Proof is in the Pudding, Part II

AN UNPROMISING FUTURE

In Priority One Credit Union's Summer newsletter, President Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. emphasizes the free services offered by the credit union which are designed to simplify member access to their credit union accounts and facilitate their home banking experience. 

Noticeably omitted is a list of convenient branch locations. Beginning in 2010, the President began ordering the closure of branches and each time further reduced convenience once offered to members and dispelling the President's assertion that the financially struggling credit union is any member's "Financial Fitness Center." 

In his address contained in the Summer newsletter, the President describes the ease members will experience in accessing their credit union accounts through the use of Shared Branching and surcharge-free ATM’s and V-COM units.

Though the President has spent the last two years insisting that business is "great" and the credit union is "growing" the evidence versus his verbalizations, proves business isn't good, the credit union isn't growing and members are no longer offered the level of convenience enjoyed in the years before Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. was appointed President. 

In October 2010, the credit union closed the doors of it's Valencia, California office. Though at the time, the President promised to open a new location in the very near future, it wasn't until 16 months later that he opened the Santa Clarita branch. Just prior to it's opening, the President emphatically proclaimed that members would throng to the new office but to date, the Santa Clarita branch is proving to be another Wiggington failure. Little if any interest has been shown in the location and often times, days go by without a single person visiting the location. 

This past June the President ordered closure of the Burbank branch disclosing that the amount of business being produced by the branch was insufficient to offset the high monthly rent needed to lease the location. The President lied and tried covering this fact up in November 2011 when he visited the branch and told employees that business was growing and prospering but two months later, ordered closure of the location. 

In his address, the President discloses the credit union offers online banking, texting capabilities, and invites members to contact the credit union by telephone. Did the President forget that one of the largest topics of complaints amongst members is the failure by the credit union to answer incoming telephone calls within a reasonable amount of time. Another complaint is that when calls are answered, members are hurried 

The President states that the credit union also offering online banking, texting (through a person’s ‘smart phone’), and invites members to contact the credit union by telephone. What the President fails to mention is that calling the credit union’s Call Center can be a frustrating experience, hampered by long waits. Once a call is answered, representatives hurriedly ask callers if they are interested in applying for a loan. A more convenient alternative to the suggestions made by the President is for a member to open an account at another credit union which actually offers convenient branch locations and member service that satisfies a member’s needs.

 

The President concludes, stating, “I hope this helps you save time and money with Priority One, Your Financial Fitness Center.”  Financial Fitness?  

WAR CRY

Though under Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. the vilification and ostracizing of employees has become commonplace, it wasn't until recently that the President expanded this defamation to include at least one member whose confidential account information was published on the Internet by an employee of the credit union and more than likely, an officer.

The credit union has recently responded through its attorney, offering a paltry settlement needed to bring closure to the member's lawsuit alleging Priority One violated the terms and stipulations of the Privacy Act. Evidently, the credit union seeks to resolve their egregious violation of federal law by entering into a settlement agreement that is the equivalent to a slap on the hand. The member has declined the credit union's less than generous offer and is anxious to proceed to court. 

For years, President Wiggington boasted about his keen ability to manipulate circumstances that allowed him to escape reprisals though in recently months it appears he may have lost his alleged mojo. In 2008, he escaped termination after it was proven he violated federal law when he sexually harassed a former employee only because the dishonest and manipulated Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks chose to squash the evidence of this illegal act. 

However, Mrs. Harris-Brooks doesn't possess the ability or intellect to manipulate the credit union's latest legal embroilment. The fact is, someone at the credit union knowingly violated the Privacy Act and not only published confidential information about the member's automobile loan and a lawsuit she is involved in but made disparaging remarks about the member. Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. is accountable for the violation of the Privacy Act though he will try as best he can to slither away and distance himself from the accusations. 

The credit union's attorney, Bruce Needleman, is out of his legal element and has quickly proven he is unqualified to respond to allegations that Priority One violated the Privacy Act. Possibly out of a sense of desperation, Mr. Needleman has quickly cracked under pressure. On September 13, 2012, during a hearing, Mr. Needleman, referred to the Plaintiff as “that woman.” The judge had to be reminded that the Plaintiff (and victim) has a name and that his reference to her was not only inappropriate but that if he conduct did not change immediately, he could be sanctioned. 

