If Gary Hull was a credit union in Kansas, he would rank No. 12 out of 77 in total loans outstanding.

Hull, assistant vice president of consumer lending for $1.3 billion asset Credit Union of America in Wichita, Kan., started the credit union’s indirect lending program in 2005. In 2020 the program’s loan volume exceeded $1 billion.

Hull’s personal loan portfolio exceeds 6,200 loans totaling more than $103 million.

“Gary and his lenders have made Credit Union of America the No. 1 auto lender in Kansas,” says David Germann, the credit union’s chief lending officer.

This is especially impressive considering Credit Union of America operates in just 40 of the state’s 105 counties.

Although Hull’s duties have changed over the years, “lending is what I love and I will never stop helping members with their loan needs,” he says.

During a recent “flash sale” held on a Saturday, Hull came to work early in the morning and was still approving deals at 9 p.m. from his home. 

“As assistant vice president, he wasn’t asked to work our special sale, but he came to the office nonetheless, stayed after the branch closed, and then took his laptop home so he could still help our members get approved for car loans,” Germann says. “Due to his hard work, we booked 344 auto loans for $7.6 million that week.”

Dealing with the pandemic proved to Hull that, as a team, Credit Union of America can achieve anything when it works together. 

In response to the pandemic, staff worked tirelessly to change plans, stay innovative, implement new technologies, and keep the business running.

“We became comfortable with new tools such as online account opening,” says Hull. “The pandemic actually made us a stronger financial institution due to lessons learned and technology gained.”

Moving forward, Hull thinks credit unions need to improve their use of technology and data analytics to better understand their members on a more personal level. 

“This will allow us to offer members more personalized products and services at the right time,” he says. “By leveraging data the right way, we can build brand loyalty.”