In this edition of Marketer of the Week, Ignite Visibility spotlights Sharon Cook, Chief Marketing Officer at Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta.
Ignite Visibility applauds her and the FHLBank Atlanta team for the company’s recent award of nearly $27 million in funding for more than 60 affordable housing programs in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The funding initiatives are part of the company’s 2020 Affordable Housing Program (AHP).
FHLBank Atlanta partnered with for-profit and nonprofit developers to facilitate the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of over 4,000 affordable rental units and homes.
“Our Affordable Housing Program has enabled communities across our district to achieve their affordable housing and economic development objectives for 30 years,” said Arthur L. Fleming, FHLBank Atlanta’s Senior Vice President.
“We are proud of the positive impact our affordable housing program has had, and we know this critical source of funding will continue to play a vital role in creating safe and healthy housing.”
Here’s a breakdown of the Bank’s 2020 AHP awards by region:
- Alabama ($2 million)
- District of Columbia ($1 million)
- Florida ($2.3 million)
- Georgia ($1.4 million)
- Maryland ($1.9 million)
- North Carolina ($1.9 million)
- South Carolina ($1.3 million)
- Virginia ($6 million)
- Out of District ($8.8 million)
FHLBank Atlanta will announce the opening of its 2021 AHP funding round soon. The company’s awards range from $30,000 to $500,000 per initiative.
Those kinds of programs are possible thanks to the marketing efforts led by Sharon Cook.
Sharon Cook’s Six-Year Run
Cook has been with FHLBank Atlanta for six years. During that time, she’s made it clear that she’s an expert in omnichannel marketing.
Cook leads all aspects of marketing for the company. That includes digital and social channel marketing, user experience, customer experience, public relations, internal communications, and investor relations.
Additionally, Cook also manages the communications strategy that drives growth and solidifies the Bank’s reputation among other financial institutions in the southeastern part of the United States.
She’s also responsible for cultivating strong relationships with the national media. Cook also takes uncovers opportunities to promote some of FHLBank’s products in smaller markets.
Further, she optimizes customer data to research and understand various market segments. Sharon also uses that data to uncover potential sales opportunities and open new revenue channels.
Cook puts her digital marketing skills to work for the company as well. She handles SEO, identifies hosting solutions, optimizes websites, and rolls out business intelligence applications.
She also frequently appears on the speaking circuit delivering lectures about reputation risk management before, during, and after a crisis.
Cook is also the national media spokesperson for SEC related media, ratings agency presentations, and crisis communications.
CDC Federal Credit Union
Before working at FHLBank Atlanta, Sharon Cook served as Vice President, Marketing Services for CDC Federal Credit Union.
While there, she handled all aspects of marketing including advertising, business development, and public relations.
Under her watch, CDC Federal Credit Union:
- increased investment portfolio revenue by 10%
- saw over 10% net growth in new membership and new product sales (YoY)
- increased credit card usage 160% of set goal
Cook also coordinated all internal communications for incentive plan development and rollouts and worked closely with charitable organizations to assist in enhancing community life for business partners and customers.
Wrapping It Up
There’s no doubt that 2020 was a tough year for many businesses. FHLBank Atlanta was no exception.
However, with Sharon Cook as CMO, I’m sure that the company is in good hands. I can’t wait to see the Bank bounce back this year.
