One of Us: Joshua Hull

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Joshua Hull is the vice president of VyStar Credit Union’s Nocatee Branch.

Can you please briefly tell us about your background?

I am a native of Jacksonville, and my family grew up right here on the First Coast. When I was growing up, my grandfather would take me shrimping on the St. Johns River, and I have many fond memories of eating fresh seafood. My great-grandfather was a lighthouse keeper at the lighthouse in St. Augustine. I graduated from Mandarin High School, and I have an associate degree from the University of North Florida and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Florida State College at Jacksonville. I am currently married to my wife, Lena Hull, and I am happy to announce that we are celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary this year.

What’s your background with VyStar Credit Union, and what are your primary roles and responsibilities as vice president of the Nocatee branch?

For most of my career at VyStar, I served in member services at a number of our branches in Northeast Florida. In member services, I established accounts for new members, assisted with a variety of products and services and performed consumer, business and mortgage lending. By using the skills I acquired through my experience at VyStar, I was able to successfully transition to a management role, in which I am able to train new employees as well as help existing employees improve their performance.

In my current role, I mainly provide coaching and leadership to the staff at the Nocatee branch. My role is one of support, and my desire is to help my team reach their career goals while helping them grow and flourish in their existing roles. From a business standpoint, one of my primary objectives is to ensure that my branch is successful, provides financial services that benefit our members and supports the growth and development of VyStar in this community.

Can you please tell us about VyStar Credit Union’s history serving civil service members?

Originally named Jax Navy Federal Credit Union, VyStar was founded in 1952 by 12 founding members with $60 to serve civil service members, military employees and their families at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax). At the time, obtaining financial services —particularly credit — was difficult for working men and women. As a solution, VyStar’s founding fathers started a credit union to provide military families access to affordable financial services. VyStar’s service to the military and civil service community has remained uninterrupted for over 65 years in support of financial literacy initiatives, such as Military Saves Week and our JROTC Financial Literacy Program, and our branch office located on the NAS Jax base.

What has it been like to play a part in Nocatee’s growth?

Nocatee was once the third fastest growing community in America, and it is still growing at a rapid rate. It’s been an exciting community to be a part of. We have helped countless individuals and families in this area reduce debt with consolidations, refinance mortgages into better rates, remove private mortgage insurance from their mortgages, open kids’ accounts, learn how to save money and improve their credit. These are just a few of the services that we offer and that have helped members of this community. We also continue to support Nocatee’s many community initiatives in the area by sponsoring and participating in local events, such as the Apryle Showers 10K, Roscolusa, the Ponte Vedra Auto Show and the Allen D. Nease High School SOUPerBowl.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Outside of work, I’m a gamer at heart. I like to play "StarCraft II" on PC, and I have an Xbox, a PS4™ and a Nintendo Switch™. My favorite video game of all time is “Dance Dance Revolution,” in which I used to compete on a professional level. I’m also into board gaming and play a trading card game called “Magic: The Gathering,” and I certainly love to break out of escape rooms. As you can see, I love to have fun!

What do you enjoy most about living and working in the area?

Being in Ponte Vedra is fantastic because of the close access to the beach, as well as the nature and wildlife that is also here. I enjoy mountain biking with my father; there are some great trails in Ponte Vedra. Nocatee specifically is fun because most of the residents here drive golf carts, and it’s enjoyable to see how people decorate and show off their favorite sports teams or interests through their golf carts. You know you’re in a fun community when Publix has golf cart parking.