Catch up on what California and Nevada credit unions are accomplishing within their communities! Member credit unions may submit their Members in the News items to membernews@ccul.org.
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Valley First CU has selected Courtnay Lynch as the new vice president of human resources and training. Lynch will oversee human resources strategic planning, including recruitment, leadership development, employee training and engagement, employee relations, compensation and benefits, as well as compliance in federal, state and local human resources law.
Compass Community CU announced that Shannon Maciel has been promoted to Vice President of Member Experience and will be responsible for the retail and back office operations, as well as nurturing the service culture. Additionally, Rene Campbell has been hired as Henderson Center Branch Manager. She will be responsible for day-to-day operations, lending needs, staff management and the cultivation of local relationships, along with business development.
San Francisco Police CU has changed its name to Police CU of California, using the trade name, The Police CU, for all marketing purposes. The new name was chosen to represent the credit union’s ability to welcome new law enforcement departments, related agencies and their families throughout the state of California.
Premier America CU has selected three new senior team leaders to help drive strategic growth: Ernesto Norona, senior vice president/chief lending officer; Marci Francisco, senior vice president of member experience; and Janaki Rao, senior vice president/chief technology officer.
Bay FCU’s Aptos branch to Rancho Del Mar Center is complete. Bay FCU has moved into 48 Rancho Del Mar, and officially opened for business in its new location on Monday, July 15. The branch has also undergone an extensive new redesign to create a modern banking experience, and an airy, environmentally friendly atmosphere.
Redwood CU’s free annual Shred-a-Thon attracted approximately 400 Napa residents. Shred-IT trucks were on site to help the community safely dispose of and recycle approximately 30,000 pounds of paper.
Clark County CU was ranked as the best credit union in Nevada in Forbes’ second annual Best-In-State awards. Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to independently survey 25,000 people on their banking relationships. They voted on their overall recommendations and satisfaction levels with more than 5,000 credit unions across the country.
Bay FCU has merged with Coast-Tel FCU as of July 1, 2019. Coast-Tel FCU became a division of Bay FCU on Feb. 1, 2019, the conversion of accounts to Bay FCU was completed, and the former Coast-Tel FCU location in Downtown Salinas opened for business as a branch of Bay FCU on Monday, July 1.
UNCLE CU has earned a 5-Star Superior rating from Bauer Financial Inc. for financial strength and security. A rating that the credit union has held for thirty consecutive quarters, it is based on the independent research firm’s analysis of financial data obtained directly from federal regulators. Separately, UNCLE CU has been named “Best in East Bay” for credit unions by the East Bay Times Readers’ Choice Awards for a second sequential year in 2019.
Travis CU hosted the Sacramento Sister Society of the Global Women’s Leadership Network. Rebecca Ramirez, Woodland Fire Chief, discussed her personal history and the interesting story of how she ended up a leader within a traditionally male dominated career. Attendees donated items to New Beginnings Outreach (NBO) as they work to establish a safe house in Solano County for survivors of human trafficking.
1st United CU has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2019 honor by The Bay Area News Group. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey and measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.
Compass Community CU opened a new branch in Eureka. Located at 2861 E Street, the branch is positioned to serve members in Henderson Center and the surrounding area. This marks the second new branch opened this year.
Christian Community CU promoted John Silvis to Chief Technology Officer. In his new role, Silvis will be involved in implementing technologies and developing strategies to enhance products and services in support of the credit union’s goals and objectives. Silvis will also join the Senior Management Team in developing organization-wide policies, programs, and other initiatives to better serve members and staff.
Meriwest CU has been selected as runner-up in the Best Credit Union category in the Mercury News’ 2019 Best of Silicon Valley Awards. The credit union launched an improved website on June 27 as one of many planned steps to move into first place next year.
