CEO & President Kim Sponem, VP of Business Services Gary Szpara honored for achievements in leadership

MADISON, Wis. — In recognition of their excellence in leadership, Summit Credit Union CEO & President Kim Sponem and VP of Business Services Gary Szpara have been selected to BizTimes Media’s Milwaukee Notable Credit Union Leaders list. The honor celebrates Sponem and Szpara’s accomplishments as leaders over the past year.

The Notable Credit Union Leaders list is reserved for senior level credit union executives in the greater Milwaukee area who demonstrated excellence in leading their institutions in 2020. Selected honorees demonstrated leadership for specific initiatives or programs that created significant, positive and measurable results.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for something I love, leading Summit’s talented team, and seeing, every day, the positive impacts they make in the lives of individuals and businesses,” said Sponem. “Our collective commitment to making managing money easier, more insightful and even more fun helps build financial confidence and strength. It’s very rewarding.”

As Summit Credit Union’s CEO & President since 2002, Sponem has been instrumental in growing the financial cooperative from $200 million to $4.6 billion in assets, while expanding its footprint from four locations to 46 across south-central and southeastern Wisconsin. She led Summit’s pandemic response in 2020, which saw the credit union fund 1,400 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans valued at $59 million to help small businesses, more than any other credit union in the state.

Sponem has also driven Summit’s expansion in greater Milwaukee, providing greater financial access and resources to members and businesses throughout the area. Over the course of 2020, Sponem has championed the message that diversity is our strength and has been an advocate for the role credit unions can have in creating equity and inclusion for all.

Szpara’s experience of over 40 years in business lending was invaluable to his role in 2020 as Summit’s business services team navigated the PPP response. In addition to his role at Summit, Szpara brings value to the Milwaukee area in his role as Chairman of the Board of the New Berlin Chamber of Commerce and as an active member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and the Waukesha Business Alliance.

“It’s been a privilege to help so many businesses in the Milwaukee area and throughout Wisconsin navigate a challenging year,” said Szpara. “It’s an honor to receive this recognition, and I look forward to continuing to represent Summit while providing guidance to the people and businesses in our communities.”