Credit union says Jane Smith 'no longer an employee of Family First Credit Union, effective immediately'

The Michigan credit union CEO who recently shared a social media post with an AI-generated travel photo showing her and her family wearing “Lake America” sweatshirts is no longer with the company.

Her post stated she was “not sure” if Canada would like the sweatshirts, provoking an online backlash, as previously reported on by National Post.

This week, a statement posted on the credit union’s website said that Jane Smith was “no longer an employee of Family First Credit Union, effective immediately.” It was signed by Maurice Patterson, chairman of the Family First Credit Union board, as well as interim CEO and Chief Operations Officer Jason Acosta.

Family First did not state if the public reaction to Smith’s online post was the reason for her departure.

Smith had publicly explained that the photo in the post, shared on several social media platforms, was generated using ChatGPT. She apologized for it in a statement to ABC12, an ABC News affiliate in Michigan.

Taking further accountability for the stunt, she confessed, “I made a mistake. I own that mistake, and I am committed to learning from it.”

The credit union board issued its own statement last week saying that although “the post involved Ms. Smith in her personal capacity in connection with a family vacation, the post is unacceptable. Ms. Smith’s conduct does not reflect the values, mission, or culture of Family First Credit Union. We support and respect our Canadian neighbors, and we completely disavow Ms. Smith’s actions, which were undertaken without the authorization or knowledge of the Credit Union.”

Further, the board apologized “for the concern, disappointment and pain this situation has caused our members and community” and told ABC12 it would be determining appropriate next steps for Smith.

The initial controversy followed U.S. President Donald Trump signing an executive order changing the name of the lake from Lake Ontario to Lake America on Aug. 27. As reported by National Post, he directed the Department of the Interior to update maps and databases to reflect the new name, sparking negative reactions from politicians in Canada and the U.S.

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