Mr. Needleman forgot that the Plaintiff was victimized by an employee of the credit union. What's ,more, Mr. Needleman has been slow and at other times, failed to respond to motions filed by the Plaintiff with the court. His failure to respond by stated deadlines and/or his failure to respond at all may be intentional and a refusal to work amicably and professionally with the Plaintiff and court. 

Not only has Mr. Needleman behaved inappropriately and unprofessionally but recently, both President Wiggington and Director of Project Management, Yvonne Boutte, have verbally vilified the member, describing her as "difficult" even though it was likely, the President, Mrs. Boutte or Credit Resolutions Supervisor, Alex Suarez, who divulged the highly confidential information regarding litigation involving the member's credit union automobile loan and which was later published on the Internet. 

The cavalier attitude by the President and the Director of Project Management is born out of the fact that the credit union's willful and malicious violation of federal law was exposed and responded to by the member. The two officers are trying, despite an immense amount of evidence to the contrary, to insist the credit union has done nothing wrong. Unfortunately, for the President and Mrs. Boutte, there is sufficient evidence scattered throughout the Internet proving someone at the credit union violated the Privacy Act. We predict with certainty that this case will either proceed to court or be settled. 

The credit union could have resolved this incident before a lawsuit was ever filed. The member began by called Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks. Mrs. Harris-Brooks feigned concern just as she did in 2008 when she called the former employee who had been sexually harassed by the President and assured the former employee that a fair and impartial investigation of the facts would be conducted. 

In the case of the member, Mrs. Harris-Brooks stated that she was surprised and intended to investigate the incident to ensure the person who violated the Privacy Act would be dealt with accordingly, however, as Mrs. Harris-Brooks proved in 2008, when she suppressed evidence proving Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. sexually harassed a former employee, her actual intent was to find a way of diffusing the member's complaint. 

Mrs. Harris-Brooks deferred the incident for "investigation" to President Wiggington. The President in turn, delegated the incident to Director of Project Management, Yvonne Boutte. Mrs. Boutte contacted the member, prohibited her from ever calling Mrs. Harris-Brooks about this or any other matter and informed the member that she had no recourse regarding the alleged violation of the Privacy Act. When the member attempted to respond, Mrs. Boutte began yelling and would not let the member speak. The member, a law student, hung-up the receiver and began preparing her complaint which she filed on her own without assistance of an attorney. As Mrs. Boutte would soon discover, the member did indeed have recourse. 

FRAUD

Strewn about the Internet are several biographies published by President Wiggington. Publishing of his biographies was the brainchild of one of the overpaid firms hired by the credit union to provide advice needed to revamp the credit union's stale public persona. 

In each of his biographies, the President omits information about himself while embellishing other information. and always describing his qualifications in general versus specific terms. All of this suggests that he felt impelled to hide the truth which is that he may be one of the worst Presidents currently leading any credit union.

The President's many biographies correctly state that he began his employment at Priority One Credit Union in 1992. However, he is lying when he writes that he has served as President since 1992. He was hired in the Vice President of Operations and was appointed to President effective January 1, 2007. 

Before arriving at the credit union, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. worked for several savings and loans, all of which are now defunct and banks. It is his experience while at Bank of America that he would later refer to when he said "I'm going to make Priority One like a bank.:" Evidently, there are philosophical differences between traditional banks and credit unions, a fact he chose to ignore. If his intent was to perpetuate banking practices then why did he ever leave Bank of America? 

HIS BIOGRAPHY

Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., began his career in financial services over 35 years ago, as a Bank of America Teller in Los Angeles. Today, Mr. Wiggington serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Priority One Credit Union in South Pasadena, California. Over the years, he has held a variety of executive positions with a number of major banks, giving him the extensive experience needed to lead Priority One.

