CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » Teaming Up For Success
Marketing CU Rock Stars 2015
Donna Gdowski & Nadine Hohnke

Teaming Up For Success

'We aren't afraid to come up with unique ideas and make them enjoyable for the staff to implement.'

December 10, 2015
One Comment
Donna Gdowski & Nadine Hohnke

DONNA GDOWSKI (above left) and NADINE HOHNKE have different roles at Public Service Credit Union, but they almost always find themselves working together as a team.

Gdowski, the marketing/events coordinator, and Hohnke, a marketing analyst, say their partnership produces unique results that inspire co-workers and members at the $150 million asset credit union in Romulus, Mich.

“We respect each other’s opinions and aren’t afraid to try new ideas,” Gdowski says. “We have so much fun together brainstorming and coming up with fresh new ways to get people excited and motivated to do what they do best.”

That includes walking around the credit union in a two-person camel costume on a Wednesday to celebrate “Hump Day,” at the halfway mark of a six-month project. “It’s fun to brainstorm with Donna and see where our crazy ideas take us,” says Hohnke.

The two complement each other as they work to spread the credit union message. They devise an idea, get staff on board, and spread that enthusiasm to members and the community. One such idea was the “Spread the Love” campaign. The goal was to perform random acts of kindness around the community and inspire others to do the same by filming the reactions.

First Hohnke and Gdowski distributed breakfast in the credit union drive-through and refilled a member’s windshield wiper fluid. “The response was wonderful, spurring us to keep going,” Hohnke says.

They brought breakfast to school employees and road workers on a cold day and had an employee pay for a random woman’s groceries. “She couldn’t believe the gesture and was motivated to pay it forward,” recalls Gdowski.

They stopped a woman, who only had $4, and filled her gas tank, which allowed her to get to work. “The amount of love reciprocated and the gratitude everyone showed really made this a special campaign for us,” Hohnke says.

Hohnke likes taking a promotion and doing something unconventional with it. She and Gdowski created the “geek program,” for instance. “We dressed the entire staff up like geeks and had them show us their best dance moves,” she recounts. “Then we made a video of it to loosen everyone up.”

What Gdowski and Hohnke most appreciate about their jobs is the support from credit union leadership to think outside the box. “Because we have this encouragement, we aren’t afraid to come up with unique ideas and make them enjoyable for the staff to implement,” says Gdowski.
 

KEYWORDS Credit Union Rock Stars

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • Reps introduce bipartisan Credit Union Board Modernization Act

  • Compliance: Experts analyze NCUA’s 2023 supervisory priorities

  • CFPB must convene SBREFA panel for credit card fee rulemaking

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

How do you feel about the economy in 2023?

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us