Be well, do good work, and keep in touch
Posted by Trey Reeme on November 16th, 2007
Garrison Keillor said that. Pretty eloquent way to say goodbye, I think.
Friends, I’ll be leaving Trabian in about a month.
I’m moving to the Houston area. I’ve been given the opportunity to help drive the online strategy for a billion-dollar credit union, and I’m thrilled about the challenge. Of course, I’m a little nervous as I’ve never sat on the CU side of the desk, but I know I’m ready.
I won’t disappear. I’m departing on great terms and we’re all making sure Trabian won’t miss a beat.
The past four years with Trabian and the past two-plus here on Open Source CU have provided me with more friends, ideas, and opportunities than I could’ve ever hoped for.
Thank you. Let’s keep in touch.
Good luck my friend!
Trey,
LUCKY!!! (in a Napoleon Dynamite voice).
Actually, I know it has nothing to do with luck. Hard work, passion and the love of a good woman and two dogs got you here.
Okay – that sounded a little weird but you know what I mean.
Hoouuusstoonnnn. isn’t there some Country song about that town? Or two? Or three?
Best wishes Trey. It’s been a pleasure to get to know you online and in person. You are a true ambassador of the credit union movement. Keep fighting the good fight!
Happy Trails, Trey! Thanks for all that you taught me about this crazy Social Media stuff. Best to you and yours on your new path.
Jeff
All the best. It has been great to meet you on occasion and I am hoping it won’t be the last. Your enthusiasm is catchy. Man, you are the only person that I had visited in their home in Indianapolis so now with you moving to Houston will have to visit you there. Just love those dogs of yours. Now that you on on the other side of the CU fence—welcome to the system! Make sure you send your vcard when all the dust settles.
I can hear Denise singing that Going back to Houston song in my mind. Ouch!
Gratz man! This CU definitely made a good choice.
To quote another author, “So long and thanks for all the fish!”
Seriously though, Trabian (and Open Source CU) loses a fantastic person and voice…but thankfully, credit unions at large make gains with your addition.
PS – I’m hoping that part of your new gig involves blogging?
Congrats – I’m sure we’ll run into each other at a CU conference here sooner or later! :)
The nervousness goes with the territory – making the touch decisions are never easy. I know you’re going to do well in your new position at the CU in Houston and in your new roll as a dad (putting more emphasis on the latter).
Wow, I wish you all the best man. Glad you’re still in the industry and hope to catch up with you more often now that you’re close to us again!
Good luck!
Trey,
Although you’ve definitely been an honorary member of the credit union family for quite some time, I definitely want to welcome you to our side of the table. Your energy, enthusiasm, and creativity will be a huge asset for the movement!
:( 4 us :) 4 u
Trey, we’ll miss working with you unbelievably. Charlie and I are lucky though, because you’re moving closer to us.
Party at your place?
Well I won’t say goodbye because I am sure that you will be poking your hea in and out.
Plus I will be Twit-Stalking you anyway :)
Hopefully we can hook up when I am down there for MAC!
All the best amigo!
Cool! Good luck and have fun.
Pictures or it didn’t happen. :P
Best wishes Trey. I’m positive you’ll do a great job in credit union land.
Trey: WOW! Hearty congrats to you!
Best wishes Trey. Knock ‘em dead.
Trey, That’s great news for you and your family, and a very eloquent goodbye. To quote a great credit union innovator, thinker, ambassador, and encourager…..... ...... “ROCK ON!!!!!”
Congrats Trey … you’ll do well. Keep the faith! Colin
I congratulate you but, even more, I congratulate the credit union who hired you. You’ll be an asset to them . I look forward to seeing the great things you’ll be doing in your new position.
Trey,
Does this mean you’ll never make it to Madison on a Thursday night now?
Seriously, best of karma to you. Stay in touch.
I’m thrilled to hear that you are coming to HTown. I know you’ll be missed big time by Trabian. The CU here who got you is very fortunate. Come on down!
Congrats Trey! Break a leg in your new gig! I look forward to catching up with you in H-town sometime!
Trey,
Congratulations on the new job. Good for you!
I have to ask: If Trabian is doing well, and I assume you had ownership options, why are you leaving?
It makes me wonder if Trabian is making much money now and if its future is uncertain. Before Trabian got on the social media stuff, they were pretty unheard of and now the guy who brought them success in social media is leaving.
Thanks for clarifying what’s going on with your move and Trabian in general while doing as you say: “keeping it real.”
