Mark Spenny ’99 MBA

Mark Spenny earned his masters degree in business administration from Bradley University in 1999 while serving as vice president of mortgage and business services at Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU) in Peoria. In 2006 he was named president and CEO of the $4.2 billion credit union and is now responsible for overseeing the organization which provides a wide range of financial services to 265,000 members and small business owners. CEFCU has offices throughout Central Illinois and in Silicon Valley (San Jose, CA).

Having received his bachelor’s degree in finance in 1986 from Western Illinois University, Mark worked for several institutions in mortgage lending. But when his employer asked him to move out of state, Mark sought out a new challenge with a locally owned and managed company, and landed the position at CEFCU in 1993. Mark was fortunate that CEFCU has a long history of supporting continuing education for its employees. After researching several MBA programs at other universities, he selected Bradley based on the positive feedback he received from current and former MBA students, as well as on Bradley’s strong reputation as a premier university and the convenience of evening classes located right here in Peoria.

Mark says, "Bradley’s MBA program provided the opportunity to learn from professors, business leaders, and classmates from a variety of industries. The structure and diversity of the program provided a well rounded education, while also allowing me to “deep dive” into areas of particular interest to me. The program allowed me to review education and research done with professors and peers, and then immediately apply that work to my job, helping my career and providing CEFCU with a tangible return on its investment. I also derive personal satisfaction from being able to continue learning. And, I’ve been proud to share the fact I’m a Bradley graduate with friends and professional acquaintances in Central Illinois and around the country."

"Beyond my immediate experiences in the MBA program, it’s an honor to be connected to Bradley. There are so many people at Bradley and in the community that help make it such a respected and high quality institution.” Mark says that he learned more about economics from Dr. Kal Goldberg than any other economics professor. Dr. Jack Gilligan helped to expand his knowledge of business and organizations in the context of our society and the history of great civilizations. And Dr. Aaron Buchko’s (MBA ’83) capstone course challenged him to apply what he learned in the program by developing recommended strategies to improve a real firm’s performance. Mark was honored recently to make a presentation to Dr. Buchko’s capstone class about CEFCU and to field questions from the students.

Mark's advice to current students: "I’ve been lucky through the years to have people and institutions that have impressed upon me the importance of integrity, enthusiasm, life-long learning, giving back to your community, and the need to find balance in your life. Beyond that, the best advice I ever received was from my mentor and predecessor, CEFCU’s former CEO Eldon Arnold. He impressed upon me to be both patient and tenacious. Those are two things hard to do at the same time, but if you believe in yourself and put yourself in the right place, you’ll be amazed where patience and tenacity will take you!"

Mark and his wife, Renee, have two adult children and four grandchildren. He currently serves on the Boards of the American Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter, the OSF College of Nursing, the CEO Roundtable, MEMBERS Development Company (a national financial services research and development organization owned by credit unions), and, with his wife Renee, is serving as the Vice Chair and Pillars Society Chair for this year’s Heart of Illinois United Way campaign. He has previously served on the boards of Common Place, the Urban League, the Community Foundation, and several national professional organizations for credit unions.