From left to right: Tony Oliva and SPIRE President/CEO Dan Stoltz. (Photo credit: SPIRE Credit Union)
In Minnesota, Tony Oliva is best known for his days spent as the Twins right fielder and designated hitter during his Major League Baseball seasons that spanned from 1962-1976. He was considered one of the league's best hitters and was on the All-Star team eight times. Later this summer, Oliva will be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Last week, the Falcon Heights, Minn.-based SPIRE Credit Union ($2 billion in assets, 146,356 members) announced it had signed a partnership deal with Oliva to become the credit union's new face and personality in a series of upcoming advertisements.
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According to an announcement from SPIRE on Friday, the partnership deal will consist of television commercials and other promotions, as well as SPIRE supporting the Twins Community Fund and other charities chosen by the 83-year-old baseball great who has called Minnesota home for decades.
"Tony and his family care deeply about Minnesota and the people in it, and those are the same values that drive us at SPIRE every single day," SPIRE President/CEO Dan Stoltz said. "We are thrilled to have Tony join us in our mission to improve lives."
Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed. In a statement, Stoltz said Oliva's charitable work in the greater Minneapolis community over the years rang true to SPIRE's vision of "people helping people."
"We can't wait for our members to learn what Minnesota sports fans have always known: That Tony is a genuine person who believes in helping others," Stoltz said. "Our values at SPIRE align perfectly with Tony's, and we are so excited to work together."
According to the announcement, the new ads and promotions will begin running this summer. Oliva is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 24.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
