Charlene Smolkowicz promoted to Assistant Vice President, Commercial Credit Manager at Freedom Credit Union
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Freedom Credit Union recently announced the promotion of Charlene Smolkowicz from commercial credit manager to assistant vice president. A resident of Westfield, she has been with Freedom since 2016 and is based in the main office in Springfield. In her role, she manages the commercial credit department, underwriting process and analyst team for commercial and industrial, commercial mortgage/commercial real estate and non-profit borrowers. She is also responsible for maintaining sound portfolio credit quality and monitoring risk.
“Charlene already had nearly two decades of experience when she joined our team six years ago, and she has proven herself to be a leader time and time again,” said Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch. “She is a past recipient of our GEM award and is dedicated not only to providing the best service to our members, but also to helping her colleagues grow and thrive.”
Smolkowicz earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Northeastern University in Boston and a graduate certificate in non-profit management at Bay Path University. She also completed the Massachusetts Bankers Association Advanced School of Commercial Lending at Babson College.
Active in the community, Smolkowicz serves as treasurer and chairs the finance committee for the Board of Directors for Viability, Inc., and participates in both the WIT (Women Innovators & Trailblazers) Mentor Match Program and Springfield School Volunteers Read-Aloud program. She was recognized as the United Way of Pioneer Valley Volunteer of the Year in 2012.
About Freedom Credit Union
Originally chartered in 1922 as the Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union and renamed in 2004, Freedom Credit Union is a 10-branch, full-service financial institution. Today, membership is available to anyone who lives, works or attends school in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin or Berkshire counties in Massachusetts, and Hartford or Tolland counties in Connecticut. Offering a complete range of banking services and loan products, Freedom Credit Union has conveniently located Massachusetts branches in Chicopee, Easthampton, Feeding Hills, Greenfield, Ludlow, Northampton, Turners Falls, West Springfield and two in Springfield. For more information, visit freedom.coop.
Freedom Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Shares and deposits in excess of NCUA limits are fully insured by the Massachusetts Credit Union Share Insurance Corporation (MSIC). Equal housing lender. NMLS #478769.