OSHKOSH, Wisconsin (April 13, 2021) – Verve, a Credit Union, was recently named to Milwaukee’s 2021 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® list administered by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). Verve is one of 47 companies to make the Milwaukee region list, and earned the top honor, the Best of the Best Elite Award in the Milwaukee Region.
The list celebrates companies who are developing better business practices, creating richer lives and building stronger communities through an innovative and thoughtful approach to human resources.
Companies are nominated and selected based on a lengthy self-assessment completed by the nominees and anonymous surveys sent to their team members. Verve was evaluated on a variety of categories, including compensation; benefits and employee solutions; employee enrichment; engagement and retention; employee education and development; recruitment; selection and orientation; employee achievement and recognition; communication and shared vision; diversity and inclusion; work-life balance; community initiatives; and strategic company performance.
Verve earned the Best of the Best Elite Award for its team member-focused pandemic response, which included interest-free payroll advance, approved CARES Act revisions to Verve’s retirement plan, gifted two Amazon Echo Show devices to team members—one to keep and one to gift to a loved one—so they can do distance well during the pandemic, and established a podcast platform for senior leaders and other thought partners to speak on strategic topics.
“Despite all the challenges, we had a sense of obligation to keep our entire team employed with meaningful work throughout the pandemic,” said Kevin J. Ralofsky, president and CEO of Verve.
In 2020, Verve pivoted its operations to limited branch access and primarily virtual interactions among non-member facing team members with health and safety a top priority throughout the pandemic.
“Providing truly memorable service experiences to our credit union members starts with an investment in the team members we employ and the communities we serve,” said Kristin Steede, vice president of learning + development at Verve. “Through Verve’s robust recruitment and onboarding process, continuous access to training and development opportunities and a host of health and wellness resources, our team members are empowered to be their best selves at work, at home, and in the community. This gives us the vibrant workplace filled with passion and enthusiasm that helped us earn this prestigious honor. It fills us with pride to be honored alongside other top businesses in a large market like Milwaukee, and we are thankful to have access to NABR resources all year long to help us build on our strong culture.”
Demonstrating the Best and Brightest Programs’ mission of “Better Business, Richer Lives, Stronger Communities,” Verve is being recognized for its ongoing commitment to exhibiting sound business practices, empowering employee enrichment and positively impacting the surrounding community. In addition to offering servant leadership training and an award-winning wellness program, Verve is well known for its active involvement in community events.
“Our culture is at the heart of all we do,” Ralofsky said. “Being recognized in this way reassures us that our team members feel valued and supported by our servant leadership organization, and members feel the difference, something that makes us strong today and well into the future.”
Verve was honored during a virtual celebration on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. This is Verve’s third time earning a spot on the Milwaukee region Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® list.
Founded in 1937, Verve, a Credit Union, is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative with nearly $1.5 billion in assets and serves nearly 66,000 members at 21 locations. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works or worships in 25 counties throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota and to employees of Kimberly-Clark Corp., Fox River Paper Co., the medical services industry and the immediate family of any current member. Federally insured by NCUA.
Federally Insured by NCUA | 
Equal Housing Opportunity |