New Leaders You Should Know: Courtney Fifield

Courtney Fifield has a talent for finances, but it’s his genuine interest in people and helping them to succeed—whether they are employees or customers—that landed him the top position at Members First Credit Union. 

“Of all the people we looked at, Courtney understands the market in New England and brings a personable approach,”  says Michael Simoneau, the credit union’s senior vice president and community outreach officer. “He could be talking to a maintenance person here, it doesn’t matter. He has a good manner with everyone, and we need that in a president.” 

Fifield, who brings two decades of banking and finance experience as well as service in the Army Reserves in Massachusetts, took over as president and CEO of Members First Credit Union in mid-April. 

“I wasn’t looking for a new position,” says Fifield, who was president and CEO at Athol Credit Union in Massachusetts where he worked his way up the ranks, starting at a branch office 13 years ago. Fifield says a recruiter reached out to him about the position at Members First, and that after a few trips to Manchester he developed a good feeling about the community. “Everything I saw made me want to be more engaged. I had nothing to lose.”

One of Fifield’s passions and priorities as a leader is taking care of his employees. “I’ve started with making sure our staff is getting what they need because if we can’t provide this, we can’t provide what our members need,” he says. Fifield points out that credit unions, which are nonprofits, are beholden to their members and not the shareholders that larger banks work to satisfy. “We don’t have to turn a profit for investors. The focus is on people and building relationships.” Members First Credit Union, started in 1949 by firefighter John Walsh, now has 15,000 members. 

Fifield’s personal approach is reflected in the small things. “I want coffee makers in the lobby so I can have coffee with employees and members,” he says. “And I want members to come in and stay longer than they have to. I love it when I walk into a lobby and it’s a place of conversation. We need to foster that mentality.”

Fifield was also attracted to the job after seeing the extensive commitment Members First has made to the community. In the first quarter of 2023, Members First donated almost $70,000 to a variety of nonprofits, including CASA, The American Red Cross, Waypoint, and the Manchester Police Athletic League. “I was in awe of the number of donations we approved at our last board meeting,” Fifield says. “The money goes back into the community.”