Vickie Schmitzer, CEO of Frankenmuth Credit Union, was recognized by CU*Answers as the 10th recipient of the Robert H. Mackay award at the 2014 CU*BASE Leadership Conference held on June 18th in Grand Rapids. CU*Answers CEO Randy Karnes praised Schmitzer’s leadership and energy to champion new ideas, and her willingness to try just about anything. “We’re a credit union with bloody knuckles,” said Schmitzer as she accepted the award, “because we’ll try ten new things, even if eight of them fail, because people will remember you more for the two that were successful.”
Schmitzer, a CU*Answers Board Director since 2007, encouraged the assembled group of nearly 200 credit union leaders to get involved in their communities, to find a mentor and be a mentor, to collaborate with a peer, and, “along the way, be sure not to miss out on those once-in-a-lifetime family events.” Her history with Bob Mackay, the annual award’s namesake, goes back more than a dozen years when he first approached Schmitzer, then a brand-new CU*Answers client, and said, “Vickie, I would like to learn from you.” The two leaders collaborated and learned from each other until Mackay’s retirement in 2007, at which time he asked Schmitzer to help fill his shoes on the CU*Answers Board.
The Robert H. Mackay award was established in 2005 to recognize the leadership contribution of Robert Mackay, retired CEO of Berrien Teacher CU (now known as Honor Credit Union,) who served as a member of the CU*Answers Board of Directors from 1985 to 2007 and as Chairman for 19 of those years. Randy Karnes, CU*Answers CEO said “Bob’s leadership and inspiration served not only as a guide but as the compass for CU*Answers to grow and prosper into a CUSO that is now known in the industry for its core values of cooperation, collaboration and innovation.” Each year this award is presented to an individual who exemplifies these leadership skills.