Not only are we incredibly honored that Grow was named the #1 Top Workplace by the Tampa Bay Times, but we also have other exciting news to share. Our CEO, Thomas Feindt, was recognized as a top leader in Tampa Bay with a 2021 Top Workplaces Leadership Award.

What did our team members have to say?

The national Energage survey, which anonymously collected employee feedback about leadership, workplace flexibility, engagement, and much more, showed that our organization received high marks for things like inter-departmental cooperation, open-mindedness and innovation. Among the numerous areas highlighted by team member feedback, a common trend about leadership emerged. One recurring theme? The leadership of our CEO. Here are just a few of the many comments we received from the team:

“Our CEO is smart and innovative. He definitely has his community in mind and that puts great confidence in my work for our members and the company’s future.”

“Our CEO and leadership communicate often with team members, encouraging them to share their thoughts, feelings, ideas and suggestions through one of several platforms that we have available to make sharing easy and safe.”

“I am encouraged by the direction Thomas is taking the organization. I am seeing how we are all asked to contribute, and there is a desire to listen and act on what team members are saying. The response to the pandemic and racial injustice has made me proud to work at Grow.”

Our Chief of Staff, Laurie Holloway, said, “Thomas has embraced his new position as CEO and approached each challenge with grace, tenacity and an expression of gratitude for those supporting him throughout. When asked at the start of the pandemic, ‘What type of leader do you want to be coming out of this?’ Thomas responded without hesitation that he wants to be the leader who does not shy away from challenges, provides a level of honesty and transparency to our team members, and ensures our members’ needs are met. I think he lives up to his goal every day.”

As demonstrated from these remarks and many others, the team at Grow is excited to work with a CEO like Thomas and proud to see our leader receive recognition that’s well-deserved. Congratulations on being recognized as a top leader in Tampa Bay, Thomas!

About Thomas Feindt, Chief Executive Officer

Thomas started his credit union career at North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union. Over the course of nine years at NCSECU, he developed a passion for serving the financial needs of others, starting as a mortgage processor, progressing to loan officer and branch manager, and finally spending a few years in internal audit. Opportunity knocked once again, and he joined Navy Federal Credit Union, where he led the home equity lending division for three years and the branch operations division for four years. In 2011, Thomas joined Grow Financial Federal Credit Union as executive vice president and became CEO in January 2020. At Grow Financial, he’s been able to live out his values as a member-focused leader with an organization that strives to serve people over profit. Thomas is a self-described lifelong learner, and his educational background includes an undergraduate degree in economics from High Point University, an MBA from Queens University, and numerous executive education programs from Darden, Wharton, Cornell, Stanford and the Center for Creative Leadership. For more than 20 years, Thomas has enjoyed life alongside his wife Megan, and they are the lucky parents to three wonderful children, Reid, Addison and Charlotte.

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