Mountain America Names Sharlene Wells Senior Vice President of Public Relations and Organizational Communications
Wells to lead strategy for communications programs enhancing internal and external brand reputation; Mountain America is nation’s 12th largest credit union and in the top 25 best places to work
Mountain America Credit Union named former Department of Defense director of communications (personnel), Sharlene Wells, to the newly created position of senior vice president of public relations (PR) and organizational communications. In this role, she is responsible for leading the strategy and delivery of communication programs to maintain and enhance Mountain America’s reputation with key stakeholders, including members, employees, media, regulators, rating agencies and the general public.
“Sharlene has a proven track record of creating and executing world-class communications and PR programs,” said Sterling Nielsen, president and CEO of Mountain America. “We are honored to welcome her expertise that will be core to guiding our team and members forward as we work together to continue growing, pursuing and accomplishing our goals.”
Over the course of her career, Wells led teams in broadcasting, communications, PR and film/book production. After being named Miss America in 1984, she was one of the first women to sign with ESPN where she spent 16 years as an award-winning sportscaster covering World Cup Soccer, College Gameday, Kentucky Derby, America’s Cup and more. She later shifted her career to behind-the-scenes film and publishing work with the Department of Defense (DOD), and working inside the Pentagon as the director of communications for the largest HR department in the country, the DOD’s Office of Personnel.
“I’m honored to work with our best-in-class Mountain America team and excited to be part of our mission to make a difference for our members as we help them define and achieve their financial dreams,” said Wells. “I look forward to building the organizational communications and PR teams to provide the consistent, collaborative, and credible messaging that is the backbone of our exceptional culture and professionalism.”
Wells graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a degree in communications and the University of Utah with a master’s in organizational communications with an emphasis in integrated marketing communications. She is also known for her community involvement and passion for giving back to others. She volunteers her time and resources to several causes, including the AMAR International Charitable Foundation, Hale Center Theatre, the Secretary of Defense’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, and the Safe Harbor Crisis Center.
In addition to adding Wells to the team, in 2021 Mountain America achieved unprecedented growth and success. Mountain America was named the U.S. No. 1 overall small business credit union lender by the Small Business Administration for the 17th year in a row, ranked second in the nation among credit unions for business deposits, and was recognized by Glassdoor as one of the top 25 best places to work in the country. Mountain America also donated tens of thousands of dollars in educational grants to teachers in Utah, Idaho and Arizona as well as contributed to local charities through partnerships with Boise State University, Brigham Young University and Idaho State University.
Mountain America is charting aggressive growth in the coming years. In 2013 the credit union unveiled an ambitious plan to grow $10 billion over 10 years. That goal was achieved and exceeded two years early with assets now at $14 billion. The credit union has set a new goal of $25 billion in assets by the year 2025.
“Our continued growth and success are a direct result of the dedication and commitment our teams have to putting our members first in all that we do,” explains Nielsen. “We’re committed to growing strategically to ensure that we’re able to guide our members to achieve their short and long-term financial goals.”
For more information about Mountain America, please visit here.
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Media Contact
Contact our Public Relations team at publicrelations@macu.com for media inquiries.
