Serving our members, it’s our sole purpose. Providing stellar service and products is what’s kept us in business since 1936. Together, we are real people, living the credit union philosophy of #PeopleHelpingPeople. Every day, we are grateful for the chance to showcase the #CUDifference.
Share how you’ve experienced that difference. Give kudos to FFCCU or a teammate here!
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Bill has over 40 years of experience in credit unions and previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for 30 years. Bill is a retired Captain of the Cleveland Fire Department. Along with his credit union experience, he has served for 16 years on the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund Board. He believes that credit unions are powered by providing the best customer service to members. Bill volunteers at St. Ambrose Parish and the Fire Museum renovation. Bill and his wife live in Brunswick and have two grown children.
Tony is honored to have been the current Board Director since 1999. He has been a credit union member of Cleveland Fire Fighter since 1988. Tony graduated with a BA degree in Business from Hiram College and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College. He is currently an Assistant Chief with the Cleveland Fire Department.
Ben Laurendeau has been employed in the credit union industry since 1987 in a variety of positions. Ben has held the position of President/CEO with Firefighters Community Credit Union since January of 2005. Ben holds an Associate Degree in Accounting from Terra Community College, A Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Tiffin University and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Baldwin Wallace University. Ben serves as a Director on the Ohio Credit Union League Services Corporation Board and serves on the Ohio Credit Union League Audit Committee.
Gary is a lifelong resident of Greater Cleveland and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2018. Many of his family members have served in the Cleveland Fire department and are long-time members of FFCCU. Gary holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD g from Cleveland State University. He has worked for both Cuyahoga County and the US Attorney’s office in Cleveland during his legal career. Now retired, Gary and his wife live in Lakewood.
Barb is a current Board Director of FFCCU and a fully vested member. She has an MBA in Finance and has spent 25 years teaching to all walks of life. Barb is a volunteer with the Foundation for Geauga Parks, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Lorain County Spirit of America, and Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. Barb is a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area. She and her husband have one daughter.
Alyssa Garcia Evanoff joined Firefighters Community Credit Union as the Chief Marketing Officer in February 2019. Alyssa has nearly two decades of experience in brand management and strategic marketing with a variety of organizations across the Greater Cleveland area. During her career, she has developed successful marketing and creative campaigns that have repositioned brand image and increased brand loyalty through emerging digital trends, content marketing and user experience strategy. Alyssa is a graduate of Miami University and sits on the board of the Cleveland chapter of the American Advertising Federation.
Jessica Bittner joined FFCCU as a teller in 2009. In 2012 she was promoted to branch manager, and has managed multiple branches throughout the credit union. Jessica holds a Bachelors in Human Resource Management & Business Management, with a minor in accounting from Baldwin Wallace University. She was promoted to COO in 2021.
Kathleen Riggs joined FFCCU as Chief Retail Officer in 2013. Kathy has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, holding a variety of positions. Kathleen received her bachelors degree in psychology from Kent State University and is a certified trainer of CUNA’s Creating Member Loyalty program.
Paul Humphrey was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He joined FFCCU in 2017 as the Chief Lending Officer. Paul is a graduate of Kent State University. He holds the designation of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) from CUNA. Paul has managed lending programs in both small and large credit unions and brings that unique perspective to serve the members of FFCCU.
John Carrick is the Chief Financial Officer of Firefighters Community Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio. John was hired by Greater Cleveland Firefighters Credit Union (former name of Firefighters Community Credit Union) as an Accounting Assistant in February 1993, was promoted to acting CFO in 1995, and was awarded the position of CFO in 1996. John has assisted in the acquisition of multiple mergers for Firefighters Community Credit Union and has managed two different Merging Credit Unions during the merger process. John is a former member of the Audit Committee of the Cleveland Chapter of the Ohio Credit Union League. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University.
Dennis has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2017. He is invested in forming bonds between the Credit Union and the community and helping members improve their economic situations. He has a strong desire to have a voice in the decision-making process of an institution that he was raised with and believes in. Dennis has been a part of the Cleveland Fire Department for 25 years and is currently a Captain. Dennis and his wife live in the Cleveland area with their three children.
Damian has served on the Board of Directors for over 10 years. He has been the Citywide Service Manager for the City of Cleveland since 1983 and manages the demolition of houses and buildings. He holds degrees in Law and Engineering and is a member of the Ohio Bar. Damian lives with his wife in the Cleveland area. He has been a credit union member for 30 years.
