BALTIMORE (June 30, 2022) — The Daily Record named Becky Smith, EVP and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at SECU – Maryland’s largest state-chartered credit union – as one of Maryland’s power players for its second annual Power 30 Banking & Finance List.
The Power 30 Banking & Finance List is composed of the state’s most significant, influential and respected leaders in the industry who are creating change, impacting the community, and engaging others to succeed. The honorees are chosen by The Daily Record’s editorial leadership team with feedback from readers and other stakeholders.
“Leadership at SECU requires an unwavering commitment to serving our employees, members and communities,” said Dave Sweiderk, President and CEO at SECU. “Time and again, Becky has risen to the occasion, leveraging her deep knowledge, innovative thinking and bold actions to not only help our organization thrive and meet the unique needs of our members, but also positively impact Maryland’s banking and finance industry. For these reasons as well as her active role in the community, we are grateful, but not surprised, Becky was recognized as part of The Daily Record’s Power 30 Banking & Finance List.”
Smith has more than 20 years of strategy and marketing leadership experience with specific expertise in guiding companies through transformative efforts, which she continues to leverage as a corporate strategic leader more broadly across the organizations in which she’s served.
Since joining SECU in 2019, Smith has propelled the credit union’s reputation as a reliable, member-centric brand that sets new standards for innovative products and experiences. As EVP and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer for SECU, she has developed and executed long-term plans and initiatives focused on marketing and communications, community outreach, member experience, and digital and business intelligence. Smith has also built and led marketing, strategy, digital and innovation teams to achieve SECU’s brand and financial objectives, including the introduction of SECU’s brand refresh, the launch of SECU’s 25th Financial Center and Virtual Financial Center, and SECU’s recent milestone of surpassing $5 billion in assets. In 2022, Smith took a larger role in Member Services, overseeing SECU’s Financial Centers, Virtual Financial Center and Wealth Management Program, as well as Employee & Member Experience. She also leads the credit union’s consumer-focused programs, including Consumer Lending, Credit Card Deposits, Checking & Rewards and Borrowing & Rewards programs.
As President of the SECU MD Foundation, Smith has also leveraged her marketing experience to become an active member of the community and create a positive impact across Maryland. In addition to growing the Foundation’s existing programs, such as its Scholarship Program and support for the Maryland Food Bank, Special Olympics Maryland, and Kennedy Krieger Institute, Smith has had a critical role in identifying and developing initiatives during times of need. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith oversaw the launch of the SECU MD Foundation Relief Fund, which provided more than $215,000 in grants to individuals and nonprofits experiencing hardships. In 2020, she also led SECU’s first-ever Day of Kindness, inspiring the SECU team to perform nearly 7,000 random acts of kindness and raising more than $51,000 in donations to support education, health and wellness, and community development initiatives. Building on its success, the campaign continued to grow with 12,000 Kindness Kits distributed across Maryland and 12 other states and nearly 100,000 acts of kindness performed in 2021.
“I’m humbled to be included in The Daily Record’s Power 30 List among exceptional leaders from across the state,” said Becky Smith, EVP and Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer at SECU. “While I am honored to accept the award, I want to thank the passionate team members at SECU who I’ve had the privilege of leading and working alongside and who continue to motivate and inspire me every day.”
To view The Daily Record’s Power 30 Banking & Finance List, visit https://thedailyrecord.com/2022/06/30/introducing-the-daily-records-power-30-banking-financial-services-2022.
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