Finance: Jobs Landed

I work within the office of State Aid & School Finance and we are responsible for administering the State School Aid Act and distributing over eleven billion dollars in state funds to public school districts across the state. In addition,we provides guidance on issues of school finance and tax policy, public school district financial accounting, various financing mechanisms available to school districts,and information on pupil accounting statutes and rules. Finally,we provide interpretation, analysis, and coordination of Departmental activities related to the annual development of the State School Aid K-12 budget.

On Twitter: @haynerj47

Since I was a little girl I have always dreamed of working for a Financial Institution. I loved the thought of dressing up in business attire, playing with calculators and managing money. I further realized this passion when I stumbled upon Accounting at Grand Ledge High School. From then on I knew I had found my career calling.
 
On May 5, 2011, I landed the job of my dreams at Michigan State Federal Credit Union as a Due Diligence Accountant. My position involves reviewing third party vendor contracts and their financial performance to ensure compliance with the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) regulations. I consider the potential risks associated with these vendor relationships and then formulate a plan on how to regularly manage them.
            
I love my job because I get to work at an amazing place that truly believes in their employee’s, their member’s and their community.  MSUFCU has allowed me to achieve my dreams, now I have the opportunity to help other’s around me to achieve their dreams also!

I bring with me to Smalley over ten years of customer service experience, including recruiting corporate clients with her role at Marcus Evans in Chicago, and working with both clients and advisors with my job at Jackson National Life.

Smalley Investments is a boutique wealth management firm located at 2900 West Road in East Lansing, specializing in managing retirement plans for small businesses and non-profits, and providing financial planning and investment advisory services for individuals and families.

I will be the point of contact for clients, handle marketing for the firm, perform insurance support, and coordinate client events.

I am currently working in the E-Services Department at MSU Federal Credit Union. E-Services is a fast-paced and exciting department to work in, and no two days are the same. I am happy to work with a group of people that share the same goals and passion for assisting our membership.  I work primarily in electronic communication, assisting members through our electronic messaging system as well as our Live Chat Service. I also process online membership applications and VISA loan applications submitted through the MSUFCU website, as well as provide technical support to both staff and members for the electronic services MSUFCU offers. I could not be happier working for MSUFCU and appreciate the daily challenges and personal responsibility I have over my day.

Robert Half Management Resources is the world's premier provider of senior-level accounting and finance professionals on a project and interim basis (www.roberthalfmr.com). I work with employers and job seekers in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. A Michigan native, I decided years ago to stay tied to the community I love. After 15 years as a controller, a VP of finance and a consultant, I wanted to join Robert Half Management Resources to use my knowledge and expertise in helping others find rewarding positions and to match clients with the right consultant for their needs.  

As the Member Service Specialist and Front Desk Attendant my responsibilities include to educate current and potential members about the many products that MSUFCU has to offer, making sure member's needs are being meet, and help maintain branch efficiency. I found out about career opportunities at MSUFCU through a career fair held at the MSU Spartan Stadium. The reason I chose to work for MSUFCU was the fact that each time I had an interaction with the credit union it was always great experience and I wanted to work for an organization who genuinely strives for excellent member service. My favorite part about my job is knowing when I helped a member come one step closer to financial security, helping them realize their dreams.

I am employed at Ameriprise Financial in Okemos as the Marketing and Social Media specialist. I am in charge of coordinating and marketing events to clients and prospects. My job involves event planning, graphic design, marketing and social media compliance. I learned about the job position while attending a NACW networking event. I was excited to come across an employment opportunity that offered me a chance to be creative and use my design skills, along with a flexible working schedule.

I am currently a loan officer in the E-Services Department of the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union. I have just completed my fourth year at the credit union and could not be happier to be part of this organization that is dedicated to assisting the membership, community and employees achieve their dreams and financial goals. I came to this department shortly after being hired into the credit union and found a passion for assisting our members via the electronic forms of communication we offer. Our E-Services department has grown rapidly over the last few years and we have been able to make significant changes to improve our members’ online experience.  My department focuses on the electronic communication side of our organization including all of our electronic messages, online loan and membership applications along with a multitude of other responsibilities to help assist our members. We make decisions and troubleshoot issues for members and fellow staff that they experience on a day to day basis. The members are the heart and soul of our organization and I am dedicated each and every day to make their experience something to remember. Without a doubt my fellow employees and our membership make it enjoyable to get up and come to work every day. Thank you MSU Federal Credit Union for helping make my dreams of working for an organization that is dedicated to fostering the growth and development of their employees and providing superior service to their members come true.

