On July 6, 1987, Anne Canty began her first day at St. Mary’s Bank – the nation’s first credit union --  as Executive Secretary to the President, a journey that ends after nearly 36 years on Wednesday, May 3.
 
“I’ve been fortunate to have spent more than half my life at St. Mary’s Bank, working for an institution that cares about its employees and the communities it serves,” said Canty.
 
Holding the same position her entire career, although her title changed several times—she is retiring as AVP, Senior Executive Assistant & Corporate Secretary—Canty said every day at work was different. Regarding her responsibilities, she described herself as “the go-to employee” for senior management and co-workers who had questions.
 
“I would direct people and issues to the correct roads and handle tasks on the CEO’s behalf to save him time,” she said. “I helped resolve problems, served as a sounding board, offered advice or suggestions, and provided proofing and editing of their documents.”
 
Canty cited confidentiality as the most important aspect of her position.
 
“My commitment to St. Mary’s and my position was always to do whatever it took to get the job done,” she said.
 
This commitment spanned the tenure of four CEOs, which included Len Lacouture, Ron Rioux, Ron Covey, and Ken Senus.
 
“They were so supportive of me, keeping the position interesting by increasing my responsibilities, asking my opinion on issues, and granting me the time to participate in professional associations to increase my skills,” she said.
 
These professional associations included the International Association of Administrative Professionals where she served as president for both the local Profile chapter and Greater New England Division. She also served as secretary for many years for the local White Mountain Unit of the National Association of Parliamentarians®.
 
“I passed the Certified Administrative Professional exams to become certified in office management,” she added.
 
Canty said the credit union’s executive leadership also encouraged her to volunteer her time. Some of her volunteer work included serving on the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Medallion Fund Awards Committee and as a Community Investment Committee member for Heritage (now Granite) United Way. She was the internal coordinator for The Salvation Army’s annual Take a Bite Out of Hunger fundraiser and joined co-workers for The CareGivers Caring Cupboard food deliveries and CU4Reality fairs organized by America’s Credit Union Museum.
 
Her involvement with America’s Credit Union Museum, however, went far beyond volunteering at events hosted there; rather, she played a role in its actual founding. In 1995, Canty joined CEO Ron Rioux—who had the idea to create the Museum—and SMB Charitable Foundation directors on a trip to Madison, Wisconsin, to meet with Credit Union National Association (CUNA) representatives and discuss the idea of creating it.
 
“I served as Secretary of the SMB Charitable Foundation, the 501(c)(3) established in 1994 to accept the donation of the house on Notre Dame Avenue that was SMB’s first office, which opened in 2002 as America’s Credit Union Museum,” she said. “My participation in the Museum and all these professional and volunteer organizations made me a better person and better employee.”
 
During her time at St. Mary’s Bank, Canty acknowledged she saw many changes at the credit union. In 1987, for example, assets were $243 million whereas they are now at $1.4 billion.
 
“When I was hired, there were two locations—the main office and Elm Street—and there are now 11 locations,” said Canty, who noted some things, however, have not changed.
 
“What has remained the same since 1987—and since 1908—is the commitment to the credit union philosophy of people helping people for members and employees alike,” she said.
 
As for her future, she said she plans to enjoy time with her husband, Joe, while tackling home projects she said she never had time to start. She also expressed excitement at the opportunity to read the newspaper the same day it is delivered instead of catching up on several days’ worth of issues over the weekend.
 
“I’ll read novels and just enjoy the newfound gift of time,” said Canty, who noted her husband retired five years ago and works as a seasonal worker for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
 
“If I get bored, I’ll look into volunteering or getting a part-time job,” she added. “We like to travel, and I’ll no longer have to plan travel around a work schedule.”
 
While she may not miss a full-time work schedule, she will miss her co-workers and her job itself.
 
“I’ve become close to them over the years, and I’ll miss the familiar routine of looking forward to the work day and the challenges it would present,” she said. “It was never boring.”


Retiring after 36 years of service at St. Mary’s Bank, Anne Canty, senior executive assistant and corporate secretary, is pictured (left to right) with former CEOs Ron Rioux and Ron Covey and current CEO Ken Senus.

Retiring after 36 years of service at St. Mary’s Bank, Anne Canty,
senior executive assistant and corporate secretary, is pictured
(left to right) with former CEOs Ron Rioux and Ron Covey
 and current CEO Ken Senus.