Get to Know Our Chief Financial Officer

Podcast Transcription 

Money Talk is a podcast brought to you by PFCU where we will share tips and tricks and talk to the experts on all things finance related. Join us as we cover everything from credit and loans to cyber security and careers. No matter where you are in life, PFCU is here for you.

Maddy: Thank you for joining me on this episode of PFCU’s Money Talk podcast, I’m your host Maddy. Here we go with our next member on the PFCU executive team in our “get to know you” series, Tammy Bengel. Throughout the episode, Tammy goes back to her first job with not so fond memories, talks about her favorite spots in Michigan and shares what she loves to spend money on.  Please join me in welcoming Tammy.

Tammy: I am Tammy Bengel and I am the CFO here at PFCU.

Maddy: Very good. Can you think back to what your very first job that you ever had was?

Tammy: Sure, you never forget it, right? It was McDonalds. And it was super, no, it was not so fun. You go home smelling like French fries most of the time you worked.

Maddy: Are you having flashbacks right now?

Tammy: Yes, yes as a matter of fact.

Maddy: Was that like when you were 16?

Tammy: Yup, yup, I worked there through high school and I think my first year of college, I came back to work but…

Maddy: Yeah.

Tammy: It’s not a career move.

Maddy: Right, right. Never again.

Tammy: No.

Maddy: You’re on to bigger and better things. So, thinking past that time, could you talk a little bit about when and how you got started in the credit union world and that path?

Tammy: Yeah. I studied finance at Michigan State University and always thought that I would work somehow in security’s training but I don’t think I’m cut out for that at all. It gets kind of frantic there so I heard about a job at PFCU, it was Portland Federal at the time, and so, it was right out of college and started here part-time as a teller.

Maddy: And how many years has it been?

Tammy: Oh, Maddy, it has been, in May it will be 32 years.

Maddy: Well congratulations. I know we talked about that at the beginning of last year. Wow, I can’t believe it’s been that long when you were on the podcast. Crazy. What is something that someone would be surprised to learn about you?

Tammy: You know, I was just talking with Kylee about that and I’m like, Kylee, help me out. What is something that people don’t know about me? She’s like, well Tammy you are kind of a Harry Potter nerd. I’m like, oh that’s true.

Maddy: Yeah. Okay.

Tammy: No, I think that’s probably the one thing that people probably really don’t know about me.

Maddy: Do you like re-watch the movies and reread the books often? Is that something that you’re just always…

Tammy: Yeah, I think I reread the books every couple years. And yeah, my family, the whole family are Harry Potter nerds. So, it’s quite funny.

Maddy: That’s awesome.

Tammy: Yeah.

Maddy: Is there a favorite vacation that you’ve taken or a dream vacation that you would like to take or both?

Tammy: I guess, I guess both. I’d love to go to Hawaii, I think that would just be so fun and so different from Michigan, of course but Michigan has great vacation spots and my husband and I really like to camp. We do most of our camping in Ludington, we have a spot there that we camp at and it’s just such a wonderful place to be in the summer.

Maddy: Yeah, I agree. I’m with you on Hawaii, I would love to do that too. And it’s funny you talk about spots in Michigan, we’re going to Holland this summer and it’s so close to us and we’ve never been there, so it’s funny those little places that you don’t think about.

Tammy: It is, yeah because Traverse City in Michigan is one of my favorite places.

Maddy: Yeah.

Tammy: Yeah, Michigan has great places to go and see.

Maddy: Yeah. What do you like to do for fun in your free time?

Tammy: I like to read quite a bit, that is one of my true times where you just get to relax, it’s cool.

Maddy: Yeah. Your favorite thing to spend money on and your least favorite thing to spend money on?

Tammy: My absolute favorite thing to spend money on are shoes. I am a collector of shoes, it doesn’t matter whether I’ve got two pair at home but that’s probably my favorite. And then, my least favorite is probably like, home repairs. I hate spending money on something that I don’t get much joy out of.

Maddy: Yeah, you don’t see, it doesn’t bring you much satisfaction to fix…

Tammy: It doesn’t.

Maddy: Yeah, that’s not fun. Alright, very good. To finish our chat today, I do have a lightening round, this or that, so I’m going to throw those at you and then we’ll be all done. Are you ready?

Tammy: Yes, I think so.

Maddy: Okay. Coffee or tea?

Tammy: Oh, tea but iced.

Maddy: Iced tea, okay.

Tammy: Not hot, yes.

Maddy: Summer or winter?

Tammy: Summer, for sure.

Maddy: Hulu or Netflix?

Tammy: Netflix. I think that makes me old, right?

Maddy: No. I feel like, we canceled our Netflix for a while and we just got it back and there’s a lot of good stuff on there. So, not at all. Online shopping or do you prefer to go in person?

Tammy: I like both but I do most of mine online.

Maddy: Are you an early bird or more of a night owl?

Tammy: Night owl.

Maddy: Cats or dogs?

Tammy: Dogs, for sure.

Maddy: Do you have dogs?

Tammy: No, but all of my children have dogs and so, they bring them all the time, so.

Maddy: Yeah.

Tammy: They are truly wonderful.

Maddy: Do you prefer texting or calling?

Tammy: Texting.

Maddy: Eating in or going out to eat?

Tammy: I like to cook but I like to go out to eat.

Maddy: And beach or mountains?

Tammy: Beach.

Maddy: Very good. Alright, that was my last one. Thank you for letting us get to know you a little bit better.

Tammy: Hey, no problem. Thank you, Maddy.

Money Talk is a podcast brought to you by PFCU. PFCU offers many products and services to fit your needs, from our various loan and account options to our team of financial coaches to help you reach your goals. Make sure to take advantage of the many conveniences PFCU offers such as the mobile app, mobile wallets, bill pay and more. Visit our website at PFCU the number four me dot com to learn more. PFCU is an equal housing lender and is federally insured by the NCUA.