The President states that he served as a teller while while employed by Bank of America. and that he "held a variety of executive positions with a number of major banks." So aside from having been a teller while employed by Bank of America and later, the Vice President of Operations while employed by Security Pacific National Bank, what are the names of the other "major banks" versus credit union's and savings and loans, where he served in an executive capacity? 

Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., joined Priority One Credit Union in 1992. Since then, he has directed all aspects of the Credit Union's operations. He oversees the organization's loan portfolios, budgets, and investments, and represents the organization at public events. With Chief Financial Officer Saeid S. Raad, Chief Lending Officer Cynthia Garvin, and Executive Vice President Rodger D. Smock, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., works to maintain the prosperity of Priority One.

Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. was as inept a Vice President of Operations as he is a President. Before being appointed President on January 1, 2007, he was known as lazy, ineffective and lacking the knowledge about Priority One's Operation. While serving as Vice President of Operations he consistently failed to ensure Branch Managers were properly trained to approve loans. In 2003, the Valencia Branch Manager approved several loans that eventually were referred to collection proceedings. In each case, it was discovered that she approved loans for applicant's who didn't actually satisfy the credit union's eligibility requirements. Mr. Wiggington never took the time the Branch Manager understood how to properly review loan applications. Her failure was actually caused by his negligence.

While he served as Vice President of Operations, the President introduced his friend, Henry Justice to the credit union and later, contracted him as a preferred automobile broker. Mr. Justice would later abscond with more than $80,000 of credit union monies. 

Never does Charles R.Wiggington, Sr. ever represent the organization at public events. He does attend postal carrier meetings conducted at their union hall every two months but amongst attendees most carriers believe he only visits the hall because it's got a bar where attendees can be alcoholic beverages for $2.00 each. He is rarely if ever invited to speak to attendees because he isn't liked even though the excuse given is there isn't time to allow him to speak. Not so coincidentally, other credit union representatives are allowed to speak.

Prior to accepting his current position with Priority One, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., fulfilled a number of roles at other Los Angeles-area financial institutions. Immediately before taking over his duties at Priority One, he served as Vice President of Operations for the Los Angeles branch of Gibraltar Savings and Loan and Security Pacific National Bank, which merged in 1990. This followed a one-year term as Branch Manager of Allstate Savings and Loan in Glendale, California, and three years as a Senior Savings Officer at California Federal Savings and Loan in Los Angeles.

"Prior to accepting his current position" is another highly inaccurate statement. Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. was hired in 1992 as Vice President of Operations. That is not his "current" position. He remained Vice President of Operations until January 1, 2007, when he began what has become his disastrous appointment to President. 

Interesting that aside from being a teller at Bank of America, there is no ladder of progression to show how he eventually became the alleged Vice President of Operations for the now defunct, Gibraltar Savings and Loan and defunct Security Pacific Nation Bank. Clearly, there are omissions in his biography and we've got to accept his statements at face value.

Also note that after having allegedly served as Vice President of Operations, he accepted a demotion and served as Branch Manager for the now defunct Allstate Savings and loan. He also accepted another demotion when he accepted employment as Senior Savings Officer for California Federal Savings and Loan is also now defunct have succumbed to a merger. 

There are three lessons regarding Mr. Wiggington's version of his employment history. One, it's inaccurate. He evidently accepted positions in lower capacities than that allegedly served while employed by Gibraltar Savings and Loan and Security Pacific Bank. Lastly, most of the institutions where he was once employed, have ceased to exist. 

In addition to his work at Priority One, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., is deeply involved in his community. He served for over a decade as a volunteer basketball coach for Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation, and for a year as Board Treasurer of the Silverlake Neighborhood Council.

Not evidence that he was a volunteer basketball coach but we do know that he briefly served as Board Treasurer for the Silverlake Neighborhood Council. 

Source: https://about.me/CharlesRWiggingtonSr/

LUCKY NUMBER 11

An example of President Wiggington's inability to create structure and organization is his own so-called corporate reorganization. Apparently, the President should make an effort to acquaint himself with what constitutes structure. On January 4, 2007, he unveiled his new spiffy, corporate structure which he claimed would promote efficiency and augment business. He was wrong on both counts. 

