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Sharon Borgardt
Chief Human Resources Officer at WAUNA CREDIT UNION
Professional Background
Sharon Borgardt is a dedicated human resources professional with a wealth of experience and a profound passion for fostering positive workplace cultures. Her extensive background in the HR function is complemented by her strong belief in the credit union philosophy, namely, the mantra of 'people helping people.' This principle guides her every effort in creating an inclusive and supportive environment within organizations. Currently serving as the Vice President of Human Resources at Wauna Federal Credit Union, Sharon skillfully leads initiatives that promote employee growth, development, and well-being. Her commitment to sound HR policies ensures that the workplace is equitable and supportive, allowing employees to thrive.
Before her role at Wauna Federal Credit Union, Sharon was the Operations Manager at International Software Systems, where she honed her organizational and managerial skills. Her journey in the financial sector began as a Computer Operator at TLC Federal Credit Union, where she developed a foundational understanding of both the operational and interpersonal elements of the credit union industry. Her diverse experiences across different facets of the HR and operations spectrum have equipped her with a unique perspective on the interplay between effective human resources practices and organizational success.
Education and Achievements
Sharon's educational background lays the groundwork for her successful career in human resources and credit union management. She studied Credit Union Finance at the prestigious Western CUNA Management School, where she gained specialized knowledge vital to understanding the financial dynamics of credit unions. This rigorous academic training has empowered her to implement effective financial and human resources strategies tailored to the unique demands of the credit union sector.
In addition, she pursued higher education in Business Administration, Management, and Operations at Mt. Hood Community College. This area of study has provided her with the operational insights needed to streamline processes and improve organizational efficiency, enabling her to effectively manage teams and projects within the credit union framework. Sharon's educational qualifications underscore her commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, critical elements in a rapidly changing industry.
Notable Achievements
Throughout her career, Sharon has made significant contributions to the organizations she has served, particularly in enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. At Wauna Federal Credit Union, she has spearheaded various initiatives that prioritize employee well-being, resulting in improved workplace morale and higher retention rates. Her dedication to fostering a positive work environment, complemented by robust HR policies, has made her a respected figure within the credit union community.
Sharon is also passionate about providing growth opportunities for employees at all levels. By facilitating training and development programs, she ensures that team members are equipped with the tools they need to advance their careers and contribute meaningfully to the organization. Her focus on building a culture of continuous improvement and support is one of her defining features as a human resources leader.
Furthermore, Sharon actively participates in various HR and credit union organizations, staying updated with industry trends and best practices. Her unwavering commitment to the credit union philosophy of service and cooperation not only enhances her professional journey but also reinforces the foundational principles that guide credit unions—promoting the welfare of members and fostering a strong community spirit.
With an admirable trajectory in human resources and a staunch belief in the values of credit unions, Sharon Borgardt continues to inspire those around her while making significant strides in employee relations and organizational improvement. Her expansive knowledge and compassionate approach ensure that the workplaces she oversees are not only productive but also genuinely supportive environments where individuals can flourish.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.