I was recently promoted to the position of Office Manager/Para Planner at Smalley Investments. I have been with Smalley Investments for almost four years, and previously worked at several mortgage and financial planning firms.  I will graduate from Ferris State University with honors later this year with a degree in Business Administration.  

Smalley Investments is a boutique wealth management firm located at 2900 West Road in East Lansing, specializing in managing retirement plans for small businesses and non-profits, and providing financial planning and investment advisory services for individuals and families.

In my new role, I will perform investment research, prepare retirement plan quarterly reviews, and assist Smalley in the financial planning process for their clients.

I have been working at Astera CU for the past two months as the marketing assistant. I feel so grateful to be working in communications, which is where I always wanted to be. I graduated May 6th from MSU, and began work just a week later. My day usually consists of monitoring our social media and putting together either a press release or a letter to our members. I also get to do a lot of traveling around to our branches. The lucky thing about my position is getting to attend so many community events. I have met some great people in the Greater Lansing Area and am absolutely loving the start of my career.

During my time as a student I fell in love with Lansing Area, every internship opportunity brought me to places so unique and interesting. The people here have been so warm and welcoming, I could not ask for a nicer place to be.

I hope that my experience can be an inspiration to students that are considering jobs in the Lansing Area after graduation. There are jobs in Lansing, and we need young, educated people to fill them.

Follow me on Twitter @HeatherGatewood

I originate and underwrite Conventional and Rural Development residential loans for MSUFCU within the state of Michigan. What exactly does this mean? My job is to understand our member's goals and provide home financing options to help meet those financial objectives. This includes helping our members understand the difference between the loan programs, explaining the loan process, assisting with credit counseling and helping those who don't currently qualify for a home loan develop a plan so that in the future, they will be approved. I have lived in the greater Lansing area my entire life. Although after receiving my undergraduate degree in 1995, I threatened to move out of this area, this never came to fruition as Lansing has really expanded its offerings (i.e. activities, jobs, opportunities, happenings, etc) over the past 15 years. Not to mention, after completing my MBA last December, the incredible opportunity here at MSUFCU presented itself and I've never looked back. I genuinely enjoy being able to help people with one of the biggest investments in their lives – their home. 

I manage the New Media team at Lake Trust Credit Union, the fourth largest credit union in the state of Michigan. Our corporate headquarters are in Lansing, but we service customers  from Grand Haven to Detroit — from lake to lake! As New Media Manager, my position involves overseeing social media, search engine optimization, blogging, and audio/video creation. Part of my role involves researching media innovations and monitoring industry trends, as well as supporting other areas of marketing as needed. I specialize in project management including new technology, event planning, and employee education. I'm interested in furthering my knowledge of professional development, process improvement, and organizational communication efforts.

I chose to work for the bank in Lansing because after living in the San Francisco for the last 7 years, I felt that I was coming back to something special and have an opportunity to make a difference. Banks are often mislabeled in the community, and our team is out to change that. I love that our team is actively involved in building the community we live in. We offer consultative advise to people, as well as, businesses. We sit down with each person we meet and ask questions that get to the heart of their financial goals. Finally, we also serve as a resource in the community. If we do not have the answer, we will get you to someone who does :)

We are actively lending, and looking to acquire new customers here in Lansing. We would love to learn about you or your business...

From a young age, I found finance to be intriguing, spending much of my extra time reading about different investments and famous investors.  This love for finance led to me to taking a position as a banker out of college. In this position, I quickly found out that I enjoyed working with clients; however, I found myself missing the investment environment.  It was at this time that Plante & Moran offered me a terrific opportunity to join their firm as a financial planner, to which I enthusiastically accepted.  

As a financial planner, it is my goal to help clients balance risk and return to help meet their financial goals.  In order to reach these goals, we discuss a wide array of topics.  From investment strategies to estate planning and tax planning, we take a holistic approach to serve our clients.

I help people make smart decisions with their finances.

Follow me on Twitter @haynerj47