OFCU Announces 3 Promotions and 4 New Employees

Omaha Federal Credit Union recently announced three promotions and welcomed four new employees. Dannielle Ackerman (Main Branch), Thomas Decker (Main Branch) and Jayden White (Main Branch) recently came aboard to serve as Member Services Representatives. Amy Ritschel (Main Branch), also a new employee, started as a Member Services Representative and was promoted to a Loan Officer. Faith Boettcher (Main Branch), who has served OFCU as a Teller Supervisor for eight years, was promoted to Assistant Vice President. Carmen Boysen (Blair Branch), who has served OFCU for nearly 20 years as a Teller, Loan Officer and NW Branch Manager, will now serve as the Blair Branch Manager. Congratulations to all and welcome to those who are new. We appreciate all of YOU, and we thank you for choosing to share your time and talents at OFCU! To learn more about each employee’s background, see below.

Dannielle Ackerman (Main Branch)

How many years have you been working/studying in the financial arena (banks, credit unions, other) or have been in a similar role that helps support/translates your skills/talents to your new OFCU role? Please explain briefly.

I worked at Bank of the West for one year and Four Points Credit Union for a year and a half.

What intrigues you about financial wellness and why?

Being able to help our members with their finances

What attracted you to come work at OFCU and why?

Competitive compensation, opportunity to see how another credit union operates

What is your hometown?

Lakenheath, England

How many years living in the Omaha/Blair metro area (Douglas, Sarpy or Washington counties in NE or Pottawattamie or Harrison counties in IA) or other? What do you like about the Omaha metro area and OFCU’s coverage area?

On and off for 15 years. I like that Omaha has the feel of a bigger city, but you can also go right outside the city and be in a smaller community.

What financial advice/words-of-wisdom would you give to your younger self? In other words, what advice do you wish you’d received at an earlier age that you would like to share with others/members/account holders to assist them in their financial journey?

Small purchases add up. Have separate accounts for bills, saving and spending. Be smart with subscription services.

What part(s) of your new OFCU position provides the most fulfillment/joy for you and why?

The personal relationships we can make with members of the community

What key skill(s) or talent(s) do you possess that you feel will be extremely helpful in your new role and success at OFCU, and why?

Customer service skills and financial knowledge

Please tell me about your family, pet(s), interests outside of work, unique talents/specialties/hobbies, etc. In other words, what would you like others to know about you?

My little family is just me and my two cats, Nox and Finnegan. Outside of work, I love to read and spend time with my family, including my nephews (9 and 2) and nieces (8 and 5), as well as my mum’s golden retriever, Gracie.

Faith Boettcher (Main Branch)

I have been here at OFCU since 8/31/2015. Before that, I was the front-end supervisor at Kohl’s.

What intrigues you about financial wellness and why?

I love helping someone get on track, advising with their finances and seeing them grow financially.

What attracted you to come work at OFCU and why?

Honestly, at first, the hours, lol. I was referred by Desiree Wiegand (an OFCU employee) and it was just a great feel from the moment I walked in the door.

What is your hometown?

Omaha, NE

I have lived here my entire life. I love the ease of getting anywhere you want in a timely manner (traffic pending, lol) and the convenience of our (main branch) location.

Save, take advantage of great CD rates, IRAs, etc. Be mindful of your money at all times and set goals.

What part(s) of your new OFCU position provides the most fulfillment/joy for you and why?

Member service. I truly enjoy taking care of the members’ needs and helping them as much as I can.

What key skill(s) or talent(s) do you possess that you feel will be extremely helpful in your new role and success at OFCU, and why?

I have been told that I have a way of calming people, making them feel at ease, and that I do a good job of getting to the bottom of issues. I just like helping people.

Please tell me about your family, pet(s), interests outside of work, unique talents/specialties/hobbies, etc. In other words, what would you like others to know about you?

I have 2 wonderful grown children, a very supportive husband, a beautiful chocolate lab and 2 shy cats. I also have a grand horse, 2 grand puppies and a grand cat. I enjoy spending time with my family in any way possible.

Any additional info that you’d like to provide about OFCU, account holders, financial wellness and literacy, saving, spending, etc.?

I really love my job, the coworkers, and we have such great members here at OFCU.

Carmen Boysen (Blair Branch)

I worked at Fremont First Central FCU for 12 years and I will be here at Omaha FCU 20 years this September.

What intrigues you about financial wellness and why?

I was raised by two hard-working parents who were very conservative with their money. My mom took me to open my first checking account when I was 15 years old. This really taught me a lot about managing my money. I used to love balancing my checkbook and trying to save as much as I could. Through the years, I have enjoyed counseling people on their credit and helping them in any way I could.

What attracted you to come work at OFCU and why?

Steve Johnson was the (former) president at Fremont First Central and then he came to work for Omaha FCU. When a job opened up in Omaha, I jumped at the chance to come work for him again.

What is your hometown?

