American 1 Credit Union President/CEO Martha Fuerstenau is the featured business leader in the August 2019 issue of the Mid-Michigan regional publication “Jackson Magazine.” Fuerstenau’s leadership of American 1 is the cover story of the magazine, which describes its mission as “positively focused on Jackson.” The magazine follows a thematic topic each month with the August 2019 issue focused on Managing Money.
The article entitled “American 1 Credit Union Strengthens Investment in Members and Community” simultaneously chronicles the history of the credit union and the career of Fuerstenau who began as a teller in 1984 and became the CEO in January 2018.
The magazine article describes both Fuerstenau and American 1 Credit Union as focused on initiatives that affect the financial wellness of its members and the greater community. Under Fuerstenau’s leadership, American 1 has contributed to a number of community projects that are helping to revitalize Jackson, the hometown of the credit union. Contributions include a multi-million dollar agreement with the County of Jackson for the construction of a community event center. American 1 has also provided major gifts to capital campaigns for a new Jackson YMCA, Spring Arbor University, and towards the restoration of a historic building housing an art center which provides classes to over 1,000 citizens, regardless of their ability to pay.
As part of Fuerstenau’s vision, the credit union has a renewed emphasis on member financial wellness. Earlier this year, American 1 introduced a new savings account with the intent of helping members set and keep savings goals. The pilot program helped 100 participants save an average of $450 in the first two months. “Martha is passionate about helping people. She was raised by parents who modeled care for their community. She genuinely approaches life with a passion for doing the right thing for people, be it employees, credit union members, or the community. She is the same, no matter where you meet her,” remarked Laura Pryor, American 1’s VP of Member Experience and Public Relations.
In the final section of the multi-page spread, the author of the article, Ann Kammerer, wrote, “For Fuerstenau, American 1’s community investments reflect her larger philosophy of helping ensure the financial health and well-being of members and residents of Jackson. It also encapsulates her desire to bring value to the world through service.” Read the full article at http://jacksonmagazine.com/digital-editions.
