Alumni Snapshot: Q&A with Jenn Smith Addabbo '98

Please tell us about your profession/career journey? After graduating from college at James Madison University with a degree in Media Arts and Design I thought I wanted to be a news broadcaster. After interning at a local ABC affiliate in Tampa I quickly realized the road to news broadcasting could be long and winding and I could end up living in far away locations outside of my control, which would have been tough considering my parents had moved to Tampa and I am so close with them. I started my career at Certegy which was a payments processor and I spent a couple of years in marketing before moving into a sales role which set me on the path that I continue to be on today. I moved from an outside sales role to managing call center sales reps and then expanding my product set from Check Services into Online/Mobile Banking for FIS where I presented and sold Digital Technology to banks and credit unions all over the country. I was traveling weekly across the country which was getting tiring, so I made the move to PSCU, a Credit Union Service Organization in St Pete Florida where I sold Online Banking services strictly to credit unions before being promoted to Vice President of Sales at PSCU. During my time at PSCU I had my 2 boys and wanted to be able to be more in control of my travel schedule and have some sort of semblance of work/life balance so I partnered with my former boss at PSCU and we founded CU Engage, a credit union consulting organization focused on helping credit unions negotiate the same products and services I had been selling for most of my career. We have grown our team from 2 to 16 and have team members across the country and have worked with over 60 credit unions and continue to grow in the services we offer.

Where do you live now and how did you end up there? I live in Tampa, Florida with my husband Mike and my 2 boys, Palmer (7) and Grady (4). My dad moved to Tampa during my senior year at Severn (flying back up to MD for soccer, basketball and lacrosse games) and my mom followed after I graduated. I was spending all of my summers in Florida during college and planted roots after graduating from JMU. 

What do you enjoy most about the work that you do? The best part about my job are the people I get to work with. I love helping my team grow in their personal careers and I love that we help credit unions understand the complex nature of the financial services market. I also get to travel all over the country and whenever I can, bring the family along to enjoy it with me!

What influence did Severn have on your career path? A huge influence for me were the teams I was a part of. Learning how to work together as a team, the competitiveness, the ability to deal with losses, understanding my strengths (and weaknesses) and my role as a part of the team have been huge foundationally for me. When I interview people I always want to know if they were a part of a team in high school or college, it is a good indicator of how they will fit in to an “all hands on deck” environment. I also loved the connection that I had with my teachers. Coming back for our 20^th reunion and knowing that the teachers I had will remember me by name (Jenny Smith ... so a little different now) really means a lot. 

What are your favorite things to do in your free time? I love to spend time with my kids and husband relaxing by the pool or being out on the boat. Florida is perfect for us (outside of hurricane season) since we have such great access to water! Traveling so much for work so often means that lounging at home is actually good for my soul.

If you could give advice to the Class of 2018, what would it be? Never stop learning, the world changes so quickly that your career could take dramatic swings based on what is happening around you. If you put your head down and focus only on what you know now or what you “think you know” you may miss a life changing opportunity to do some great things for yourself, your family and others!

What is one of your favorite Severn memories? Proms were always special to me, the fun we had preparing for them, the pictures on Greg Cooper’s boat beforehand and then whole process of dressing up and dancing. I remember most of my time at Severn with a huge smile but loved going to Prom!

What is the most valuable asset you believe you inherited from your Severn education? Understanding the importance of friendships, and their longterm impact on your life. Severn’s education was certainly foundational to my preparedness for college and making that transition fairly smooth, but the friendships I look back on during that time were important as to the person I have become today.

Did Severn have a lasting impact on who you are today? If so, in what ways? Definitely. I know I have a network of people I can count on through anything, I can pick up after not seeing or chatting with friends from high school and not miss a beat. As a mom now, I place a major value on the schools that my boys attend and realize the importance of them having a close-knit group of friends and teachers (like I had) in order to set them on a path of success – whatever success looks like to them.

What are 3 words you'd use to describe Severn School? Family, Foundational, Fun!