Fremont, NE

I have lived in Fremont for 48 years. I love that Omaha FCU is open to so many surrounding counties.

I would tell my younger self to save even more. I would also tell people to only use credit cards in emergencies and pay them off monthly. Through the years, I have seen a lot of credit card debt come across my desk.

What part(s) of your new OFCU position provides the most fulfillment/joy for you and why?

I am excited for the new challenge. Coming from a smaller community, I feel like I can relate to the people in Blair. It has the hometown feel here that I love.

What key skill(s) or talent(s) do you possess that you feel will be extremely helpful in your new role and success at OFCU, and why?

I have had many different positions through the years. I started as a Teller in Fremont and worked my way up to Head Teller, ACH Coordinator, and eventually Loan Officer. Since being at Omaha FCU, I have continued to help behind the teller line and remained a Loan Officer. I was NW Branch Manager as well. I think the teller position is one of the most important positions at the Credit Union. They are the face of the Credit Union. They work with, and help, people all day every day. As Blair Branch Manager, I am able to get back to helping in that capacity as well as doing loans. I love finalizing and closing loans for people, and I am so excited to continue that.

Please tell me about your family, pet(s), interests outside of work, unique talents/specialties/hobbies, etc. In other words, what would you like others to know about you?

I am a single gal and never had children. I have one younger brother and he has three wonderful kids that I love dearly. I love animals, especially dogs. I enjoy camping, traveling, road trips and hanging out with my friends. I go on a few girls trips each year and love our traditions. I am super close to my parents and we talk daily. I am truly blessed to have them both still around.

Any additional info that you’d like to provide about OFCU, account holders, financial wellness and literacy, saving, spending, etc.?

I look forward to helping the Blair community! My door is always open!

Thomas Decker (Main Branch)

I’ve been studying financial independence, $$, stocks, markets, banks, etc., since I graduated high school in 2018.

What intrigues you about financial wellness and why?

The freedom it gives you. Smart choices ensure the safety and happiness of those who are important around you.

What attracted you to come work at OFCU and why?

The atmosphere and the people. I had such a good experience as a customer, and I wanted to be able to give that back to others.

What is your hometown?

Omaha, NE

23 years. It’s a big small town, plenty to do and see without traveling a big city distance.

Spend wisely, nobody truly cares about the shoes on your feet. And to invest wisely. You work for your money, but you can ensure your money works for you.

What part(s) of your new OFCU position provides the most fulfillment/joy for you and why?

Simple conversations, such as “how are the kids? Have a good holiday?” It’s not all about money. The personal connections are really cool.

What key skill(s) or talent(s) do you possess that you feel will be extremely helpful in your new role and success at OFCU, and why?

People pleaser, very nice, respectful and happy to meet new faces. Good with math and very organized.

Please tell me about your family, pet(s), interests outside of work, unique talents/specialties/hobbies, etc. In other words, what would you like others to know about you?

I am a pilot! I’m a huge gym fanatic, and love being productive. Outside of learning to fly planes, I do tons of studying such as stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, crypto, forex, savings, bonds, etc. Anything to put my future self and family in a better spot interests me.

Any additional info that you’d like to provide about OFCU, account holders, financial wellness and literacy, saving, spending, etc.?

Save and invest wisely so you don’t work for money forever — it will do the work for you.

Amy Ritschel (Main Branch)

I worked with another credit union for about 4 years.

What is your hometown?

Miles, TX

I’ve been living here for four months.

Save and invest your money

What key skill(s) or talent(s) do you possess that you feel will be extremely helpful in your new role and success at OFCU, and why?

Being bilingual

Please tell me about your family, pet(s), interests outside of work, unique talents/specialties/hobbies, etc. In other words, what would you like others to know about you?

I have 2 kids that I love spending time with.

Jayden White (Main Branch)

I started working in the financial field in 2019 with a different financial institution, but I have been very involved in money handling for most of my working life. The skills that I learned at my previous financial position translate nearly 1 to 1 with what I’m doing here at OFCU.

What intrigues you about financial wellness and why?

I like to see where my money goes most often.

What attracted you to come work at OFCU and why?

It was an exciting opportunity to return to the financial world from my previous job.

What is your hometown?

Omaha, NE

Invest in long term products, not short-term happiness

What part(s) of your new OFCU position provides the most fulfillment/joy for you and why?

I love handling fraud — going to bat for our members to get their funds back gives me a sense of accomplishment.

What key skill(s) or talent(s) do you possess that you feel will be extremely helpful in your new role and success at OFCU, and why?

Multitasking and organization

Please tell me about your family, pet(s), interests outside of work, unique talents/specialties/hobbies, etc. In other words, what would you like others to know about you?

I’ve got four dogs, two cats and a lizard. With my 5-year-old son, we’ve got a full zoo going on! I’m big into Magic: The Gathering, and technology in my free time.

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OFCU Announces 3 Promotions and 4 New Employees