An interview with Jennifer Audette.

Jennifer Audette didn’t set out to lead a credit union. She was on her way to becoming a teacher when a tip from a high school friend led her to a part-time job answering phones at a local credit union, and sent her life in a different direction. 

Twenty-seven years later, Jennifer is the President and CEO of POLAM Federal Credit Union, a $75 million institution serving Polish Americans and friends of the Polish American Congress across Southern California; Toledo, Ohio; and Arizona.

“It felt like solving a puzzle”

After Jennifer began her first credit union job, she was quickly promoted to teller and then loan officer – and something clicked.

“Helping members consolidate debt and save $800 a month and seeing the stress lift off their shoulders was incredibly rewarding,” she says. “It felt like solving a puzzle: connecting the dots, reviewing payments, terms, and rates, and then presenting a solution they hadn’t even considered.”

Her original dream of teaching had transformed into financial advocacy. “It was life-changing for both me and my members.” What sealed it, she says, was the CEO she worked for early in her career, someone whose passion for the credit union difference was contagious.

The mission doesn’t change with bigger job titles

Jennifer stepped into the CEO role at POLAM in 2021, bringing with her more than two decades of industry experience. What’s kept her rooted in credit unions all these years?

“I believe just as strongly today as I did when I started in the ‘people helping people’ philosophy,” she says. Her role has shifted from one-on-one member interactions to greater advocacy, but she sees the two as part of the same mission. “Advocacy allows us to impact people on a broader scale, often in ways they may never realize. It’s different from one-on-one interactions, but just as meaningful and rewarding.”

For Jennifer, the stakes are high: “There are so many critical issues we need to speak up on, and the work we do today will impact consumers for years to come.”

When you believe in something, you show up

Ask Jennifer’s daughters and they’ll tell you her hobby is credit unions. They’ve reportedly timed her: she can’t go more than 20 minutes in any conversation without bringing the industry up.

“To me, it’s like sharing a great deal,” Jennifer says with a laugh. “I just want to make sure no one misses out.”

That instinct to speak up when something matters runs deep. In college, Jennifer ran an environmental campaign to bring recycling to campus, and she showed up in a trash bag to make her point. “This was before social media, so thankfully there’s no photographic evidence,” she admits. “When I believe action is needed, I don’t wait for permission.”

Building relationships that last

POLAM Federal Credit Union has a specific mission to serve the Polish-American community across three states, and that sense of purpose resonates with Jennifer. “The relationships and trust built with members have led to friendships that have lasted and continued for years.”

It’s a reminder that credit unions aren’t just financial institutions – they’re communities built on strong relationships. And for Jennifer, that’s always been the point.

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