Credit Where Credit Is Due

Tallahassee Native Lisa Brown Celebrates One Year At The Helm Of Tallahassee-Leon Federal Credit Union

By Amanda Broadfoot

One year ago, Lisa Brown proudly took the reins as CEO of Tallahassee-Leon Federal Credit Union.  An 18-year veteran of the credit union industry, Brown was excited to return to her home town:  "It's important to have developed my career, worked across the state, and to finally come back home to Tallahassee. I love being able take what I've learned and use that knowledge to improve life for my family and the community with whom I grew up."

Brown, a wife and mother of two, is a multi-generational native of Tallahassee, as is her husband, Tim. "We were all born at the same hospital!" she laughs. "My grandfather was actually one of the founding doctors at TMH, one of the 11."

Starting her career in the credit union industry at the age of 17, Brown went on to earn her MBA and rise to leadership during the worst economic crisis of her lifetime.  "I worked at a credit union down south," she explains. "It was ground zero for the housing crisis. I worked there three years and it was eye-opening."

That experience had a profound impact on her, she says, and strengthened her respect for the credit union industry as a whole. "Part of my job down there was to interact with different people that were in financial trouble," she explains. "We actually went to their homes and sat down at their kitchen tables and looked for ways for them to stay [in their homes] and make it work."

She saw it all, she says. Some experiences left her a little jaded: people refusing to make payments when they clearly had the financial means to do so, for instance. However, Brown says that the experience of helping one truly dedicated family hold on to their home was enough to renew her faith in people.

"I met one woman with three small children under the age of 8. I can still see her face," remembers Brown. "And she had been in an abusive relationship. The first time I met her, it was a sad situation. You could tell she was trying to hold herself together, and not let the kids see what was going on. We came to her, so she didn't have to worry about bringing the kids into the branch.

"The last thing she wanted to do was move those babies. She wanted to provide them with a safe house and a happy home. So we talked, and I told her at first, �I can't help you because you have almost no income now.'  Then I explained to her how much income she would need."

Because of the newly single mother's situation, Brown and the credit union gave her some time to sort out her finances.  The homeowner went back to school and within 18 months, she had a master's degree in psychology and with an adjusted mortgage, was fully able to take care of her family. "It was beautiful," Brown said. "Those are the moments when you know you did the right thing." 

Working on the front lines of the housing crisis has shaped Brown's perspective about the financial industry, and the kinds of education that individuals and families need.  When it comes to buying a house, for instance, she says, the most important thing is "to always have a plan B. Of course, make sure you can afford the payments, and don't spend beyond your means, but even if all that is in place, you still need a plan B. Always think ahead about the 'what ifs.'" She points out that anyone can lose a job or have an unexpected medical crisis.

Generally speaking, she says, as a society we must start monitoring our spending. "Priority one: Develop and stick to a budget. Have long-term goals. You can ask people where they want to be financially in 5 years, and they'll look lost. It is critical to have a budget and to base that budget on your long-term goals."

 As Brown celebrates the end of her first year at Tallahassee-Leon Federal Credit Union, the financial institution is itself celebrating a birthday - its 75th in 2012.

Those two milestones have inspired a lot of reflection in Lisa Brown. "Tallahassee-Leon has a lot to be proud of.  We're the oldest community credit union in Tallahassee. We know you by name, and we know you family member's names. We know your situation, and we are here to offer that helping hand up. We are coaches here to help you figure out your plan when you're 5 until you're 105."

Stop by Tallahassee-Leon Federal Credit Union (www.TLFCU.org), the oldest credit union in Leon County, and their helpful member services representatives will be happy to talk to you about how to improve your financial future.