On May 18, 2021, we lost a beloved member of the Elevations family — Chief Strategy and Performance Officer Pete Reicks. After a long and courageous battle with a rare form of cancer, Pete passed away at the age of 48. He was surrounded by loved ones — his wife, Carmela, beloved daughter, Ella, parents, Neal and Susan, and sister, Kim.
While reflecting on his time working with Pete Reicks, Elevations President and CEO Gerry Agnes used an analogy inspired by one of Pete’s favorite pastimes — football. Pete Reicks was Elevations’ star quarterback. There’s a strong lineup on the field, but, at every game, the stadium’s eyes are drawn to the quarterback. This player knows every intricate detail of the game. He has the skill to adapt to its changing circumstances and the confidence to throw the tightest, most accurate spiral to score the winning touchdown. We’re blessed that Pete was our team’s quarterback.
Pete’s journey with Elevations Credit Union began in 2008. His previous leadership experience at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City set him up for success here in Colorado. He excelled in his roles at Elevations and was promoted to Chief Strategy and Performance Officer in 2019. In this position, he expertly led the development of Elevations’ strategic plan and helped to deploy and measure its performance throughout the credit union.
Pete also championed a culture of innovation. One of his most notable accomplishments at Elevations was his leadership in shaping our organization and culture to be deserving of the highest national recognition for performance excellence that an organization can receive in the U.S. — the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Thanks to Pete’s dedication and enthusiastic leadership, Elevations Credit Union earned the Baldrige award twice in a six-year period. We are the first and only credit union to receive this award, the only organization in the nonprofit category to receive the award twice, and the only organization based in Colorado to receive it twice. We could not have accomplished this without Pete Reicks. In fact, Pete was recognized with a 2021 Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence in the Business sector.
In addition to his stellar leadership at Elevations, Pete achieved Certified Innovation Executive Status from the CUES Strategic Innovation Institute, served as a member of the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and served as a board member of Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence.
Pete’s most notable accomplishment, however, was being a father to his daughter, Ella. His greatest joy was watching her grow into the strong, beautiful person she is today alongside his loving wife, Carmela. The moments he got to spend with them traveling, reading, boating, and watching Nebraska Cornhuskers football were the most precious of all.
It is with full hearts that we continue to honor Pete Reicks’ legacy here at Elevations.
We will always remember those game-winning touchdowns.
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