Since January 2007, there have been a total of 11 reorganizations of his corporate structure. If anything spells out uncertainty and an inability of how to create plans that work is Charles R. Wiggington, Sr.'s many failed attempts at organization. 

During numerous meetings with employees, conducted throughout January 4, 2007, the President distributed flow charts of his new, revamped corporate structure. His new and supposedly improved plan contained an Assistant Vice President ("AVP") sector. the President explained that he had divided Priority One's vast territory into regions which would be overseen by individual AVP's. According to the President, each AVP would be responsible for developing methods needed to develop new business within their assigned territory. This was his public explanation. Less publicly, the President boasted to a few employees that the AVP's would be responsible to create new business while all "I have to do is sit back and watch the business come in." And though the President did lounge casually at the South Pasadena branch, spending his days perusing the Internet and talking on the phone to his aunt Jenny and her husband, the business did not come in. The problem with his plan is that not one of his AVP's had actual experience in creating new business at a level needed by the credit union to amass profit. 

Since January 2007, the President has introduced eleven (11) changes to his original corporate structure. None of the changes have resulted in improvements. In fact, during his alleged restructuring, he always issued memorandums advising employees that the changes he was introducing were designed to improve business and the operation. Not only did improvements never occur but during the years of 2010 through 2012, he ordered closure of the Redlands, Valencia, Riverside and Burbank branches. 

The President with authorization from Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, used credit union monies to high investigators, forensic consultants, consultants, attorneys and a myriad of other specialists to cover-up the President's failures. Outside consultants and executives have to date failed to remedy the disastrous effects of Charles R. Wiggington, Sr.'s horrendous business decisions and appalling personal behaviors.  

AN AVP IN TITLE ONLY

Mrs. Gema Pleitez has served as South Pasadena Branch Manager for a number of years. Prior to her appointment to Branch Manager, Mrs. Pleitez was the Assistant Branch Manager. As Branch Manager she was competent, knowledgeable and a hard worker. That all changed in 2005, when the Branch Manager died and Mrs. Pleitez was promoted to the post of Branch Manager.  

Until 2012, she refused to converse with members who asked to speak to her, ordering the receptionist and Member Service staff to forward member calls to her voicemail. Prior to 2012, she spent years perusing and shopping on the Internet and having purchases mailed to the main branch. To avoid her purchases being observed by upper management, she had purchases sent to the branch using using pseudonyms. 

During the years of 2006 through 2007 Mrs. Pleitez was known to often exceed her 60-minute lunch break and would call and ask her staff to clock her in so it would not appear that she exceeded her allotted lunch period. This is fraud and a violation of credit union policy. Director of Human Resources, Rodger Smock, was well aware of the violations of credit union policy which are a terminable offense but he chose to ignore them and exempt Mrs. Pleitez from all disciplinary actions. Over the years, Mr. Smock also ignored complaints filed by many employees which accused Mrs. Pleitez of violating policies.  

In 2010, Mrs. Pleitez endeared herself to then COO, Beatrice Walker. At the time, Ms. Walker's "friendship" with Director of Project Management, Yvonne Boutte, and Loan Manager, Joseph Garcia, had imploded, leaving Ms. Walker with no allies. Mrs. Pleitez quickly became Ms. Walker's rebound confidant and in January 2011 Ms. Walker rewarded her with a promotion to AVP. Mrs. Pleitez was given authority over the Call Center and the small now defunct, Riverside branch. 

Ms. Walker never selected Mrs. Pleitez because of her competencies or achievements but rather because of her pandering. At the time, Mr. Garcia complained to some members of the Loan and Credit Resolutions Departments that the position given to Mrs. Pleitez had actually been promised to him by Ms. Walker, in January 2010. He alleged that she had also assured him that he would, in time, become an executive and that she would authorize a substantial increase of his salary. Mrs. Pleitez's promotion not only brought an end to his aspirations and according to Mr. Garcia, he had been targeted for termination by the vindicative Ms. Walker. 

