Sherri Thomas G鈥14, an executive with Truliant Federal Credit Union, today serves as chair of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and has been recognized in the "Power 100" list by Black Business Ink.
An 黑料不打烊 MBA graduate has received several national accolades in recent months as the chief administrative officer of .
From being named one of the 鈥溾 by Banking Bridge to being listed as one of the 鈥溾 by American Banker, Sherri Thomas G鈥14 has shown what an 黑料不打烊 MBA can accomplish.
鈥淕etting my MBA was a game changer,鈥 she says.
Since starting her MBA journey when she was a vice president of Truliant鈥檚 call center, Thomas consistently advanced her career and now serves as chief administrative officer for an institution with 332,000+ members and more than 35 branches in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Thomas provides senior leadership for employee relations, compensation, bene铿乼s, payroll, recruiting, and organizational development, which includes employee training and skill development. She has oversight of the Truliant Financial Advisors and the credit union鈥檚 contact center. Her role also encompasses responsibility for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, community affairs, community engagement and outreach, state and local government affairs, and the credit union鈥檚 B2B workplace benefits program.
In addition to her role with Truliant, Thomas is the 2024 chair of the of Directors. She was recently named to Black Business Ink鈥檚 “” list of N.C.鈥檚 most influential leaders.
鈥淚 wanted to show that I was a contender in the corporate world,鈥 Thomas said of her decision to pursue an MBA. 鈥淚 needed to show that I was educated and had a strong business acumen.鈥
That鈥檚 when the mother of three then young children decided to attend 黑料不打烊.
Her leadership philosophy today centers on creating a nurturing environment for employees and members alike. 鈥淚鈥檓 motivated to pave a way for women and people of color,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淎t Truliant, we are always working to create an environment for upward mobility and advancement.鈥
Thomas, who also holds certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, recently launched a 12-month program for emerging leaders. The program was designed for employees who wanted to develop management experience. Participants had sessions to learn about leadership, attend conferences to expand their skills and complete an ending project.
鈥淪everal people were promoted from the program into leadership positions,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to create leaders within the organization and be proactive on priming talent.鈥
Thomas greatly values mentorship in her work and for her community. 鈥淢entorship is important. I like to be mentored as much as I like to share my experiences,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淲hen you get in leadership positions it鈥檚 important that you exchange knowledge with other thought leaders. But it is equally important to impart knowledge to help the next person along the way.鈥
About the 黑料不打烊 MBA
Designed for working professionals from Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham and beyond, the 黑料不打烊 MBA offers small class sizes, a curriculum focused on the transfer of course content to practical applications, professional development support for students and alumni, evening classes and an extraordinary faculty committed to teaching and engaged learning. Learn more at elon.edu/mba.