In the Spotlight: Amie Aesoph from First Community CU!

​“I have always admired the community focus and growth mindset of FCCU – everything we do is for the betterment of our communities, members, and employees,” says this Chief HR Officer. 

by Shawn Marie Brummer, Communications Specialist 
 
Amie Aesoph grew up in the small town of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, with a population of nearly 14,000.  Situated in an area with many beautiful lakes, Fergus Falls is a wonderful community, and Amie says she was blessed to be raised there, with her family spending much time at their lake home.

During her school days, she enjoyed participating in various athletics, but as she entered high school, she mainly focused on basketball as a member of the “Fergus Falls Otters” team. She loved playing the saxophone in the school band, as well as the jazz and pep band, and was co-captain of the flag squad in the marching band. She was also very active in her church and had a close group of girlfriends.

After graduating from high school in 1994, Amie earned her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication with concentration in public relations from Moorhead State University. She then completed her Master’s Degree in Organization Management from the University of Phoenix.

Her first job out of college was working at a staffing company in Edina, Minnesota, where she “fell in love” with the recruitment side of human resources. “Helping an organization find incredible talent to add to their team is so much fun,” she stated. She then spent a few years working at a university in student affairs, which she says was very much like human resources. Upon finishing her Master’s study, she moved back into human resources for the next 13 years.

Amie had taught adjunct courses on a university campus throughout her career and decided to take on a full-time teaching position in the fall of 2018. Following her first year of teaching full-time, she also took on a HR Project Coordinator position at First Community Credit Union (FCCU) in 2019. While she thoroughly enjoyed her role in the classroom, she was also forming close connections in the credit union industry. When an opportunity was presented to join FCCU in a full-time capacity leading the HR Department, she decided to commit her talents to the credit union. She was named Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) in July of 2020. She continues to teach higher education online courses as well.

“Joining FCCU was an easy decision – to work for a company that I had long admired for their ability to create a culture of community, and to work with Steve Schmitz, a well-respected leader,” she stated.

Amie continues, “I have always admired the community focus and growth mindset of FCCU. The servant leader approach to all that this organization does is very heartwarming; everything we do, at the core of it, we do it for the betterment of our communities, members, and employees,” she added.

In her role as CHRO, Amie works alongside other executives and leaders to ensure all staff have an overall meaningful employee experience. “It is my goal to enhance our company culture to support and nurture our employees so that we do amazing work together. I oversee a wonderful HR team that is responsible for helping us prepare for our future through talent acquisition, career development, workplace inclusion, new employee onboarding, benefits and compensation, employee wellness, policy and procedures, and so much more. As the industry and workforce changes, we need to proactively adapt to the evolving needs of our members and employees. We have to be dynamic, fluid and intentional,” she says. 

Amie’s talents as a human resources professional are always in high demand, especially in this competitive market for employee talent that all businesses are experiencing. She is a current member of the Jamestown, ND Civil Service Commission, and is a member of the CUNA HR & Organizational Development Council, serving on their Member Resource Committee. After completing her Credit Union Human Resource Compliance Professional (CUHRCP) designation from CUNA, she was asked to contribute to two CUNA Council whitepapers: “Developing the Next Cycle of Credit Union Leaders” and “Workplace Happiness and Its Effect on Retention and Wellbeing.”

She has a long history of volunteering, and previously served as the Jamestown Basketball Booster Board Secretary, St. John’s Academy HOPE Dinner and Giving Hearts Day Committee Member, BIO Girls-Jamestown Program Founding Director, Kiwanis Member and Former District Youth Protection Manager, Jamestown Downtown Association Member, and is a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Jamestown program.
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In her personal life, Amie has been married to Steven Aesoph since 2015. She has three children: Easton (17); Vaughn (15); and Cecilia (12). The family also has three dogs that keep them quite busy: Bauer, a Maltese; Bennie, a Poodle/Pointer cross; and Lois, a Goldendoodle.

In their free time, the family spends as much time as possible at their lake home in Minnesota, and often enjoy home-cooked meals prepared by Amie. They all enjoy an active lifestyle that includes traveling, camping, and attending the kids’ many sport activities keep them hopping from football to hockey, to basketball, track, baseball, and golf.
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Finally, Amie is a bit of a daredevil – and says she truly enjoys a great adventure! She enjoys downhill skiing and offroad mountain biking, but since neither of those sports produce the desired adrenaline rush anymore, she has added bungee jumping and sky diving to her list of experiences.  

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