Bringing the People-First Mission to Life: Numerica Credit Union’s Jon Maroni Wins Young Professional Award

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on November 11, 2026

Jon Maroni’s passion for financial education is deeply personal. After learning in his early 20s that hard work alone does not guarantee long-term financial stability, he began building his own knowledge of money, investing and financial wellness. Today, as Financial Engagement Manager at Numerica Credit Union, Maroni is helping others gain the tools and confidence to shape their financial futures — earning him GoWest’s 2026 Young Professional Award.

“Receiving this award was an incredible and unexpected honor,” Maroni said. “To me, it represents something I believe deeply: when you find the place where your greatest passion and the world’s greatest need intersect, you’ve found your calling.”

He found that calling through teaching financial education at Numerica, where he supports the credit union’s purpose of “Enhancing Lives, Fulfilling Dreams and Building Communities every day.” Although he never imagined a career in credit unions — and didn’t even know what a credit union was growing up — Maroni said the industry has transformed his life.

“Credit unions have the power to transform lives, and I know that because they’ve transformed mine,” he said.

Expanding Financial Education Through Teamwork

Since joining Numerica in 2022, Maroni has transformed the credit union’s financial education program, growing its reach while building a culture of employee engagement. He rebuilt Numerica’s Teaching Committee from 15 volunteers to a team of 30 employees annually, bringing together colleagues from frontline roles to vice presidents and maintaining 80% year-over-year volunteer retention.

When Maroni joined Numerica, the team provided approximately 200 hours of financial education each year. Today, the program is on track to deliver more than 400 hours annually.

(L-R) Marty Gonzales, Jon Maroni, Amanda Swan, Kelley Ferguson

“I’m most proud of the work we’ve done to strengthen and expand Numerica’s financial education program, particularly by empowering more of my colleagues to share their knowledge and make a difference in our communities,” he said.

For Maroni, the growth is about more than hours or participation. He streamlined the curriculum around five core topics — budgeting, building credit, avoiding fraud, paying for education, and growing wealth — while developing resources and systems that make it easier for employees to share their expertise.

“What makes this accomplishment especially meaningful isn’t just the growth in hours, but the culture of service behind it,” Maroni said. “Our success is truly a team effort, and I’m grateful to be part of it.”

His approach also brings innovation to the classroom. With young people increasingly exposed to “get rich quick” messaging online, Maroni created workshops focused on patience, long-term investing, and sustainable wealth-building. He introduced Cashy, an interactive financial simulation game that was used during a Money IRL event in September and has reached more than 4,000 people in 2026 alone, and helped Numerica track member financial health indicators such as overdraft and nonsufficient funds usage, emergency savings, and credit score trends.

Financial Education That Meets People Where They Are

Maroni’s impact extends well beyond Numerica’s branches. Since 2022, he has dedicated nearly 1,000 hours to teaching financial education in schools and nonprofit organizations, tailoring lessons for high school and special needs students, refugees and immigrants, survivors of domestic violence, young adults rebuilding their futures, and students in juvenile detention facilities.

(L-R) Troy Stang, Jennifer Wagner, Jon Maroni, Sharee Adkins

He has also translated resources and entire workshops into Spanish, helping make financial guidance more accessible to the communities Numerica serves. His classes are designed to be conversations — approachable, relatable, and engaging — rather than lectures.

Twice each month, Maroni visits a Spokane-area YWCA domestic violence shelter to help women rebuild their lives and finances after abuse. One participant, after years of financial control by an abusive partner, shared that she had opened her own checking and savings accounts following their conversations. She was “over the moon” to have financial independence again.

He also brings practical guidance to a wider audience through KXLY’s “Money Saving Mondays,” participating in more than a dozen interviews since the series launched in late 2025. Topics include emerging financial threats such as AI-generated scams, fake online businesses, cryptocurrency misinformation, and sports gambling targeting teenagers.

Championing the Credit Union Movement

Having worked at both a large national bank and Canopy Credit Union before joining Numerica, Maroni has seen firsthand what makes credit unions distinct. That experience reinforced his belief in putting people first — a value that continues to guide his advocacy.

“That belief drives the way I advocate today,” he said, emphasizing the cooperative, not-for-profit structure that allows credit unions to put people before profits, reinvest in members, and provide affordable financial products, services, and education.

In 2026, Maroni participated in Credit Union Day at the Capital in Olympia, advocating for financial education as a Washington graduation requirement and for protecting credit unions’ tax-exempt status.

“This year, I had the opportunity to participate in credit union advocacy for the first time, and it reinforced just how important it is to protect and champion our movement,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to advocate on behalf of Numerica and the broader Credit Union Movement to preserve the policies and principles that make this possible.”

Maroni continues to invest in his own leadership, completing Numerica’s Catalyst Leadership Program, earning a Certificate in Pedagogy from the University of Illinois, and receiving Numerica’s highest employee honor, its annual MVP Award, in 2026.

Looking ahead, he hopes to continue strengthening the financial well-being of the communities he serves for decades to come.

“One of my personal goals is to retire from Numerica on my 60th birthday, which means I hope to have another 20+ years to help strengthen the financial well-being of the communities we serve,” Maroni said.

Whether he is teaching hundreds of students, sitting across from one person at a shelter, or helping colleagues become financial education volunteers, Maroni brings the same energy and care to the work. His commitment reflects the Credit Union Movement’s people-first mission — and the promise of the next generation of leaders.

Posted in Advocacy, Leadership, MAXX, Regional Member News, Top Headlines, Washington, Young Professionals.