From teller to vice president, team player Shannon Butler focuses on making her employees’ jobs “a little more awesome.”

She wears passion and dedication like a uniform every single day to the only place she has ever worked: her credit union.

Butler started as a part-time teller 18 years ago at $709 million asset Ideal Credit Union in Woodbury, Minn. She moved through departments and functions, eager to learn and hungry to master new skills and eventually rose to vice president of digital innovation. 

A natural technophile, she is intuitive about technology and embraces it to meet member expectations.

“I want my credit union to be relevant to people,” Butler says. “The world moves at a very fast pace, and if our technology isn’t keeping pace with member demands, it frustrates my staff.” 

Butler has ambitious goals for Ideal, and she knows she cannot do it alone. That’s why when Butler talks about almost any aspect of her job, she often brings the conversation back to her staff.

“The people inside these walls are everything,” she says. “We were just voted a top workplace in our metro area. Because we support our employees the way we do, we continue to grow. It’s critical.”

She likes to ask what they need to perform, stay engaged, and feel appreciated. Or, what is “going to make their job a little more awesome,” as she puts it. 

Committed to keeping Ideal socially responsible and integrated into the community, Butler also wants to innovate, take risks, and evolve ahead of member expectations. 

She has a pronounced roll-up-her-sleeves determination to get the job done. 

A versatile and visionary leader, Butler is willing to adjust her style to motivate anyone that needs a little fire in the belly. She has what it takes to keep her staff moving with her to get where she wants Ideal to go.