| COVER FEATURE
It’s this business philosophy and line of thinking that
embodies the leadership style of Samuels, the modest, yet intensely driven president and CEO of Brevard County’s largest member-owned financial cooperative, Space Coast Credit Union (SCCU), which offers financial services for households and businesses. “What I like about SCCU is that the credit union has
grown up with the community,” says Samuels, who originally joined SCCU in 1991 as the vice president of information technology. “When SCCU was chartered (originally as Patrick Air Force Base Credit Union), there was not much here. But as the space program expanded, the communities in Brevard County grew, and the credit union grew to meet the needs of the community.” Because of this deep-rooted connection to the area it has
served since 1951, SCCU has been successful at growing and evolving to meet the needs of its members, who, Samuels is quick to point out, are the true owners of the organization.
Staying Focused on the Mission Samuels’ belief, which SCCU’s mission statement mirrors,
is that the credit union is only successful when the managers and employees succeed in generating value that reflects the cooperative ownership structure. And it’s because of this fact that, chances are, unless you’re an employee or member of SCCU, you’ve never heard of Samuels in a professional capacity – and that’s just the way he intends it to be.
“It’s not about me, it’s about our members,” explains
During operations as Patrick Air Force Credit Union, the organization outfitted a bus to act as a traveling branch.
Samuels, who, with characteristics such as personal humility, professional will and ambition for the organization above all else, virtually personifies a “Level 5” leader as described in Jim Collins’ best-selling book,Good to Great. “Our members are our owners, and we must always keep that
fact in focus,” he says. “Understanding that we have a responsibil- ity to solely meet the needs of our members keeps us grounded and focused and helps us to avoid undue risk.”
Getting It, Doing It, Sharing It at SCCU Accordingly, SCCU’s board of directors, managers and employ-
The Patrick Air Force Base branch, which opened in 1975, is still in operation today.
ees pay relentless attention to accountability, performance and efficiency – three areas in which Samuels believes SCCU excels. He describes SCCU’s corporate culture as “straightforward and accountable” in an effort to diminish the room for error. That said, it’s no surprise that the employee-performance bar at SCCU is set high. In an effort to “narrow the front door” to only those
32]OCTOBER2010
spacecoastbusiness.com
Historical photos courtesy of SCCU.
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