ViClarity’s Strategic Planning Solution Gives Modesto’s First Federal Credit Union Tools to Drive Business Growth

April 25, 2023

Modesto’s First Federal Credit Union serves those who work and live in the Modesto, California community. With roots going back as far as 1940, Modesto’s First is still just as dedicated to serving their community now as they were back then. 

“We know everyone by name,” said CEO & President Leslie Ramirez when she sat down with ViClarity’s Director of Sales and Business Development, Mark Boehm, to chat about her experience implementing ViClarity’s strategic planning software solution.  

Q: Why did you decide to turn to a software solution? 
A: I knew that ViClarity had been a partner of the California and Nevada Credit Union League for quite a while, and I was looking for a vendor to complete a website management audit. I was looking for someone new and fresh for a new perspective on how we are doing business. So I reached out to ViClarity, and during my first call we talked about all the other services that ViClarity offers. With an on-the-spot demo of the strategic planning solution, I knew that was going to help me greatly. As a small credit union, we all wear many hats and it’s hard to step back from the day to day to get that 5000-foot view, and I needed to get my strategic plan back into a regular focus, and this tool is just amazing.  

Q: How did you previously manage your strategic plan? 
A: We developed a plan a couple years ago – we’re small so we don’t have a lot of change happening, and we just use a Word document that had a list of plans. It just got tucked away and we looked at it once a year during our board meeting, and it got approved. It was sort of like a book on a shelf that just collected dust! Now that we implemented it into ViClarity, I can go into this plan and update it whenever I need to, on a monthly basis, on a quarterly basis. One of the coolest things about it though, is that there are so many reports and dashboards I can pull to show where we are at. It can really help me keep the plan and vision of our credit union at the forefront, and I don’t even have to do a lot -- it’s so simple. I answer a few questions and it gives me great reports and visuals. It’s just something that is going to help me have that higher level view more than we have had it in the past. 

Q: What would you tell another credit union that’s dipping their toes into a platform like this? 
A: If strategic planning has not been at the forefront of your mind and you know that your credit union needs it to thrive, you should really consider using ViClarity. The onboarding process was super easy, and I just can’t tell you how pleased I am with the visuals. I’m going to be able to show the high level numbers down to a nitty gritty level for my employees, who might not understand how they impact our credit union. It’s just a quick graphic overview of what’s going on. I really think other credit unions that are struggling with this should see how simple it can really be. 

You know, my onboarding team took care of all the heavy lifting and have taught me well so I can do it on my own, but I always know they are going to be there if I need something. I was just chatting with my representative, Jessica, this morning and she said, “Don’t worry. If you ever have a question, I’m never going away and I’ll always be here for you. Don’t feel like we are throwing you to the wolves.” And I just love that support. 

Q: What else do you have to say about ViClarity and our team? 
A: You know, I really want to impress the level of knowledge, experience, and beyond my expectations of support and human kindness. The nicest people I’ve worked with in a long time – so refreshing and so helpful. I really felt like they were my employees working in the office with me. They got to know my plan inside and out – and they don’t even know me! So, the process was just way more than I expected. There’s so much more we can do – I want to get every module.