Roberts Comes Full Circle in Banking Industry

By Jennifer L. Warren

POUGHKEEPSIE – Jonathan Roberts has arrived home, a place that brings his life journey “all together.”

A self proclaimed “accidental banker,” Roberts who has been the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU) for the past two years, could not be more joyful about the position that encapsulates his life’s passion-purpose: Leaving a community better off than he found it.

“My father always instilled in me the idea of leaving things better than you found them,” reflected Roberts, who hails from a military family, his dad an Air Force and Vietnam War veteran, who also stressed the importance of a diligent work ethic and giving back to one’s community. “Coming from a military background, our family moved around a great deal.”

Eventually landing in the state of Ohio, the determined and focused Roberts, secured a football scholarship to the University of Cincinnati’s Division I program, where he also ran track. Guided by his love for-commitment to community as well as leadership skills, Roberts majored in sociology, aspiring to work with at-risk adolescents, developing programs while fostering precious hope. Those goals were pursued early on-while Roberts was still in college, when his then girlfriend and now wife, pioneered a track and field program for city youth, both successfully displaying their impressive leadership and coaching skills.

During this same time, Roberts was developing precious mentor bonds: One with the Assistant Athletic Director, another with a professor, both who jointly led a diversity company, and steered him toward taking an interview with a nearby banking company: Fifth Third Bancorp. Urged by his girlfriend to follow-up on the interview “seed” while not having any genuine stake in whether he got the job or not, Roberts flipped the script during the meeting, asking interviewers bold diversity-related questions about their Board of Directors, posing such queries as redlining and fair hiring practices. Realizing there were huge gaps in these areas, the interview committee was impressed by Roberts’ assertiveness and hired him. Interest started to brew on Roberts’ end, an “accidental banker” was born, and the rest, as they say, was history…. as well as serendipity.

“I realized you can help a lot of people by providing financial education and support,” explained Roberts who worked for seven years, led by the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) on the retail branch level, eventually ascending to the management sphere, a place where he flourished. “Now it was no longer working with individual clients, but developing groups of people, much like coaching what I’ve done in the past and really enjoy; at this level, I got my fulfillment by developing and supporting more people, helping them grow with their skills and providing safe resources.”

Possessing a “genuine interest in people,” Roberts was immediately attracted to the Hudson Valley Credit Union position, one that married a focus on individuals- their communities with the banking industry.

“When I showed up here, I realized this was home,” said Roberts about the HVCU opportunity. “It brings everything all together in one place.”

Equipped with 30 years of banking experience that spans both small and large banks around the country, Roberts has mined priceless, transferable, impactful talents; however, perhaps none are more needed and appreciated than that people epicenter and laser-focus on growth. A 60 plus year organization with 22 branches in its field of membership and over 1,000 satisfied employees, HVCU and its values perfectly align with Roberts and his continued mission to “leave a community better than he found it.”

“Our primary responsibility, is to our members as a cooperation, so our three main objectives are: people (satisfaction), soundness (health and stability) and growth (to be healthy),” said Roberts, who further added how one of those growth goals is to have branches in all New York Counties the HVCU landscape covers.

That development is not without its challenges. Roberts cited cyber risks, “ensuring everyone’s information is safe is something we pay a lot of attention to,” as well as an emphasis on Macroeconomic Environment (increased pressure on rate and regulatory issues) remain priorities. However, Roberts, “The Accidental Banker,” who has come full circle, is also no stranger to being involved with-witnessing first-hand, the potency of progress.

“When I first interviewed at a bank years ago and asked if there was diversity on their Board, there was none,” reflected Roberts about that transformative moment. “And now, I work for the most diverse Board of Directors I’ve ever seen in my career.”

Surveying his office building surroundings, Roberts added, “Our member satisfaction is high, and we have very low turnover with our employees. I really love my job.”
Some might say, his “home” as well.