Sterling Silver – Executive Recognition Program
Mountain America Credit Union
Concept, Naming, Identity, Coin Design, Executive Presentation
Role: Creative Lead | Senior Visual Designer
The Challenge
Employee engagement data identified Recognition and Compensation among the organization’s lowest-performing categories, while Town Hall participation continued to decline. Leadership needed a recognition system that felt meaningful, ceremonial, and visibly championed at the executive level.
The Insight
Research into recognition systems revealed that challenge coins—widely used in military and first-responder organizations—carry deep symbolic weight. They communicate belonging, honor, and achievement through physical permanence and ritualized presentation.
That insight became the foundation for a more executive-led recognition experience.
The Idea: Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver was developed as a quarterly CEO-presented recognition program centered around a custom .999 silver challenge coin designed to feel permanent, ceremonial, and earned.
The program transformed recognition from a transactional reward into a leadership-driven cultural moment.
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Program Goals
• Reinforce MACU Way values
• Elevate executive storytelling
• Increase Town Hall engagement
• Create a tangible, lasting recognition artifact
Visual System
The coin system balances institutional gravitas with cultural symbolism. The front features a refined interpretation​​​​​​​ of MACU’s eagle mark, while the reverse translates individual MACU Way values into a heraldic visual language inspired by traditional challenge coins.
The system was designed to feel premium, enduring, and organizationally significant rather than promotional.
System at Scale
The program was designed as a scalable recognition framework integrating nominations, executive presentation, physical awards, and company-wide storytelling into a cohesive experience system.
Impact
Sterling Silver demonstrates my ability to identify organizational culture gaps, translate strategic insight into executive-ready concepts, and build symbolic systems that operate across both brand and leadership environments.
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