Rich serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors and has been a board member since 2009. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter since 1989 and is presently a Battalion Chief serving the city’s lower west side. Rich is a founding member and Treasurer of the Firefighters Memorial Ride. Since their inception in 2004, they have donated over $250,000 to the families of fallen Fire, Police, and EMS workers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Finance from Cleveland State University.
James is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and has served on the Board since 1982. He has also held the position of Secretary. Jim is a retired Cleveland Firefighter after 30 years of service. He is the past treasurer of Fire Fighters Local 93 and served on the Union Executive Board for 18 years. Jim is also a former Worker’s Compensation Representative for Local 93 and the NOFF.
Bryan has served on the FFCCU Board of Directors since 2006 and looks forward to continuing to help the credit union move forward and provide quality services to members. Born and raised in Cleveland, Bryan and his wife live in Lakewood and have three grown children. He holds a degree in Communications from Cleveland State University and spent 40-years as a cameraman for the MLB and NBA. After 33 years, he retired as a Captain from the Cleveland Fire Department. He is a former Sergeant at Arms for Local 93 IAFF and was Secretary for the Firefighters Memorial.
Bob is a lifelong Cleveland resident and has been a member of FFCCU since 1993. He has served on the FFCCU board since 2019. Bob is a graduate of Cleveland State University and has served as a Cleveland firefighter for the past 28 years, becoming a lieutenant in 2002. He and his wife live in Cleveland and have two grown daughters.
Jim has been a credit union member for over 40 years and has served on the Board of Directors since 2012. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter for 29 years, currently stationed at Engine Company 13. James has served on the Cleveland Firefighters Relief Fund board and was a former Union Steward and Committee Member for Firefighters Local 93. He and his wife have three children.
I wanted to thank Tilisha Champ for going above and beyond to handle an issue we were having with an outgoing payment made through online banking. She called Bill Pay’s customer service and put the phone on speaker so we were able to fully resolve everything during our visit! She was extremely helpful!
Faith Thomas is the absolute best! She made sure everything was perfectly done – staying late! She even went above and beyond the next day by reaching out to me and helping me! If you go to the downtown Cleveland FFCCU branch, look for Faith. She will take care of you and be sweet as can be! I wish I could give 10 stars!
A big thank you to Emily Soeder who helped us resolve an issue with a new credit card within a few short hours. She was extremely helpful in taking care of the issue and getting back to me with a quick response.
A big thank you to Sue Witt at the North Ridgeville branch. She assisted me with an issue and resolved it in a short time. She is courteous, professional and respectful. It’s obvious to me that she enjoys her job and is truly interested in helping her customers. Employees like her are the reason this is a great credit union.
Just wanted to acknowledge Maria who I talked to today. Friendly, upbeat and a pleasure to talk to. Fixed something we kept getting letters about. Thank you Maria
Thank you, LeeAnn
LeeAnn was REMARKABLE!! Thank you CFFCU For help out in a CRAZY TIME! ❤️
Excellent customer service
LeeAnn took great care of me today! everything got handled thru chat where I didn’t need to come in. great service
I feel good using a credit union instead of a regular bank.
Having the interactions with FFCCU staff has been a gamechanger.
It’s just changed the way I see myself interacting with my finances.
I’m proud to be a member of FFCCU.
Great customer support today!
Karen was very helpful and I prompt in responding to my message and gave me great directions. Thank you for your help.
I want to tell you… Lisa Snell went above and beyond to help me get organized. First she got my account unlocked. Then she spent time – “a lot of time” – helping me set up my accounts, listening and answering my questions, and helping me understand…. THANK YOU LISA!!!!!!!
Thank you, Karen, for getting a call set up with one of your advisors! Your prompt reply to my online chat questions really got things rolling in the right direction. Your professionalism, efficiency, and kindness was reassuring and it was a pleasure working with you!
Sumintra was wonderful! Explained everything in a way I could understand, efficient, organized, and very courteous.
Great Customer Support.
LeeAnn was professional and efficient in helping me solve my request. Kudos!
Sumintra at the Parma office did an absolute thorough job in assisting me with my auto purchase. Easy and clear to understand the process.
My questions/comments were answered in a professional, polite manner and quickley. Thank you for trying to help.
KUDOS to Laura Z. Thank you for all your time and help. All my issues were resolved. You are greatly appreciated!
Lisa Snell makes every customer feel heard, valued, and appreciated, turning every interaction into a positive experience. Thank you very much Lisa at the Emerald branch location!!
