Bryan Fox and Nate Rupe see a lot of similarities between their time in the U.S. military and credit unions.

The former brigadier general and flight paramedic, respectively, join the CUNA News Podcast to discuss those similarities while sharing stories of their service and how credit unions assist veterans.

“The military taught me to be engaged, disciplined, flexible, professional, and dependable,” says Fox, board member at $106 million asset Russell Country Federal Credit Union in Great Falls, Mont. “I learned how to run a meeting effectively, keep it on track, give everyone a voice, and mechanize diversity of thought in the decision-making process.”

Rupe, an eight-year Army veteran who is now Advia Credit Union’s talent acquisition partner, describes the credit union as a “financial hospital.” He says the focus on helping people made his 2022 transition to the civilian workforce smooth.

Rupe and Advia Manager of Talent Acquisition Kilee Gardner share how the $3 billion asset credit union in Kalamazoo, Mich., has made a concerted effort to smooth this transition for other servicemembers.

“It’s about putting them in a situation where they have someone to talk to, and resources they can use to help them take back control,” Rupe says.

“We want to make sure we're transparent with people that we’re open to veterans and veteran families,” Gardner adds. “We want to see your resume, we want you to apply with us, and we understand there are circumstances surrounding career moves. It's about making sure veterans know there are companies that want to support them.”

Read about Fox, Rupe, and other veterans who work in the credit union movement as part of our annual Salute to Veterans, sponsored by FHLBanks.

You can listen to the CUNA News Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

In this episode:

0:22: Episode introduction.

2:08: Bryan Fox intro.

2:56: How Fox's career started

4:35: Why Fox joined the military and why he stayed

5:38: How Fox's credit union and military skills worked together

8:26: Fox's civilian transition

9:23: How Fox keeps in touch with his military colleagues

11:02: How Advia became a silver level employer

14:50: How Advia helps military members transition into civilian life

16:39: Why supporting the military community is important to Rupe and Gardner

17:24: How Advia helped Rupe transition

20:14: Rupe's start at Advia

21:48: How Rupe's military skills transferred to Advia