It's Never as Bad as You Think: Suicide, Fraud, and the Stories I've Never Told

Episode Title: It's Never as Bad as You Think: Suicide, Fraud, and the Stories I've Never Told

Content Warning: This episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

Episode Description: The death of 25-year-old Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore this weekend brought back memories Mark has never shared publicly. In 33 years at NCUA — including 8 years as Executive Director — Mark encountered two individuals who took their own lives after embezzling from their credit unions. In this solo episode with no intro music, Mark tells those stories for the first time and delivers three messages to anyone in the credit union industry who may be carrying a secret they think will destroy their life.

In This Episode:

• How the Rondale Moore story and Hollywood Brown's tweet triggered this episode
• Mark's first encounter with suicide at age 19
• A Midwest credit union CEO whose "hunting accident" wasn't accidental
• The connection between Dead Poets Society and an examination Mark will never forget
• An East Coast treasurer who jumped from a high-rise rather than face conservatorship
• Three core messages: it's never as bad as you think, there's always a way back, and you will get caught
• What credit union leaders can do to pay attention to the people, not just the numbers

Resources:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — afsp.org

Hat tip: Matthew Coller and The Purple Insider podcast for the Rondale Moore episode that pushed Mark to finally record this.