Real Encounters: Retirement

This summer, we celebrate America turning 250, a milestone that’s no small feat. But let me redirect your attention to another accomplishment I had the honor of celebrating: the retirement of Mark Love after 23 years of faithful service to Cherokee Strip Credit Union and our community, and honestly, we’re still not sure if he’s retiring or just finally buffering.

Mark’s journey reads like a tale as old as time … with just a little more troubleshooting. He entered the IT world after conquering The Oregon Trail successfully fording the river and, most impressively, avoiding death by dysentery. That single achievement set the course for a career and sparked a lifelong appreciation for dot matrix printers and green screens and apparently deciding, “You know what? I like systems that randomly crash.”

Do we dare call Mark a pioneer? No, something more. A visionary. A man who bridged the gap between possibility and reality, evolving alongside technology from PCs the size of a Buick to running operations from a device that fits in your pocket and yet, somehow, he still doesn’t trust anything without a reboot and a prayer.

Mark’s legacy will be permanently embedded in our history and culture a true inspiration for future IT and Logistical Directors. He didn’t just fix problems; he created a few for job security. And if something broke, you could always count on him to say, “Huh … that’s weird.” But in all seriousness, Mark’s impact is everywhere. Systems, processes, late-night fixes, and at least three things no one else knows how to operate … which feels intentional.

As we said our goodbyes, he delivered one final, signature embrace. And as our eyes met, he left me with this lasting wisdom: “When times get tough, and you feel all hope is lost … reboot.”

Congratulations, Mark. Enjoy your retirement; you’ve more than earned it.