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Updated: 3 hours ago / 40 Under Forty, Class of 2025

40 Under Forty 2025: Christal Brown

A woman wears a black top with gray pants. Photo | Erika Sidor Christal Brown
Four women pose on top of a stone wall next to a busy urban rotary photo | jaime flores WBJ 40 Under Forty winners in Worcester's Kelley Square (from left) Lexi Brissette, Christal Brown, Allison Gomez, and Amanda Risch
By WBJ AI
Christal Brown, 35  TitleVice president & director of marketing CompanyGFA Federal Credit Union, in Gardner ResidenceAthol BirthplaceNorth Palm Beach, Florida CollegesUMass Amherst, Southern New Hampshire University Click here to read about the other 40 Under Forty, Class of 2025
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Christal Brown has grown GFA's marketing approach and community presence for the $720-million financial institution serving more than 33,000 members across 10 locations in Central Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

Through data analytics, segmentation strategies, and targeted outreach, she has driven substantial deposit growth while improving member experience. Her member-focused campaigns elevated Google review scores across all GFA branches from 2.3 to 4.6. Brown extends beyond traditional marketing through her rebranding of multiple branch locations and launch of a community-driven social media campaign. She invited hundreds of local residents to submit photographs to be incorporated into custom murals displayed in GFA’s newly renovated branches. As part of GFA's senior leadership team, her influence spans enterprise-level strategy, contributing to new product development, lending initiatives, operational efficiencies, and technology enhancements.

She founded and leads GFA's Employee Community Engagement Committee, which mobilizes more than 100 employees across the credit union's footprint. She leads GFA's student advisory boards at Gardner High School and Keene High School in New Hampshire, creating mixers for students to get face time with local leaders.

Favorite Central Mass. community? Anywhere we’re outdoors: playgrounds, trails, or hikes. As a family and through my work, we connect by exploring, cleaning, building, and supporting our community.

Who helped you the most in your professional journey? My brother, Jim Pond, co-founder of marketing firm JXM, challenges me and models integrity.

Your main goal in the next 50 years? I aim to empower parents to excel at work and home, championing supportive workplaces where families thrive, careers grow, and success in one fuels success in the other.

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