Her Story
About Maddie
Maddie Barton is the Vice President of Consumer Lending at Sierra Central Credit Union in Yuba City, California, where she leads the division's underwriting, processing, servicing, indirect lending, and DMV/title functions. With more than fourteen years at the organization and nearly a decade of retail banking leadership behind her, she now manages a team of twenty on the indirect lending side while also directing direct consumer lending, retail operations, analytics, and member relationship strategy. Her career began at the teller line, and she advanced steadily through roles as a loan officer and branch manager before stepping into her current lending leadership position. Along the way, she has driven major initiatives such as an AI- and SQL-based decisioning engine to speed up loan approvals, a core platform upgrade to DNA (Fiserv), and forms-mapping projects that streamlined member communications.
A standout moment in Barton's career came in 2020, when her branch was the only one of twenty across the credit union to meet every one of its goals, an achievement that helped pave the way for her move into departmental leadership. Balancing full-time work with raising three children, she returned to the classroom to complete her education, first attending California State University, Chico, before ultimately earning her bachelor's degree in Applied Management from Grand Canyon University in May 2025, graduating with honors. She is a member of both the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Alpha Chi, honors reflecting the discipline she brought to finishing her degree later in life. Since taking on her leadership role, she has also worked to rebuild trust and communication between branch staff and the lending department, introducing quarterly training sessions designed to bridge the gap between front-line and back-office teams.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Barton is deeply engaged in her community. She coaches Little League Baseball and softball, serves as team mom for her daughter's cheer squad, volunteers with the Girl Scouts of the USA, and acts as Sponsorship Coordinator for the Marysville Junior Football Association. She also supports the Sierra Central foundation and is preparing to walk 60 miles in San Diego this November to raise funds for breast cancer research, a cause made personal by the loss of her best friend's mother to the disease. Through both her career achievements and her community involvement, Barton exemplifies a leadership style rooted in hard work, resilience, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maddie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the journey I've taken over the past fourteen and a half years, starting as a teller at the credit union and working my way up to loan officer, then branch manager, and eventually into lending leadership. As a mother of three, I've had to work especially hard to reach where I am today. One of the moments I'm proudest of was in 2020, when my branch was the only one out of twenty to hit all seven of our goals. That achievement, along with my current role overseeing the consumer lending department, managing a team of twenty in indirect lending, and handling retail operations, analytics, and member relationships, reflects the dedication I've brought to this career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received centers on going back to school and finishing what I started. I originally attended Chico State, where I faced real challenges with my accounting coursework, and I eventually returned to complete my degree in applied management at Grand Canyon University. My children were my biggest motivation for going back, and the education I gained has proven invaluable in my current role.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to stay involved and make a difference, both on the job and outside of it. For me, that means coaching Little League Baseball and softball, being team mom for my daughter's cheer team, and supporting the Sierra Central foundation. I'm also walking 60 miles for breast cancer research in San Diego this November, a cause that's personal to me because of my best friend's mother, who passed away from the disease.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Balancing the demands of my role with being a mother of three is one of the biggest challenges I navigate every day.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Hard work and making a difference are at the core of what matters most to me. As a working mother, I completed my business degree while working full time, which taught me a lot about perseverance. When I took over the lending department, I encountered some initial apprehension from the branches due to the more rigid management style of the previous VP, so I've made it a priority to improve communication between branch staff and the lending department. I now design quarterly training sessions to build stronger understanding between our front-line and back-office teams. My educational path, including working through difficult accounting coursework at Chico State and later earning my degree in applied management at Grand Canyon University, has shaped how I lead. My children were the driving force behind my return to school, and that experience continues to inform the value I place on growth, both for myself and for my team.
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