Karen was very Helpful and responded quickly using the chat service.
Fabulous experience with LeeAnn Ballish informing me about the services the credit union provides!
It was my pleasure to assist you Martha! Thank you for your kind words 😃
Always helpful! Excellent customer service.
Megan and the Ladies at the North Ridgeville location are amazing and great to work with. They make everything fast and easy!
Anytime I have to call, I always end up speaking with the most friendly folks. They always help me and I feel like I’m truly being taken care of.
I was assisted by a couple different people but all did an outstanding job. LeeAnn was the last person I contacted and again I was treated very well by the teammates at FFCCU. My thanks 😊
Amazing customer service!
I called the main number because I did not have my loan information and needed to know how, when, and where to make a payment. I was completely frazzled by the time I made the call.
In just about 30 minutes, Megan S. was able to talk me through setting up my user account and how to make future payments, set up my savings account, and where the branch offices are located.
FFCU’s Megan S. is a shinning example of what customer service should be.
Thanks, Megan S., you are amazing!
I am happy to help, Donna! It was a pleasure to assist you!
Hi! Just want to say Emily was the best! I had a problem with an automatic withdrawal. She gave lots of information on how to handle it and get a refund. More than that she gave me moral support, even though I was very upset. Great job, Emily!
Jovan, Bev, Jenny, and the other personnel at the Wellington branch are absolutely Rock Stars . They have always been so helpful, they are the greatest 😊
Spoke with LeeAnn about a missing card as well as some issues I’ve been having with my account for a second now. LeeAnn was absolutely lovely and very helpful- was able to find the cause of the problem and fix it- and made the entire experience completely painless!
I’d like to give a big time thank you to Megan. Megan you were a huge help to me this morning and put me at ease! I really appreciate you!
I’m glad I was able to help out, Shirley! Thanks for being a member!
I have been a member since 2011. Everyone has always been very helpful and quick to respond. There have also been steady improvements year after year, especially with online banking. I love supporting a local credit union and FFCCU are definitely deserving of that support.
I am very grateful and happy to be a FFCU customer for over 10 years. LeeAnn was extremely helpful in assisting me in getting a replacement card. If I could give FFCU 10+ stars, I would.
I love FFCCU! All of the convenience of a big bank with more personalized service. Friendly and helpful staff. A great banking partner! And I love how the credit union is member owned.
We want to give a shout out to Margaret from the Emerald Branch, she was excellent in helping us with our accounts. She made it easy to understand and to do. She even came in on her day off to help us! THANKS Margaret!
Lisa Snell was great! She made our experience at the Emerald Branch friendly and efficient. Lisa is very knowledgeable and answered my questions and phone calls quickly. I’m happy with whole process and look forward to seeing Lisa again! I will use the Firefighters Credit Union in the future!
Suzette was quick and efficient. I brought up a technical issue and She made a call to get it resolved. I love how ALL the employees that answer messages do their job. Excellent work!
Hello, Denny! Thank you, it was my pleasure assisting you!
The quick response was A-1. the respect was apparent and the knowledge? –muah!– [chef’s kiss] Thanks to Susan.
We worked with Erica Irons on a home loan and she went above and beyond our expectations! When it was time for funding our money, she contacted me because her branch was closed due to storms we had the previous night. She was able to wire the money for us, which made our transaction so much smoother. Erica is always friendly and happy to help! I love FFCCU in Willoughby ❤️
I was chatting with Will today through the live ask, he was so helpful! Fixed my issue in three messages and was super pleasant to talk to. Thanks, Will! 🙂
Berto was awesome. I joined today and he helped in every possible way to make the process smooth and complete. Thanks Berto!
Jamaica was prompt and very helpful today with addressing an ongoing issue. Decisively solved and we are very satisfied with her efforts. Thanks Jamaica!
Suzette was great to work with through chat today. She got me exactly what I needed and was quick too!
Thank you! It was my pleasure assisting you!
Whenever I have questions and start a chat I always receive a quick response with all my questions thoroughly answered. LeeAnn was awesome again in today’s chat. Just wanted to say THANK YOU!
I love how they answer your question in a timely manner and they make sure you understand what is going on.
Just joined the FFCCU when I refinanced my car loan. I couldn’t be happier with the service that Jenny Stanfield and Ginny Hainen provided me! I was able to do most everything online. It was super easy and convenient. They also saved me a lot of money! 🙂