‘Value of Creating Community’

Vantage West CEO Brings Vision to Tucson

By Tiffany Kjos

Sandra Sagehorn-Elliott made the bold decision to move to Tucson without ever setting foot in the city. She was captivated by its unique charm from the moment she arrived.

With more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry, Sagehorn-Elliott was recruited to take on the role of president and CEO at Vantage West Credit Union, coming from her position at a Massachusetts credit union during the peak of the COVID pandemic.

She interviewed with the Vantage West board via Zoom, and never had the chance to visit Tucson. But she saw a growing organization in a place that was appealing to her.

“When we did come out, my whole family and I just fell in love with Tucson – with the mountain views that surround the city, which is so full of culture and art and great restaurants,” Sagehorn-Elliott said. “And it’s just amazing how warm people are. We are really lucky.”

October marks five years for Sagehorn-Elliott at the credit union, and she is eager to lead the 70-year-old institution into the future with innovative tools that make banking easier and more convenient for members.

“We, of course, know that the technology and offering all those convenience features for our members, is incredibly important to them,” she said. “They’ve told us that in their actions and their comments. So that’s going to continue to be a focus. But we really think the people side of our business is the most important element of what we do.”

Sagehorn-Elliott, from the tiny town of Polk, Neb., population 400, infuses her work with her personal philosophy of being helpful and kind, which she attributes to the lessons learned from living in such a close-knit community.

“It was an amazing way to grow up,” Sagehorn-Elliott said. “There was a really strong sense of community, so I think that taught me a lot about the value of creating community. I think that’s why I was so drawn to credit unions.” 

Sagehorn-Elliott’s career in the credit union sector began at a call center while she was attending Nebraska Wesleyan University. Most recently, she was an executive for five years at Workers Credit Union in Massachusetts. Before that, she worked for 14 years at Bellco Credit Union in Colorado.

What drives her, she said, is the ability to change people’s lives – she has “umpteen” stories of how the credit union has helped people through good times and bad. One member, who co-signed for an auto title loan with an annual interest rate of a whopping 119% and $500 monthly payments, wept when he found out the credit union had approved his loan application and dropped his payment to $139 a month. Another member, who worked for a nonprofit while supporting her daughter on her own, is now a proud homeowner.

Sagehorn-Elliott is committed to uplifting credit union members, particularly when they are facing hardships.

“It’s humbling that people trust us so much,” she said. “We train our representatives to be super sensitive to the fact that some people have shame connected to their financial missteps. And what we try to tell them is everybody has made a bad financial choice or two in their life. We’re not here to judge – we’re here to help.”

Named among the Most Influential Women in Arizona by AZ Business Magazine in 2021, Sagehorn-Elliott is deeply involved in the community. The credit union is a member of The Chamber of Southern Arizona along with the Marana, Oro Valley, Southern Arizona Hispanic, Vail and Tombstone chambers of commerce. 

Sagehorn-Elliott also is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

“We are big believers in the value of local organizations, and I’ve been really impressed in Tucson, and Phoenix, too, at the number of organizations that exist (to help the community),” she said. “We really believe that you dance with the one that brought you to the party. Our members have been really good to us, so it’s important for us to give back and to be involved.”

Pictured above – Sandra Sagehorn-Elliott, President & CEO, Vantage West Credit Union. Photo by Carlos Chavez Photography

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