Not your typical banker

Chamber's Ambassador General finds the fun in life

MOSES LAKE — The bright spot of Brien Godfrey's day is visiting the post office.

"I want to see how many people I can get to smile and say 'Good morning,'" he explained. "I like to see people smile. It's kind of a game that I play — 'OK, I had three people smile and say hello that were total strangers, can I beat yesterday?'"

Godfrey's personal best is 14 to 15 people in one post office trip.

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that Godfrey, ambassador general for the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce and vice president, as well as relationship manager and commercial loan officer at Washington Trust Bank, feels that his purpose in life is to serve others, and give of himself.

Godfrey originally intended to work in the emergency services field, working at a Spokane fire department and going through school at Spokane Community College to join a paramedic unit.

Godfrey met his wife of 25 years, Judi, at SCC after he had been in an automobile accident that left his jaw wired shut. Judi would always try to make Brien smile when they saw each other in the student union building.

Did she get him to smile?

"Yeah, and she got me to marry her, too," he said with a big grin.

"I thought he was cute," Judi Godfrey explained, adding that she was drawn to Brien's kindness and personality. "We're two peas in a pod, believe me."

That becomes apparent from the coffee cup sitting on her husband's desk.

"I like to have fun, if you can't tell by now," Brien said, showing off the anniversary gift from several friends. The cup boasts photos of the Godfreys from a Halloween party where Judi was dressed as Steve Urkel, the famous nerd from "Family Matters," and Brien was dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire.

After they got married and had their son, Steve, now 24, Brien's job as a paramedic was keeping him away from his family because he was always on-call. After the first 18 months of their marriage, Judi gave him a choice: Change jobs, or get a divorce.

Brien elected to switch jobs and they moved to Judi's hometown, Quincy, where there was a position for an agricultural loan officer at the Central Washington PCA branch.

Brien had the opportunity in 1990 to own a farming operation with his brother-in-law, after his father-in-law decided to retire, but elected to go into banking full time instead.

Brien and Judi moved to Twin Falls, Idaho, from Quincy, where he got into commercial lending in addition to agricultural lending.

Today, in his position at Washington Trust Bank in Moses Lake, where the family moved in 1998, Godfrey works on commercial and agricultural loans.

Godfrey said he enjoys his position because he gets to be an expert about everybody's business in learning about the companies he represents.

"I'm really a hands-on type person, too," Godfrey revealed. "I actually like to go out to the person's place of business and participate if they will let me."

That experience includes participating in an audit crew, working with a beekeeper and helping to work on a potato digger, bringing his welding gloves and helmet in the process.

"I like to get to know my businesses," he said. "I always like to ask questions, as far as, 'OK, you bought this piece of equipment. How does it work?' If my customer's talking to me, I know I'm on the same page with them. And my customers enjoy that. They're not used to having somebody come out and actually take interest in them."

As ambassador general, a position he has held for five years, Godfrey coordinates meetings with chamber team captains.

"When Brien says he will do something, you can bank on it," said Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce manager Karen Wagner. "He has capably directed the ambassadors as ambassador general for a number of years. You can trust him to do what he says he's going to do."

Godfrey first got involved with a chamber of commerce when he was in high school, and said he aims to institute in Moses Lake an annual event similar to one held in Twin Falls, a "Success Breakfast," where community members send in nominations for citizens to be Person of the Year based on their volunteerism.

The Twin Falls event also included a nationally known speaker, from Henry Kissinger to William Bennett. In 1994 as co-chair, Godfrey introduced future Vice President Dick Cheney, and the next year, got to introduce President Gerald Ford.

Godfrey has also been a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts and would like to get involved with the group, noting that one of his happiest moments was when son Steve followed in Dad's footsteps and became an Eagle Scout.

Godfrey's hobbies include water-skiing, boating and flying, having been a pilot since 1978.

As another example of his fun-loving ways, Godfrey explained that he participated several times in an annual Twin Falls fund-raiser, a water-skiing event called Freeze on Skis that takes place on Jan. 1. In order to ski, a participant gathers pledges, and the money goes to a worthy cause.

"The gal that was cutting my hair was going to pledge $10, but she made the comment, 'I'll double it if you wear my bikini when you make your run,'" Godfrey recalled, passing over a photograph of himself wearing said bikini over his usual water-skiing wetsuit. "I said, 'OK.' But at least I got my 20 bucks out of it."

The next year, Godfrey raised over $5,000 for the Wishing Star Foundation over the course of a month, in order to see how much he could raise.

"I was known down there as not being your typical banker," he said. "And it was easy to get pledges that way, because they'd say, 'No, you're not going to do it.' 'Watch me. Put your money up front and let's go.'"

Judi Godfrey added that her husband has a "huge place in his heart for elderly people," noting that Brien was very active in the Twin Falls community as well, and felt as strongly about helping out organizations that help the elderly as he did about the Boy Scouts.

"He's given me encouragement and support to be able to go into getting a good job," Judi added. "It's really helped me by watching him. He's a really good example for me on how to break into the business world and get contacts."

Co-worker Julie Moinette said she was pleasantly surprised when Godfrey joined her at Washington Trust Bank, as he was one of the first people she met upon her arrival in town.

"He is continually willing to help those of us on the teller side," she said. "We have come to depend on him when we have computer problems and he always helps without hesitation."

Moinette said Godfrey has an inviting "open-door style" and always keeps her entertained with what she calls his Bob Newhart sense of humor.

"I truly enjoy spending time with Brien whether at work or outside the job," she said. "We have a good time and a lot of laughs, and I am glad to call him a friend."

Godfrey was in the same grade as Kent Karstetter's sister in Spokane, and the two have been friends for years.

"I don't know if he's ever not succeeded in something he's put his mind to," Karstetter said. "Everything that he's done has always been first class, and he seems to have an uncanny way of knowing when to get out."

Karstetter called Godfrey a straight shooter.

"If he can do something for you, by golly he'll do it," he said. "If he can't, he'll let you know."