Despite his alleged allegiance to Ms. Walker, Mr. Garcia continued to maintain a "friendship" of sorts with the former Valencia Branch Manager who had been victimized by Ms. Walker in mid-2010. Mr. Garcia contacted the former Branch Manager and asked that she help him author an excuse so that he could use to obtain a medical leave of absence. Once he left, Mrs. Pleitez's positioning improved, leaving her as only one of three remaining AVP's. 

On July 8, 2011, Ms. Walker was terminated and on February 2, 2012, Mrs. Pleitez was stripped of her authority over the Call Center, the Member Service and Teller departments which was transferred to Yvonne Boutte. The removal of her authority was sufficient to prompt Mrs. Pleitez to ask some staff members, "What's going to happen to me?"

Though actually demoted, Mrs. Pleitez retained her title and salary though consigned to service as newly appointed, Vice President of Project Management, Yvonne Boutte's assistant. Mrs. Boutte has little knowledge about operation of the Member Services Department and so, Mrs. Pleitez is in essence, her go-to-person. Mrs. Pleitez also spends her days sitting at her desk listening to all calls answered by Call Center staff. If a representative remains speaking to member longer than four minutes, Mrs. Pleitez sends a message to the representative's monitor advising that the end their conversation. 

We're uncertain what the credit union intends to do with Mrs. Pleitez because clearly, they need her to assist with management of the Member Services and Teller Departments. However and as shown below, Priority One is currently seeking a supervisor for the Call Center and Card Services Department. 

THE SCRIPT

Under President Wiggington, the objective to provide quality member service has been displaced with sales and minimizing the amount of time employees spend speaking to members who call the credit union to discuss non-sales related matters. 

We recently received the following script all Call Center representatives are require to use when answering the phone:

"Thank you for choosing Priority One Credit Union where we have great rates, great loans for our great members. May we get  you pre-approved today?" 

Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. has no concept of what constitutes quality member service. Apparently, he suffers from tunnel vision and is ignorant of the relationship between dispensing quality member service and increased sales. 

In early 2010, COO, Beatrice Walker, touted the Call Center as a "one-stop call center" that would satisfy all of the needs of any member calling the credit union. She obtained authorization from Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, to create an in-house call center and the President approved her schematic. Evidently, the three were too ignorant to develop effective systemization that would ensure the Call Center achieved it's intended purpose. 

Since it's opening in January 2010, the Call Center has been the focus of increased member complaints. Some of the issues cited by members are:

• Having to wait for as much as 10 to 20 minutes before phone calls are answered.
• Being rushed off the phone by representatives.
• Failures by representatives to resolve account issues.

The credit union's service issues are caused by the inability of Priority One's management to develop effective logistics. Inarguably, Charles R. Wiggington,. Sr., is no strategist and apparently neither is his executive staff. The problems plaguing the credit union were created by President Wiggington. The inability to develop and implement remedial measures is his fault. The effects of his poorly wrought decisions are again, his fault. However, his steps to reduce spending versus create new business including a salary freeze and assigning monthly sales quotas punish non-exempt staff for their alleged failures while serving to protect the President from the repercussions of what he alone created.  

During the first week of August, the credit union terminated a highly competent Call Center Representative and less than two-weeks later the newly appointed Call Center Supervisor resigned. This constitutes a 75% loss of Call Center staff in a less than three-week period. 

In February, in a desperate effort to acquisition new business, CLO, Cindy Garvin, implemented "Call Nights." The event occurs on Wednesdays during the hours of 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Employees are provided lists that have been randomly selected and may include active accounts, dormant accounts, accounts referencing recently paid-off loans, and accounts for people who have been members for more than eight-years but have never applied for any of the credit union's financial products. Employees are required to cold call members and offer them the opportunity to apply for one of the credit union's loan products. 

The tactic has fared poorly. One reason may be that it resorts to the use of deceptive tactics. Employees have been instructed to start each conversation by asking if members are pleased with the services offered by the credit union. This creates the impression that the call is intended to survey member opinions regarding member service, products and financial services. Evidently, the management team never considered that many members might respond by lodging complaints, which is what has occurred.  

