Friendly Faces of Vision: Deanna Lafreniere
Wainwright, Alberta
"I'm one of those people who, when I have the time to phone and find something out, I want to do it now because I have the time. I like that we're able to do that for our members. They feel like we care, because we do.”
With the recent merger of Vision and Encompass, our credit union family grew a great deal bigger! We feel lucky to welcome so many amazing new colleagues into the fold, and we’re excited to introduce them.
Deanna Lafreniere is a prairie-girl, through and through. Growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, she learned early in life that she felt most at home in small agricultural communities.
And though she loves the independence of the family farm, Deanna realized early in her career that her passion was working directly with people. Even during the years when she and her husband owned their own business, she could usually be found meeting with the customers.
Deanna has always preferred to be connecting with community members and helping them reach their goals — that’s why she’s such a great fit for her role as Member Services Officer at Vision Credit Union in Wainwright.
Read on to experience firsthand her warmth and dedication to members.
What brought you to the credit union in Wainwright?
I’m a Saskatchewan farm girl originally, and my husband and I raised our children in a small community just outside Saskatoon. We moved to Wainwright in 2011 and I started here at the credit union in fall 2012. It was hard to move to a new town, especially with four kids. But we love it and haven’t looked back. A few of our grown kids still live here with their own families!
Tell us what you like about your role with Vision.
I've done everything from lifeguarding to child care to hairdressing — everything’s been customer service or member focused. That’s why the credit union is a great fit for me. I get to help members with online banking, bill paying, opening of new accounts, term deposits, registered products, and so on. Anything really that you would come into the bank for other than lending, we're the ones who are going to help you.
What makes the rural credit union different than other institutions?
I love the fact that we are member focused. We don’t have a call centre or anything like that. When a member wants to talk to me, they can just phone my direct line or reception and they get to talk to somebody right away. I'm one of those people who, when I have the time to phone somebody to find something out, I want to do it now because I have the time. So I like the fact that, for the most part, we're able to do that for our members and get them what they need right away. They feel like we care, because we do.
We also get lots of opportunities to volunteer in the community. I’m glad people know they can lean on us for help whenever they need it. That’s also a big part of the credit union model that I love. We’re here to support our communities…we get out there, roll up our sleeves and make a difference wherever we can.
What has your experience been like in Wainwright?
We love it here. It has all the amenities you need, and a beautiful downtown for shopping, and I get to know my members while out and about too. Looking back at when we first moved here, it was a real learning experience getting familiar with the variety of industries here. You've got oil and gas, agriculture, business owners, and then we've got the military. But all of them are equally part of the community. I just love that.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
Well, I spend a fair amount of time with my grandkids; I like to read, play board games, and I’ve also been taking advantage of some learning opportunities through courses. We also enjoy renovating. Well, I don’t know if enjoy it but we seem to do it a lot [laughs], whether it's for our house or the kids.
Visit Deanna and the team at the Wainwright branch:
