The month of December is upon us, and the holiday season has officially started. Over the past few years, I’ve adopted so much from these joyous Earth festivities and even partake in the local house decorating contest. I believe I’m a shoo-in to win an award, as there are no other entries in the “Unclassified Homes” category. My closest competition is from a unique character who goes by Eddie and drives/lives in his RV (on a side note, I do like his dog, as we have some slimy commonalities).
But, as the immortal Grinch once observed, “It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!” The thing that the holiday season is all about can’t be bought at a store, but it can be found in any credit union you visit. That thing is GIVING.
When you are a part of the credit union community, you willfully, anxiously and happily give so much—you give your time, your service and your smiles (smiles are my favorite, especially since I’m incapable of smiling as I have no mouth), and you give all of this and more to your members, teammates and the community. And while it is not holiday-centric, this passion to give in the credit union space is what drove myCUmortgage to create the Tim Mislansky Belief Award.
This annual award honors Tim Mislansky, who served as President of myCUmortgage for 18 years. When he moved on to become part of the Wright-Patt Credit Union leadership team (and soon-to-be President and CEO—way to go, Tim!), myCUmortgage created the award to recognize someone in credit union mortgages who lives their core values at work, at home and in the community. It is the highest honor bestowed by myCUmortgage on an individual.
As was announced during the 2021 myCUmortgage Partner Conference, this year’s winner is John Ring, Mortgage Loan Officer with CSE Credit Union.
The November issue of myCUmortgage’s e-newsletter, Partner Hotwire, features an excellent interview with John—take a look at it in your Smart Room. I thought it only made sense, however, that during this giving holiday season, we share John’s story and remind ourselves of why we are all a part of this wonderful world of credit union mortgages.
The following excerpts are from the November 2021 Partner Hotwire: John Ring—Running a Marathon of Service Without a Finish Line.
Retirement is typically that time in a person’s life when they have earned the freedom to decide what they want to do next. For some, it means leaving the workforce as soon as possible, traveling on extended vacations and generally taking it easy. For Canton Schools Employees Federal Credit Union Mortgage Loan Officer John Ring, it means doing and giving more than ever!
John, who has been in the mortgage industry for over two decades and with CSE in Canton, Ohio for nearly 10 years, has no intention of slowing down and truly loves this business. After he retired as Mortgage Manager, he continues to work as a part-time Mortgage Loan Officer.
Though facing considerable competition in their market, CSE consistently ranks as one of the top lenders for purchases, and John has assisted CSE in becoming a top performer through strategic decisions, attention to detail and dedication to members. Looking toward the future, John believes that an organization must be able to adapt to the rapidly changing technology which could result in communication gaps with members.
To overcome these gaps, John’s advice to new Mortgage Loan Officers is to be clear and specific with their members and to be highly organized, thorough, focused and to listen very carefully in their brief interactions.
In addition to his Mortgage Loan Officer role, John has also entered public service as Canton Township, Ohio Fiscal Officer. John explained that the role is a natural fit for his decades of credit union experience because a credit union serves members as caring elected officials should for their residents and constituents.
John has managed to carve out room for volunteering, which is a true family affair for John and his wife Donna. They have made a dedicated effort to provide meaningful contributions to the community they call home.
Community is important to John because of his early career experience. After graduating from Ohio University, John worked in management for a national restaurant chain, never spending more than a year or two in one place. Then he and Donna moved to Canton in 1996 and Donna opened a Dairy Queen franchise.
“We both had a desire to latch on to our community, to fold into its fabric and be a part of things,” John said. “This was not only a good way to raise our business profile but to create friendships and to truly belong.”
As a mortgage lender, John also became involved with the local Realtor board, REIA (Real Estate Investors Association) group and served on the Board of Directors for several nonprofits.
“I am most appreciative, and perhaps most proud of, being involved in our schools and local Rotary Club, where we have been able to make an impact by influencing improvements in the community and helping folks in need,” John said.
John’s most gratifying volunteer experience was serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster with Boy Scouts of America from the time his son was in sixth grade through his high school graduation. His troop guided several young men to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, his son included.
John’s love for his community continues. He literally volunteers from A to Z—as a Board Member of ABCD (the Association for Better Community Development) to the Zoning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. John also remains active in fundraising for groups such as the Special Olympics.
We want to extend a huge congratulations to John Ring as the recipient of this year’s Tim Mislansky Belief Award!