Ashley Weinke is a 34-year-old Vice President, Payments and Electronic Processing of Connexus Credit Union ($1.3B) in Wausau, Wisconsin, United States.

Project Title
ConnectU Mentorship Program

Short Pitch
Amazing people do not JUST happen

Synopsis
Connexus Credit Union stands by its Family Values. My project focuses on one value, Learn and Grow, and the benefits that continued personal growth opportunities provide for employees, the organization, and our members.

ConnectU is a mentorship program available to all employees. Mentoring provides a tailored learning and development experience at key stages in a person’s career path. The mentor has traveled the path before and can offer advice, guidance and insightful observations that help guide the mentee. The mentor acts as an educator, a confidant, an active listener, and a coach.

The mission of ConnectU is to grow the Credit Union’s internal talent and develop future leaders by ensuring that accumulated knowledge and experience is passed on by increasing communication and strengthening bonds between employees while enhancing Connexus’ strong employer brand- attracting and retaining top performers.

Mentors will find fulfillment from relationships which encourage reflection on their own experiences and career, enriched coaching skills, and the opportunity to guide and assist an emerging leader grow their career.

The ConnectU Program is focused on assisting employees develop and enhance their leadership within the Credit Union. Clear goals for the mentoring are defined at the beginning of the relationship to boost effectiveness and guide mentoring meetings.

The key elements of the ConnectU Program are: