Although James Repasky has now worked for Summit Credit Union for five years, and in the banking world for much longer, it was not until he was in college that he realized banking was the career path he wanted to follow.
Repasky grew up in Edgerton and graduated from Edgerton High School. He was involved in sports throughout school playing football, wrestling, and running track. He was first all-conference in football for two years in a row and loved the sport. Repasky has memories of playing Waunakee in football in the playoffs a few times during his football career…and getting beat.
After graduating from high school, Repasky started working in the business world, working in sales and bookkeeping while he decided what he wanted to do. He ended up deciding to go to Madison College for a degree in business management.
Continuing to work while he also attended school full time, Repasky became adept at juggling a full schedule while staying involved with school. It was during this time that he began working at M&I Bank as a teller and started building his work experience in the banking world.
In addition to working at M&I Bank, Repasky was also serving as the assistant to the financial department head at Madison College. He was asked to serve in the position by the financial department head herself and enjoyed the position and the opportunities it offered him.
Repasky liked his classes and found that economics and corporate finance “were really fun” and the “group of teachers was really awesome.” He knew that he was going into the right career.
After graduating in 2012, Repasky started to look into working for a credit union, in part due to the “lack of mobility” he was discovering at his current bank. Credit unions appealed to him because they are “not-for-profit and community focused,” he said.
He was especially interested in Summit Credit Union because he like how involved they were in the community. He began working as a teller at one of the Madison locations and soon moved up to a lender position and then an assistant manager, enjoying the extra responsibilities and challenges that came with each new position.
Repasky soon because a branch manager in Westport and moved to Waunakee to become the manager when a position opened up.
He says that Waunakee “was the branch I always wanted to work in” because he liked the community and how the credit union was able to serve it. His favorite part of working for a credit union instead of a traditional bank is “being able to be involved in the community.” Much of his job focuses on volunteer work throughout the community and providing development opportunities for his staff.
Some of the organizations Repasky is involved in through his work with Summit Credit Union include the Northside of Madison Community Center, Waunakee Neighborhood Connection, and donations to WaunaFest, Waunaboom, and high school scholarships. Repasky’s “favorite one is awarding the scholarship at the high school” because it has an immediate and direct positive impact on the recipient and can help them achieve their goals.
Part of what makes these activities so much fun for Repasky is that the entire bank is truly invested in the community; many of his staff members live in town and have worked at the credit union for many years.
Although he has a busy work schedule, Repasky finds time to travel and do outdoor activities. His love of the outdoors goes all the way back to weekends up North at his grandparents’ cabin to go bear hunting with his grandfather.
Nowadays, he enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and working in his vegetable garden. Repasky does many of these activities with his dog, Hugh. They travel the country together, including recent trips to the Badlands, Rocky Mountains, Gulf of Mexico, and the Smoky Mountains. Hugh and Repasky have traveled 5,000 miles together in the last few months and Repasky’s new goal is to “see all 50 states, get out to the coasts.”
Despite his love of traveling and exploring the outdoors, Repasky always enjoys being back at work in Waunakee. The community ties are a big part of the job and he clearly feels a commitment to and a part of the Waunakee.
He says that “the community I’ve gotten to know so far has been really awesome” and “my door is always open to get to know them more.”
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