Greylock Federal Credit Union Appoints New President & CEO
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| President & CEO Marilyn Sperling. Photo courtesy Greylock Federal Credit Union |
Board Chair Sheila LaBarbera said that Greylock’s Directors have a great deal of confidence in Sperling’s leadership abilities. "Marilyn Sperling has held key leadership positions during her 25-year career at Greylock and she has always performed to the highest standards of professionalism," LaBarbera said. "The Board, the employees and the membership know that she is fully capable to lead this organization as we move forward."
LaBarbera said that the Board carefully evaluated its options in coming to the decision regarding Sperling’s role. "In carefully looking at all of our options, we recognized that Marilyn has truly shaped the member service culture that has made Greylock the number one credit union in America. She has also been principally responsible for establishing Greylock as a leading provider of mortgage loans, which is the core of our business. Beyond those extremely impressive qualifications, she also has the complete support of the other managers, and the employees respect and look up to her. With Marilyn as the president and CEO of this institution, Greylock’s focus can stay right where it belongs: on meeting the financial needs of our members."
Sperling said, "I am honored to be named president and CEO of this amazing institution that does so much for the people of Berkshire County. As we move forward, our management team and all of our employees will continue to uphold the member service philosophies that have made us successful for the past 75 years. Our mantra here is about ‘treating people better than they expect,’ and nothing will change that."
Dan Egan, president of the Massachusetts Credit Union League, praised Sperling’s abilities. "Marilyn Sperling has a unique set of qualifications which make her a great choice as the new president/CEO of Greylock Federal Credit Union," he said. "She has a wealth of experience in all aspects of the credit union's operations and terrific insight into the workings of the financial industry. Most importantly; however, is the fact that she understands the needs of the members of the credit union and the community and has a real commitment to making certain that the credit union continues to focus on improving the financial lives of the families it serves."
"I am particularly proud of the fact that during this difficult economy and some challenging times, Greylock has not missed a beat," Sperling said. "Reviewing our financials at mid-year, we are right on track with our plans for loan and deposit growth, as well as membership growth. In addition, our Greylock Insurance Agency surpassed its all-time record for net policy growth. This positive momentum is a tribute to the support of our Board, the hard work of our employees, and the loyalty of our members.” Sperling cited Greylock’s June 30, 2010 financials which show all key indicators at or ahead of budget including:
- $1.247 billion in total assets;
- $1.043 billion total loans;
- $1.082 billion in total deposits; and
- Membership increased to 69,690.
"In all of these numbers, my favorite key indicator is membership growth, which shows more than 1,500 people joining the credit union so far this year," Sperling said. "We continue to be the premier source for home and auto financing in this areas and we appreciate the loyalty show to us by the people of Berkshire County."
Sperling has a distinguished 35-year career as a financial services professional in Berkshire County. She established Greylock Federal Credit Union as the top mortgage lender in Berkshire County. She led the development of a sales and service culture of Greylock, and was named Greylock’s first female senior vice president in 2003 and held responsibility for Greylock’s entire branch network, the largest in Berkshire County with 12 locations.
Sperling began her banking career in 1975 at Berkshire Bank & Trust. She moved into positions of progressively higher responsibility in customer service before she was recruited to Greylock Federal (then Pittsfield GE Employees Credit Union) in 1985. At Greylock she held a wide range of positions in loan supervision, mortgage lending and all aspects of customer sales and service. Sperling is recognized as a mentor for women in business, supporting the career development of hundreds of other banking professionals during her career. She was honored with the"“She Knows Where She’s Going" Award by the Gladys Ellen Brigham Center (then Girls Inc.) in 1998.
She is on the Boards of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Berkshire County and the Berkshire Fund. She lives in Pittsfield with her husband, Steve, and has one 29-year-old son, who is on active duty with the U.S. Air Force.
