain the credit union difference to a potential new member

If you have to choose between a credit union and a bank, always choose a credit union. Why? Because credit unions are non-profit and their goal is not to make money off fees and high loan rates, but to meet your needs by offering exceptional service, discounted fees, and higher savings rates. Credit unions offer a tailored array of services that are designed to meet your needs. Our members own our credit unions, so your voice counts. We aren't in it for the money—we are in it for you.

> View Jennifer's Member Profile in CUNA Councils Connect