People First: The Third Federal Way

From the depths of the Great Depression, Ben and Gerome Stefanski were driven by a mission to help people achieve the American Dream of homeownership and financial security when they founded Third Federal in 1938.

In 1987, Marc Stefanski succeeded his father Ben as chairman and CEO.

Under Marc's leadership, Third Federal has grown beyond the Slavic Village neighborhood of its founding to serve generations of loyal customers across the United States.

While driven by the original mission, he added his own values of love, trust, respect, a commitment to excellence, and fun to the Third Federal business model and to its culture.

Enduring through many economic challenges—the Great Depression, the savings & loan crisis of the 1980s, the housing bubble of the 2000s, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Third Federal has remained strong, stable, and safe.

The story of Third Federal invites reflection on how we live in both our personal and professional lives.

This is the story of how a business builds a culture—and how the values behind that culture have touched so many lives.

MARC A. STEFANSKI is chairman and CEO of Third Federal Savings & Loan, headquartered in Cleveland. The company was founded by his parents, Ben and Gerome Stefanski, in 1938. Under Marc's leadership, the company has grown from $2 billion to $17 billion in 2024.

Marc, the youngest of five children, grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Along with his family, his first loves were music and sports, forming his own rock back in eighth grade, a version of which continues today.

Marc has five adult children—Ashley, Kyle, Brad, Alex, and Melissa—with his first wife, Rhonda, who passed away from pancreatic cancer. Marc has two step-children, Scarlett and Briggs, with his wife Vanessa. They have seven grandchildren.

While dedicating his life to his family and Third Federal, Marc believe in empowering people and in a value system of love trust, respect, a commitment to excellence, and fun.