Since it's opening on January 2010, the Call Center has been ineptly managed by AVP, Joseph Garcia; AVP, Gema Pleitez; and Vice President, Yvonne Boutte, all of who have shown the same ineptitude in overseeing the department. Recently, the credit union transferred management of the department to the Card Services Specialist who once managed the Fiscal Credit Union's Call Center located in Glendale, California. Unfortunately, she grew weary of President Wiggington's mismanagement of the credit union and his three-year wage freeze and recently resigned.  Currently, the Call Center has two full-time representatives answering all incoming calls. The department has 5 incoming telephone lines. Clearly, something is immensely askew in the department's currently deficient configuration.  

GONE

Not so long ago, you could drop by the home of Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock, on almost any given weekend and his door might be answered by South Pasadena Assistant Branch Manager, Virginia Contreras. The Assistant Branch Manager has been a long-time employee of the credit union and despite being very knowledgeable she is best known for her addiction to micromanagement and her condescending treatment of employees. 

A few week ago, Ms. Contreras stopped reporting to work. No one is saying anything. In fact, it has become evident to employees that there is an intentional effort being made to keep her whereabouts a secret. Even President Wiggington, the credit union's greatest violator of confidentiality at Priority One, has remained unusually quiet. However, if you call her extension, her recorded voice continues to greet callers. Despite the silence concerning Ms. Contreras, it hasn't been too difficult to discover what has happened to her. 

In March Ms. Contreras was issued a verbal warning by her supervisor, Yvonne Boutte, warning her that if she continued to fail in meeting her assigned monthly sales quotas, she would be terminated. Furthermore, during the same month and while sitting in the Member Services Department, Mrs. Boutte turned to Ms. Contreras and menacingly told her, "I'll knock you down to FSR" if Ms. Contreras continued in failing to meet her sales quotas. 

Like so many employees before her, Ms. Contreras fled the credit union on a medical leave of absence due to job-induced stress. Over the years, President Wiggington has hypocritically stated that he wanted to create a stress-free, gossip-free, and slander-free environment yet what he's created is a stressful environment in which slander prevails. Ms. 

Ms. Contreras like many other employees of the credit union, left the credit union on a medical leave of absence allegedly resulting from on-the-job induced stress. Ms. Contreras has now joined the likes of AVP, Sylvia Perez, who has been away from the credit union for approximately four months and also alleging illness resultant from stress.

BUT IT JUST OPENED

In October and November of 2011, while visiting the Los Angeles, Burbank, and Van Nuys Branches, President Wiggington told branch staffs that the credit union was in the throes of prosperity and "growing" and announced the upcoming opening of the new Santa Clarita branch. According to the President, the opening of the branch signaled a resurgence for a credit union that had been in decline since he became President on January 1, 2007. He stated that "people will want to become members of our credit union" and announced that he would not have to advertise the location as people would learn of it's opening by word-of-mouth. As we've often stated, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. marches to the sound of a different drummer- one know one sees or hears. 

This past February, the Santa Clarita branch opened without fanfare. Contradictory to the President's unbased beliefs, members and non-members living and working in Santa Clarita have shown absolutely no interest in the branch which is inconveniently located away from commercial and residential sectors. Prior to its opening, the President boasted that the credit union had acquisitioned the newly constructed building which would house the new branch at a mere $1.00 per year. What he failed to mention is that the post master in Santa Clarita had built the space and offered the $1.00 per year lease as an expression of his gratitude for a credit union he had banked with for more than 20-years.

In late 2011, we predicted the location would fail because it of its location just outside the gates of the Santa Clarita Mail Processing Center overlooking a highway that crosses miles and miles of farmland. Another problem we foresaw was the President's decision not to market the location believing that people would magically flock to the location, demanding to become members of what was and remains, a credit union in decline.  

Recently, a long-time FSR assigned to the new branch, resigned but not before complaining that she had tired of being forced to work six (6) days per weeks since February 2012. What's more, the AVP, Sylvia Perez, who is assigned to the branch, remains on medical leave due to stress.

In July, a worried CLO, Cindy Garvin, visited the branch to inform the two employees assigned to the location that unless business improves quickly, the credit union may have to close the new branch. If or should we say, when, the branch closes, it will serve as yet another testament to the chronic failures by President Wiggington to perform necessary studies needed to ascertain the potential success of what too often become far-fetched and costly enterprises. 

