Say “Holly” at Greylock Federal Credit Union’s Allendale offices, and you are bound to get a nice story from a Greylock employee about their experience working with Holly.
“It’s been 20 years,” said Kate Gelinas, Assistant Vice President, Deposit Operations Manager at Greylock. “She’s the kind of employee we all want — someone who asks for more when her workload gets light. Someone who appreciates being here.”
“She’s always smiling, always a bright spot in the office,” said Mike Jerome, Vice President, Deposit Operations. “I’ve been with her since she started,. We’ve been through a lot of changes and moves together and she adapts as well as anyone I know. Her good nature is always present, and it affects all of us. We are lucky to have her part of the Greylock family.”
Holly interned at Greylock during high school, and after graduating in 1998, stayed on. “We already knew she had a great work ethic, so we hired her on the spot,” said Mike.
“The best part of the job is being around such nice people,” said Holly. “If I need something, I know I can just ask for help. Everyone here is eager to help everyone. I’m sure there are a lot of workplaces where people don’t feel like this.”
Holly with co-workers from the Deposit Operations Department. Next to her are Mike and Kate.
One memory sticks out: When she participated in a local swim-a-thon, she looked up from the water to find a group of staff from her department cheering her on. But she surprised everyone by swimming 100 laps — her dozens of sponsors at $1 a lap did not expect this.
Like many employees everywhere, Holly’s favorite time are the holidays, and particularly the credit union’s holiday party when she can relax with co-workers outside the office environment.
In the Direct Operations Department, Holly services the branches with scans, indexing, and mailings to members — sending information on promotions, special announcements, and routine mailings. “The time always goes fast here,” Holly said.
“At Greylock we are proud of a staff that reflects the population of our members and the entire community,” said Mike. “This means having an inclusive, diverse workforce.”
Holly commutes to and from work with the public bus system.
“The people who work with Holly are always very helpful to her,” said Holly’s mother, Ronnie. “She always feels supported. She’s very fortunate to work at such a great place.”
Holly’s job is supported through BCArc’s Employment Services, a program that supports dozens of individuals with disabilities who work with employers in the Berkshires.
Holly travels to Boston to advocate to legislators on behalf of people with disabilities.
“She does a fantastic job there, her coworkers have always made her feel welcomed,” said BCArc employment manager Regan Tyer. “They are very considerate of Holly and make sure that she has a good working space. It’s been a great match for everyone.”
“Greylock has been a great partner for BCArc on so many levels,” said Maryann Hyatt, BCArc’s President. “They are a great asset to the Berkshire community.”
Several Greylock colleagues cheered on Holly at her Swim-a-thon. Many sponsored Holly at $1 a lap, and did not expect her to swim 100 laps.
