Navigate life's unexpected challenges with faith and resilience. Discover how trusting God's plan, shifting your mindset, and responding with grace can transform difficult moments into opportunities for growth, clarity, and purpose.
Her Story
About Maretta
Maretta Richard Piggee, CTRM, is a seasoned talent acquisition and banking professional with more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and over two decades specializing in recruiting and human capital strategy. As a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, she was always recognized for her ability to attract top talent, strengthen organizational culture, and enhance the employee and member experience. Her approach to recruitment is rooted in empathy, accountability, innovation, and relationship-building, aligning talent strategies with operational excellence and long-term business growth. Throughout her career, Maretta has built a reputation for developing high-performing teams and streamlining recruitment operations across multiple markets in Texas. She held leadership roles with First National Bank Texas/First Convenience Bank, where she advanced from Regional Recruiter to Senior Recruiter and Assistant Vice President, managing statewide recruiting initiatives and leading teams focused on staffing, onboarding, compliance, and workforce development. Her earlier banking leadership experience in Louisiana with Hibernia National Bank laid the foundation for her expertise in customer service, team leadership, and operational management. A Certified Transform Recruitment Marketer (CTRM), Maretta combines deep banking knowledge with modern recruiting and engagement strategies to help organizations build strong, people-focused cultures. She is passionate about creating meaningful connections, mentoring talent, and supporting professional growth at every level. Known for her energy, compassion, and commitment to service, she continues to make a lasting impact through community involvement, leadership partnerships, and her dedication to empowering both employees and members.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maretta
01What do you attribute your success to?
My belief in my faith has been the key to my success. Watching my mom, who was my best friend, push through cancer, and then seeing my family - three aunts and their husbands, and a cousin and his family - push through the challenges of Hurricane Katrina when they lost everything, made me realize that when you're faced with certain challenges, if you believe and you have faith, you can get through it. You just have to stay the course. I've also built my success through transparency - that's how I've built relationships over the years and moved up, getting promotions after promotions. I was transparent, honest, and if I couldn't do something, I would say so. I didn't oversell anything of what I was doing. Even in my personal life, being authentic and honest and open with people and transparent has caused me to build a lot of respect out in the community, on the job, and with other people.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice my family ever gave me was simple: work hard, build what you want, and go after your goals without expecting anyone to hand you anything. When you earn it yourself, you owe no one a favor and you can stand proudly in what you’ve achieved.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Advice I would give young women entering the financial industry is this:
- Trust your instincts and pray over every decision.
- Don’t choose a role solely based on the salary (Choose what your passionate about, you'll be committed).
- Work for a company whose values align with your own, research and ask questions.
- Never compromise your standards.
- Remember that your brand is both who you are as a person and as a professional.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
At this moment, the biggest challenge and opportunity in my life is figuring out what to do next. I’ve been blessed with several possibilities, but I haven’t decided which direction to take just yet.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is very important to me, along with transparency and accountability. Being who you are and being authentic is important to me. My faith and belief and living in it are also main values. If I had to go through a list, I would say family support, love, belief, and faith. I believe in living what you preach about and living what you talk about - you won't always have to discuss it because people can see it, so transparency is huge for me.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Maretta
"Accepting the Unexpected"
Finding Purpose and Growth in Life's Unexpected Challenges
When you’re suddenly faced with life’s unexpected challenges, your entire perspective begins to shift. At first, you panic. You stress. You think about all the responsibilities you carry for everyone else. Your emotions feel scattered—and that is completely okay.
What we rarely do, however, is stop and consider how those unexpected moments are affecting us.
I still believe that life is what you make it, but when you have no control over what’s happening, the real test becomes how you respond. We were created in God’s image, but we are far from perfect. What has helped me navigate the moments I never imagined facing is trusting that everything happens for a reason—even when the reason isn’t clear.
I’ve experienced disappointing relationships, broken friendships, financial struggles, missed promotions, and situations where I never had the opportunity to clear up a misunderstanding. In those moments, I had to remind myself to pause, process, and avoid reacting purely out of emotion. I had to accept what was happening while continuing to love myself regardless.
We also have to remind ourselves: My life does not end here. God has something greater ahead, and I need to seek Him for direction.
Sometimes we stay in situations, relationships, or friendships longer than we should simply because they feel comfortable. Change can be uncomfortable, but it can also create opportunity—if we are willing to shift our mindset.
God is always in control of our destiny. When we allow Him to guide us through life’s challenges, the uncomfortable moments can become the most rewarding. He protects us from what we cannot see and, at times, even from the consequences of our own choices.
How you respond to the unexpected matters.
Trust God.
Trust the process.
Your next chapter—the chapter filled with growth, clarity, and purpose—is already waiting for you.
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