Due to the resignation of one employee and the absence of Mrs. Perez, CLO, Cindy Garvin, and AVP, Joseph Garcia, alternate weekly and drive to the Santa Clarita branch to serve in the capacity of interim Branch Manager. And though Ms. Garvin is allegedly highly experienced in business development and Mr. Garcia is the AVP of Business Development neither seems formulate solutions for the branch's faltering business performance.

While in Santa Clarita, Ms. Garvin and Mr. Garcia could spend time visiting the community in Santa Clarita and inviting business owners, Select Employer Groups, and employees of United States Postal facilities to come and visit the new branch. They could both educate the community about Share Branching, inform them where surcharge free ATM's are located and describe products and services offered by Priority One that could enhance a person's financial livelihood. The problem plaguing Priority One's ignorant management team is that they all seem oblivious to the fact that the credit union must make it's presence known in the Santa Clarita Valley. Without making their presence known, you can target the branch for future closure. 

In January 2007, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. experienced an epiphany and decided that Priority One no longer required a prize-winning Marketing Department and chose to  replace the department and it's Director with a marketing committee consisting of staff members, none of who had any experience in marketing. 

He also decided to transfer authority over the department to the AVP of Lending, Aaron Cavazos. Though Mr. Cavazos had been the subject of numerous employee complaints alleging sexual  harassment, retaliation and creation of a hostile work environment and had absolutely no experience in marketing, the President thought it prudent to transfer all authority over marketing to the AVP.

In January 2007, the President's decision was applauded by then AVP, Liz Campos, who told staff members that under the previous President, the credit union had wasted immense 

amounts of money on expensive marketing enterprises though Mrs. Campos was apparently glib to the fact that for years, the department had been the recipient of numerous industry awards and under the President's predecessor, the credit union grew in size and asset size while under President Wiggington, the credit union has continually shrunk and lost it's competitive edge.  Mrs. Campos was later terminated when an investigation proved she'd been kiting- a federal offense. 

In 2008, the Marketing Director who had been demoted by the President to Marketing Coordinator, was laid-off because according to Mr. Wiggington, she didn't fit his "vision for the credit union." If his vision was unstoppable financial losses, then he was correct, she didn't fit his vision.

Later that same year, the President was forced by Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, to confront Mr. Cavazos who she had learned, was reporting to work for only one or two hours a day, was using his South Pasadena office to meet with clients from his second source of employment at Century 21 in Alhambra, California and under whom loan development was rapidly declining. The confrontation led to an argument and an incensed Mr. Cavazos left the credit union on a temporary leave of absence alleging he was suffering from stress. 

Mr. Cavazos was later terminated after notifying the credit union he was ready to return to work. At the time, the President asked Rodger Smock, the Director of Human Resources, ,to provide a record of all complaints filed against Mr. Cavazos prior to his promotion to AVP. The complaints were submitted to the credit union's attorneys who determined Mr. Cavazos could be terminated. Hypocritically, many of the complaints were identical to those filed against Charles R. Wiggington. Sr. over a period of many years, yet the President's employment remained intact. 

In 2009, COO, Beatrice Walker, promoted a 23-year old Loan Processor who had a  BA in marketing to the post of Marketing Specialist. All marketing was transferred from the inept Mr. Smock who was so incensed that he concocted slanderous accusations against the new marketing specialist, informed the neurotic Ms. Walker that he knew for a fact, the marketing specialist was leaking confidential credit union information on to the Internet. If Ms. Walker had any common sense she would have immediately realized that the marketing specialist had no access to the any confidential information. In 2010, she terminated the marketing specialist using the excuse that the credit union could no longer afford to pay his salary.

