Freedom Credit Union Promotes Charlene Smolkowicz
SPRINGFIELD — Freedom Credit Union recently announced the promotion of Charlene Smolkowicz from commercial credit manager to assistant vice president.
She has been with Freedom since 2016 and is based in the main office in Springfield. In her role, she manages the Commercial Credit department, underwriting process, and analyst team for commercial and industrial, commercial mortgage/commercial real estate, and nonprofit borrowers. She is also responsible for maintaining sound portfolio credit quality and monitoring risk.
“Charlene already had nearly two decades of experience when she joined our team six years ago, and she has proven herself to be a leader time and time again,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said. “She is a past recipient of our GEM award and is dedicated not only to providing the best service to our members, but also to helping her colleagues grow and thrive.”
Smolkowicz earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Northeastern University in Boston and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management at Bay Path University. She also completed the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. Advanced School of Commercial Lending at Babson College.
Active in the community, she serves as treasurer and chairs the finance committee for the board of directors for Viability Inc., and participates in both the WIT (Women Innovators & Trailblazers) Mentor Match Program and the Springfield School Volunteers Read-Aloud program. She was recognized by United Way of Pioneer Valley as Volunteer of the Year in 2012.