Wow, what news. I’m excited for you, and we need to make sure we stay in touch and learn from each other as peers. Please make sure you let me know how I can reach you, my friend.
Which CU?
Many congrats Trey! What an exciting time for you and your family. Best wishes!
@judy: Thanks for the well-wishes and the question!
Trabian is doing very well and I’m not leaving because Trabian isn’t succeeding (it’s very healthy!). In fact, Trabian’s future and potential (coupled with another crazy good year) is what makes it so hard to leave!
First and foremost, I want to implement some of the crazy ideas I’ve put forth here in the real world.
TDECU (Texas Dow Employees) isn’t just any credit union. They’re among the most innovative I’ve seen, and I want to help them get their online channel to industry-leader status. That includes both traditional web and social media. The opportunity is unique and it’s a great fit for both me and them.
Meeting the staff there and knowing who I’ll be working sealed the deal. I’m blessed to be leaving one dream job for another dream job.
Also, the environment that I work in now (inside the offices of $1bn FORUM CU) has given me an itch to work for a CU similar in philosophy and size… TDECU is just that. I know the environment and feel well-equipped.
A major benefit of the decision (not the deciding factor at all) is that my wife and I are expecting our first child, and although we won’t be right next door to family, we’ll be closer to family and our “homes.” That said, I was also looking around the West Coast and East Coast before we figured out that TDECU is the perfect fit.
Before I knew we were expecting, I had been planning for life after Trabian – working on my MBA and even considering offers and opportunities.
I’ve put four years into Trabian and am absolutely confident about its continued growth. Some amazing things are in motion behind the scenes here, and I wouldn’t be leaving if it put the company in danger. I see myself as one piece in the puzzle, and I know my shoes will be filled by someone with their own unique talents and value.
With Trabian, I’ve been out of a production role for a while now so my departure won’t affect that side of the business. Most of what I do is social media related, but Matt, Doug, and Brent do just as much as me – especially as far as public speaking and keeping up with the Trabian blog goes. Their hard work along with Charlie, Brandon, Kelly, and now Derek (another developer just hired last month) are integral in what we actually produce as a company.
When I joined Trabian, we were three employees working out of an extra bedroom of Matt’s apartment in Dallas. Thus, Trabian has been part of “who I am” for my entire career to date. It’s tough to leave because I’m leaving friends that have been and will continue to be family. But they’re very supportive and understand that it’s a great opportunity for me to put what I’ve learned here to work for a credit union.
Congratulations Trey!
A new gig and Mini-Trey, awesome. Congratulations on both.
Hey Trey – although we met but a few months ago, you’ve really helped me gain a better understanding of social media and how it can work with the CU industry. Best of luck to you and please don’t be a stranger – keep in touch (and let me know when that bundle of joy is born!).
Trey—Your first order of business in your new role: Secure the URL http://www.tdecu.com
Trey: Texas Dow Employees Credit Union is exceptionally fortunate to have retained your services.
To you and your wife, hearty congratulations on your upcoming firstborn! They are the most interesting critters at that young age. My son, Eric, is now in his senior year of high school – very bright with exceptional math and science skills, but definitely more determined to be independent of his parents. <sigh>
@Ron Whoa! That’s pretty sneaky. I saw another CU like that recently, www.urwcommunityfcu.com. Probably done by the same people. Fortunately for them its nothing like their true domain name of www.urwfcu.org.
I’m very happy for you! Texas is just barely big enough to hold your big ideas and even bigger passion for credit unions.
You’ve much to be thankful for, my friend. May the road rise to meet you…
Trey:
Congrats on your new job and the addition to your family! They grow up way too fast, so be sure to take the time to enjoy!
Being in the hot seat yourself, it will be interesting to see how your perspectives on things evolve.
Bests, Chuck
Good luck Trey and welcome to the CU family. Hope you stay in touch.
Congrats, Trey! You don’t need luck…just keep it real ;-)
Change before you need to change! Congrats on all accounts my friend.
All the best Trey. I see case studies and best practices seminars in your future.
Congrats and Good Luck Trey! I look forward to hearing about the great thing you will be doing! Thanks again for all the encouragement and help you have provided to the CU blogosphere!
Trey, although I haven’t been around OSCU much lately, I just wanted to say that meeting you and Doug, and having you speak at my 2007 Annual Meeting, remains for me the high point of the year.
I wish you all the best with both the new job and the new baby. If Houston gets too hot, you have an open invitation to return to Vermont to cool off anytime you want … and be sure to bring the family this time :)
Be well, my friend, and keep in touch.