This past February, Cindy Garvin introduced Daniel Ballesteros as the credit union's new marketing specialist. Mr. Ballesteros is currently being paid $72,000 to oversee marketing. And though the credit union now has a marketing specialist, Mr. Ballesteros is having to contend with a President who believes marketing is synonymous with advertising and who has assigned a paltry budget to the credit union's marketing efforts. Clearly, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. is ignorant of what defines cost-effective and what constitutes frugal. If cheap looking is what he's after, then he is succeeding. There are many deficiencies to Mr. Wiggington's mode of doing  business but here are five areas where he has proven he has no comprehension of:

• Charles R. Wiggington, Sr.has never exacted efforts to reach out to the immense sector of members who only maintain a $5.00 balance in their credit union savings accounts. 

• He has never created anything specific to the credit union's largest member sector- employees of the United States Postal Services. 

• He is ignorant about building relations with the communities served by the credit union.

• And he has no concept of the fact that the credit union must make efforts to become and remain visible to members and prospective members. 

• He doesn't understand the necessity of word-of-mouth recommendations by members or the need for repeat business.

In the meantime, Priority One has been thrust by the President into a dynamic that relies heavily on expense reductions as key to its survival. What we foresee is continued erosion of the credit union's financial foundation and don't be surprised if sometime in the near future, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. is forced to again close another branch.  

MISPLACED PRIORITIES

In late 2009, then COO, Beatrice Walker, all too easily convinced Priority One's ignorant Board of Directors that one way to increase the development of new business was to remodel the South Pasadena branch and the lobby of the no longer existent, Burbank branch. According to Ms. Walker beautification of both location was certain to increase visitations to both offices. A more educated Board would have asked that she provide a documented basis for her conclusions. 

Last month, Director of Project Management, Yvonne Boutte, disclosed business at all branches is faltering though no where is business more in decline than it is at the main branch. Apparently, remodeling had no impact upon improving  business. 

Ms. Walker had taken classes in interior decorating while attending the College of the Canyons in Valencia, California. Since graduating, he has deemed herself a decorator and apparently while employed by Priority One, attempted to mesh her hobby with business. Her expensive enterprise failed miserably and added to the credit union's debts. Her insistence that remodeling was key to the credit union's future success proved to be a fallacy wrought from the mind of a wanna-be-interior decorator. Ms. Walker like President Wiggington, is addicted to creating superficial, vacuous impressions. We obtained the following photographs from Priority One's own Facebook page. We believe the credit union will remove the photographs sometime in the near future as they probably will be unappreciative that we've chosen to publish these. The photographs are currently located in the credit union's Facebook photo album under the heading, "Before the mini makeover." This was not a mini makeover. It was an expensive enterprise which included:

• A New Call Center
• New Wall to Wall carpeting throughout the entire South Pasadena branch
• Vertical blinds for the entire South Pasadena branch
• New flooring for the employee lounge room
• Revamping of the employee patio including new patio fixtures, i.e. umbrellas
• Remodeling of the President and COO’s offices
• Remodeling of the lobby area in the no longer existent Burbank branch.

   

IDENTIFYING A CAUSE

There is no single cause to Priority One's decline. There are numerous and varied causes to Priority One's decline including the President's and Board's disdain for rules and structure. Under his regime, manager's are allowed to violate rules and laws and abuse their authority creating a caste system which relegates non-exempt personnel to the bottom of the hierarchy introduced by the President in January 2007.   

The abuses perpetrated by the President could never have occurred had they not been sanctioned by Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, and covered up by Director of Human Resources, Rodger Smock. The two have not only enabled the rampant abuses of policies but in 2008, Mrs. Harris-Brooks attempted to squash evidence proving Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. sexually harassed a former employee. 

With regards to his business decisions, the President has always avoided accountability, often concocting the most preposterous excuses to justify his business blunders. As recently as June 2012, he continued to blame the credit union's problems on the "Wall Street meltdown" of 2008. 

The President's lies that try to portray as a credit union that is again experiencing growth are dispelled by Priority One's own Monthly Income Statements and by the fact he refuses to distribute the annual reports to members. If he has nothing to hide, then when conceal the reports? 

As one reader of this blog recently reminded us, the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and always expecting a different result. Priority One’s President, its Board, and some of the executive staff continue to repeat the same mistakes, hoping that at some point in time, they will stumble on to colossal and unprecedented success. It’s insanity.

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