Imagine floating under the ocean. The only sound you hear is the sound of your own breathing through your mouthpiece. So peaceful, so calm, but not if you are blindfolded! Your only way out is to avoid panic and rely on your partner to guide you to safety. For many people that would sound like a nightmare, but for Jeff Gruwell, Vice President, Loan Operations, it was just a training exercise that he participated in on his way to becoming a Navy diver.
It was also a potent lesson in team work, where the divers learned to depend on themselves and their partners for survival. And that is the same spirit of team work that Jeff wants to instill in the Operations staff at Campus Partners and the same confidence that he wants our customers to have in us.

Jeff, who recently was appointed to his current position, has many plans and a great deal of enthusiasm as he works to blend several previously distinct teams together under the Loan Operations banner. He and his managers are combining private loan originations, disbursement, and servicing with the campus-based customer service and borrower service teams. Included within these teams are representatives who answer inbound calls from customers and borrowers, process transactions and forms, and provide due diligence efforts.

His first order of business is to improve training by cross training representatives to perform all tasks. Cross training enhances the depth of knowledge of each employee and allows Operations managers to respond to situations, such as an increase in borrower call volume at peak times of the year, by assigning more staff to the phones. At other times of the year, more staff may need to be assigned to an activity such as processing forms. “Employees provide more value to the organization and to our customers if they can perform varied duties for the company,” Jeff stated.

He has many experienced managers and staff members to rely on to help provide training. “I have employees who have been with the company for 20 years or more. I rely on them to share knowledge, but I also want to hear their ideas for changing processes to improve the way we deliver services for the customer,” Jeff said. “Change is hard, but this group is willing to do what it takes.” He recently met with employees so everyone could get to know each other better. To his staff’s surprise, Jeff even showed them pictures of himself in full diving gear. They had no idea that they were working for an underwater and salvage expert!

Jeff also told the group more about his long-term experience in working with student loans. After leaving the Navy, Jeff went to work for Sallie Mae in Lynn Haven, Florida, while attending college. “I had heard the company was a good place to work so I submitted a general application to Sallie Mae. I was hired to process correspondence including forbearance and deferment forms for federal loan programs,” Jeff remarked. From there, Jeff progressed quickly and began working in Special Borrower Services, where he often dealt with irate borrowers who felt they had been treated unfairly. This job required him to research their account histories and have extensive knowledge of federal regulations. In some cases, he was involved with congressional inquires so he had to be at the top of his game. Later he served as Services Coordinator for lenders in the HEAL loan program and had extensive contact with the Department of Health and Human Services, then supervised the Private Loan Origination department for three years.

He eventually accepted a job as a Business Analyst at Sallie Mae headquarters in Reston, VA, and later was promoted to the position of Corporate Credit Manager. In this role, he served as a liaison with Operations to ensure policy was carried out and that all activities stayed in compliance with Corporate Credit Policy.

Jeff came to Campus Partners in 2005 as Credit Director and has been promoted several times. Like many other managers at Campus Partners, Jeff knows student loans from the ground up. He feels very good about his role in the company and knows he can lead efforts to improve services to all customers and borrowers. “I like the idea of helping students get through school with the help of student loans. It’s an important part of the job for me,” Jeff affirmed.

He also wants to provide a good working environment for employees and help them be successful. Jeff certainly has the tools he needs to achieve this goal. He has experience in the very foundation of student loans, compliance with regulations, and is a forceful leader. He is also somewhat playful and is heading up Halloween planning for the company. “I’m getting dressed up. I don’t care if no one else does. I am wearing a costume!” he avows. (No word on whether he will be Aqua Man or Student Loan Man.)
In his personal life, Jeff has a romantic side, too. He and Teri, his wife of 23 years, had their first date in Singapore. The two had met while serving on the same ship in the Navy, and Singapore was their first port of call. Talk about great stories: The Love Boat meets the warship.

The two are proud parents of Baby, a 14 year old cockatiel. The bird is fond of talking and is clearly an important part of their lives. In fact, he says good bye to Jeff every morning. The couple likes to vacation at Disney World, where Jeff took the opportunity to scuba dive in the giant aquarium at Epcot. Besides diving (in warm, clear water only these days), Jeff’s hobbies include wood working and landscaping.

His favorite author, Tom Clancy, not withstanding, there is no espionage or secrets involved in Jeff’s life these days. Clearly hard work and a sense of duty to his family, company, and country have made him a success.