Member Voices

Dr. Mounika Faleban

Member since 2015

Mounika Falemban, DDS has been a Suncoast member since 2015. She became a member after hearing great things from her colleagues about Suncoast. Since there was a Suncoast branch located near her dental practice, it was a convenient choice for a financial partner.

As a child, Dr. Falemban loved going to the dentist. The kindness of those childhood dental appointments made her want to be a dentist. Then while in dental school, she found her true inspiration in her professor, Dr. Nathanael Salako.

Dr. Falemban followed her dream and became a pediatric dentist, opening a small office called Kid Zone Dentistry in Gibsonton. She is dedicated to her young patients, providing oral healthcare to the kids in her community.

But when the pandemic began, Dr. Falemban’s business faced challenges. She stopped taking any salary so she could pay her staff. With changing health guidelines, the cost of personal protection equipment, and operating under reduced hours due to social distancing and staff health considerations, Dr. Falemban turned to Suncoast for help with a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

“I am so grateful to Ms. Kim Donnelly (a Suncoast Micro Enterprise Development Specialist) who was so kind and helpful in walking me through the process,” Dr. Falemban said. “I’m extending my gratitude to Suncoast for helping our small business survive the harsh year and keep us going to help the children of our community.”

Rob Kriete

Member since 1997

After spending 24 years helping students as a teacher, Rob Kriete wanted the opportunity to find ways to improve the teaching and learning conditions for Hillsborough County teachers, education support professionals, and students. In his role as president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, he gets to do just that. (cont’d)

Judy Harrison

Member since 1988

In 1988, Judy Harrison started working part-time as a lunchroom aide at Tampa’s Armwood High School. One of her coworkers recommended she join Suncoast, which was then called Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union. From that first savings account she opened in 1988, Judy became a loyal member and advocate for Suncoast.

Judy takes full advantage of what Suncoast has to offer, with checking, savings, money market, share certificate, retirement and investment accounts, plus a Suncoast Rewards credit card. She and her husband also use Suncoast for the bee business they started after Judy retired from the school system.

“I would recommend Suncoast to anybody,” Judy said. “It has been instrumental in my life.”

She has recommended Suncoast to countless people over the years, sometimes personally bringing family and friends into their local branches so they could join and reap the benefits, much like she has. During her 20 year career as a manager of the kitchen at Hillsborough High School, she shared the same passion for Suncoast with her work-family too. Judy would often have Suncoast employees come speak to her team to teach them about the benefits of banking with a credit union and the importance of saving early for retirement.

“This is YOUR credit union,” Judy said. “You’re not just banking here. You belong, and rightfully so, because you own part of it.”

(cont’d) Rob was a Suncoast Credit Union member for many years for his banking and financial needs. So when we launched our Educators Choice program through our Suncoast Trust and Investment Services division, he was eager to sign up and take advantage of the incredible benefits.

“The experts at Suncoast were able to walk me through my options for preparing for my retirement and helped me create a strategy that worked well for me and my family,” Rob said. “Suncoast was able to show me the many different routes and options for my own retirement giving me a clear picture of what it can look like based on the decisions I made.” As a leader in the education space, Rob wants all educators to achieve their future dreams. He knows that retirement planning is an important opportunity for educators to understand their options and to create a strategy for retirement.

“I recommend the Educators Choice program because Suncoast provided me clear options for all of my financial needs without pressure,” Rob said. “Their ability to listen and offer suggestions was amazingly helpful giving my family and me confidence in our financial future.”