Westoba knows how to keep and care for its people

When Danielle Kenler joined Brandon-based Westoba Credit Union in 2017 as a member services representative, she had no clue that seven years later, she would be voted Employee of the Year. “I was so surprised!” she says. “And I was touched that my team members had collaborated to nominate me.”

With 13 locations across the province, Westoba - which as of January 1, 2025, is now a division of Assiniboine Credit Union - is a full-service credit union offering personal, commercial, non-profit banking or investment and financial planning. Now manager of the virtual service centre, Kenler has fond early memories of her employer. “My dad was a Westoba member, and when I was a kid, I used to go with him when he did his banking,” she says.

Before applying for her first role, Kenler had heard good things about Westoba from friends who worked there. Although she started in an entry-level teller position, she knew she didn’t want to stay there forever. “I wanted to be a financial consultant, and I was promoted within six months,” she says.

Coaching, mentoring and internal training helped advance Kenler’s career. From 2020 to 2024, she was a member of the Emerging Leaders council, which provided opportunities to work closely with the executive team and board of directors and expand her network. “Our employees have many mentorship relationships with managers and supervisors, where they discuss their career aspirations and areas to work on,” says Elizabeth Modersohn, chief information and culture officer.

Modersohn also joined Westoba in 2017, as director of the project management office and continuous improvement. Like Kenler, she has benefited from mentorship and training. “Employee retention is huge for us, and we know that through promotions, we keep our people in our organization long term,” she says.

Senior leaders strive to listen to their employees, with quarterly “pulse checks” comprising five to 10 questions and an annual third-party survey. The results of one engagement survey indicated that the benefits package could be improved. As a result, Westoba implemented an annual $300 health spending plan in 2024 which Kenler used to purchase new eyeglasses and contact lenses.

As a Chinese woman, Modersohn is proud of Westoba’s employee-led diversity, equity and inclusion working group, which was established in 2022. “We want everyone to feel welcome and be their genuine selves at work,” she says. “We’re always working to understand our demographics better.”

Modersohn also points to the organization’s collaborative, results-oriented culture. “The culture is very important — to me, a good culture is 10 times more powerful than a good salary, although that’s important too,” she says. “When I joined, I already knew Westoba cared about their community — I thought they probably cared about their employees, too, and I was right.”

In return, the employees care about the communities they serve. Over four winters, Kenler spent two months working at a Westoba branch in The Pas, where she helped hire and train new employees. “It’s a small town, and I was welcomed with open arms,” she says.

To give back, when Kenler was chosen Employee of the Year, she asked her employer to donate funds to The Pas and Area Animal Shelter (she has a rescue dog and kitten, Peter and Pancake). “My friends who volunteer at that shelter were very excited to receive the donation,” she says. In addition to the “bragging rights” that come with her title, Kenler received funds to keep for herself and one paid day off work.

Recognizing and rewarding employees occurs throughout the year in various ways. “It’s important to make sure that people understand what we value most as an organization,” says Modersohn. “And we want to live these values as part of our culture.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing the winners of this year's Manitoba's Top Employers competition, published March 11, 2025 in the Winnipeg Free Press. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, who did not write or review the content.