Last fall, Midwest Family Federal Credit Union President and CEO John Peterson sat at a Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce banquet waiting to find out the winner of the 2012 Volunteer of the Year Award. As the presenter read through the comments about the winner, something started to sound very familiar.
“I was sitting there at dinner and I told my wife, ‘It sounds like me,’” Peterson said. “She said, ‘There’s no way you’d be getting the volunteer award.’ They called my name and I just couldn’t believe it. I about fell off my chair.”
Although the honor came as a shock to the humble Portage resident, it was no surprise to those that know him best. In addition to putting in many hours at work, he dedicates significant chunks of time to the Portage Kiwanis, the Chamber of Commerce and his church, Portage First United Methodist.
“John is the number one reason why I accepted the job at the credit union,” Midwest Family Federal Credit Union Marketing Director Jan Zurek said. “He is inspiring, motivating and committed to the principle of people helping people.”
Peterson served the country as a member of the United States Navy, which he joined before walking in his high school graduation and receiving his diploma. He was eventually sent to Pearl Harbor for his first ship, a World War II Destroyer, and then headed to Vietnam.
After four years of service, Peterson worked in a piano factory’s shipping and receiving department driving a forklift. In 1976, he stumbled upon his first job running a credit union. The manager of the company’s credit union asked if he might be interested in taking it over while she tended to her family.
“It was a lateral move pay wise, but I got my first experience,” he said. “I started learning how to do loans, how to disperse checks and back then, it was a small credit union, so they didn’t have much on the computers. It was all manual records.”
After five years with the upstart credit union, a stint working as a field representative for the Trade Association of Oklahoma and 10 years leading a credit union near his hometown in Michigan, Peterson found himself in Portage as the CEO of Midwest Family. When he took the job, he also moved to Portage, and was welcomed with open arms.
“Everywhere I went, I was welcomed in the community,” he said. “I felt at home coming into Portage. I was from a town up on Lake Michigan, so it was real similar to relocate down to Indiana in a similar environment.”
Midwest Family Federal Credit Union, which is located on Willowcreek Road and serves all of Porter County, provides its members with a unique atmosphere.
“I think that most people, once they’ve banked at a credit union, like the atmosphere,” Peterson said. “There is a home feel. It’s like a family.”
Community service is a natural fit for Peterson because the credit union’s philosophy is helping others. Peterson, a Boy Scout growing up, was involved in Kiwanis in Michigan and has stayed active with the Portage branch since his move five years ago. He said the Portage Kiwanis Club is able to pull off pancake breakfasts and many other events despite having a limited number of volunteers.
“It’s fun watching the kids’ faces light up when they’re in there and they see the Easter Bunny or they see Santa and they just have a great time,” he said.
In every facet of his life, Peterson makes sure that he sticks to the mission of helping others.
“I like to do things to help other people and the credit union’s philosophy is people helping people,” he said. “Our members here care. Most of them are of humble beginnings themselves. They do anything they can to help the community.
“I am just pleased to have such a dedicated staff in the office here. They all know what they’re job is and help people that need direction.”