A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take a long road trip with some of my Earthling friends. Mind you, road trips are not something I typically consider, primarily because the internal environment of an automobile is not very conducive to my epidermal requirements of moisture and… well… slime, as I’ve heard it referred to. The fabric seating acts like a sponge and soaks up my slime coat. And with leather seats, I’m slipping and sliding all over the interior faster than a super nova. Not a pretty sight.
For this road trip, fortunately, my friends accommodated me by placing a small kiddie pool in the back of their full-size van. I’m so glad they did because during this trip, I had the time of my life. I got to carry watermelons, try out some new dance steps, played in a lake and didn’t get put in a corner. That’s right, it was a road trip to Kellerman’s!
Kellerman’s is the fictional family getaway haven in the Catskill Mountains of southern New York State from the movie Dirty Dancing. In the nonfictional world, it is better known as the Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia and sits amidst the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest. It was absolutely gorgeous, and finding all of the Dirty Dancing filming sites was a blast.
Part of the trip included a special viewing of the movie. While there are a lot of messages and meanings woven throughout this cinematic delight, I’d like to focus on one: Belief. All through the movie, Baby (the main character) believed in herself and what she could accomplish, despite being somewhat downplayed by individuals with more confidence and ego. As the movie played out, she believed she could be a great dance partner for the new apple of her eye, Johnny. While Johnny had some hesitations, they worked together and ultimately performed a show stopping dance that included the elusive “lift.”
As Baby and Johnny can attest, belief is one of the strongest drivers a person can hold. That is precisely the reason myCUmortgage’s most prestigious annual award is the Tim Mislansky Belief Award. This award was created four years ago in honor of myCUmortgage’s former President, Tim Mislansky, who is now President and CEO of Wright-Patt Credit Union. Tim’s greatest strength is Belief: the enduring core values that give his life direction at work, at home and in the community.
I’m so excited to share with all of you the winner of this year’s Belief Award: Terri Brancucci with Trax Credit Union. Terri consistently achieves excellence in all she does and especially as she lives out her core values at work. Her unwavering commitment to quality and member service has earned her respect and admiration from peers and colleagues.
Over the years, she has provided vital feedback and insight to myCUmortgage on various products and processes, helping improve each for the benefit of its partners and their members. This led to her being named the myCUmortgage Lender of the Year in 2021.
Through her efforts, Terri has made a lasting impact to those in her community. She believes in educating and assisting the next generation so they might be better prepared for homeownership. Her ability to foster strong relationships and create a supportive environment is truly commendable.
And now, after 40 years in the business, Terri is retiring. Her plans for retirement include volunteering at a local charity supporting child literacy. She also wants to travel and spend time with family, including her fiancé, a Goldendoodle puppy and nine beautiful, intelligent grandchildren – all who she loves dearly.
On behalf of all of us at myCUmortgage, please join me in congratulating Terri Brancucci as the recipient of this year’s Tim Mislansky Belief Award! Here’s to all of us embracing Terri’s belief and providing a “lift” to our members who are dancing toward homeownership.
And while we couldn’t convince her to do the “lift” at the Awards Luncheon, I can assure you that no one put Terri in a corner!