Los Angeles FCU 2019 Jack C. Mathews College Scholarship competition award recipients were honored at a recent special gathering at the credit union’s Glendale branch. A total of $14,000 in scholarship grants were awarded to high school and college students pursuing higher education in the fall of 2019, and teacher winners were recognized for their contributions as educators and advocates for students.
Bay FCU members and employees raised $11,285 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County during their annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake pledge drive. Bay FCU has participated in the Bowl for Kids’ Sake pledge drive for 28 consecutive years.
Redwood CU has promoted Luanne Nightingale to Executive Manager. In her new role, she will manage the day-to-day operations of the executive office to support the CEO and other executive team members. Nightingale will also serve as liaison to the board of directors and senior management team.
Bay FCU has received a 5-Star Superior rating by BauerFinancial Group, the highest possible rating offered by the group. This rating is based off of Bay FCU's financial data as of March 31, 2019
Redwood CU has hired Michelle Brands-Giesea as the project management manager. In her new role, she will lead the project management team in overseeing the credit union’s project portfolio—including new product launches, service enhancements, and other enterprise projects—and ensuring project integration with Rewood CU's strategies and organizational initiatives.
San Diego County CU broke its existing Guinness World RecordsTM title, and achieved a new record, at the 2019 San Diego County CU Super Shred Event held on June 15, 2019 at San Diego County CU Stadium. San Diego County CU, in partnership with Shred-It, iHeartMedia, Inc. and Live Well San Diego shredded 239,060 pounds of waste paper in an 8-hour period.
|SAFE CU expressed its commitment to helping at-risk communities grow and thrive by becoming a partner with the Sacramento Promise Zone, an initiative that seeks to revitalize 22 square miles of Sacramento’s most underprivileged neighborhoods. By working with partner organizations, the Sacramento Promise Zone facilitates cross-sector collaboration to improve educational outcomes, foster a sustainable economic base, accelerate job creation, promote healthy behaviors, and support sustainable built communities.
Redwood CU received two awards for their marketing efforts. Given by the Marketing Association of Credit Unions (MAC), these awards recognize outstanding marketing achievements in the credit union community. Redwood CU received a silver award in the Culture and Internal Branding category for an all-employee event called Day of Inspiration; and a bronze award in the Image Enhancement, Public Relations, Rebranding, Brand Awareness, Financial Education category, for the rebranding of the “mall” area at Rewood CU's administrative offices.
Frontwave CU is hosting a grand opening celebration at its new Wildomar branch. The Wildomar branch features Frontwave CU’s new state-of-the-art Branch 2.0 model, delivering a new type of member experience that combines personalized service, technology and branding elements with a focus on reinventing the member experience. The branch is equipped with an education bar featuring self-serve tablets, as well as a community space with a projection screen to host free financial workshops for the community.
Patelco CU has launched Play. Save. Win. to empower families to build better saving habits. Patelco CU has partnered with SaverLife by EARN, a nonprofit helping Americans take charge of their financial lives with technology. The program encourages Patelco CU members to set up automatic transfers into their respective Patelco CU savings account by offering cash prizes.
Meriwest CU announced that its Business Development Officer, Tiffany Fournier, was named Volunteer of the Year at the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce Installation dinner awards. The annual Chamber Award recognizes individuals and businesses who have performed above and beyond the call of duty and who have contributed to furthering the mission of the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce.
SAFE CU announced the 2019 winners of the annual SAFE Scholarship Program, which awards college-bound high school seniors $1,000 scholarships in recognition of their outstanding achievements. A total of 10 scholarships were awarded for a total commitment of $10,000.
SafeAmerica CU’s marketing team won four awards for their marketing efforts in 2018 from the Marketing Association of Credit Unions (MAC). The submissions and awards were; New Member Onboarding Letters and Emails - Gold , Educational Video Series – Silver, Newspaper Advertising – Silver, Inactive Visa Campaign – Bronze.
America’s Christian CU celebrated its sixth annual Patriot Week on Wednesday, June 5, which included packing more than 500 care packages for service members and women abroad. The opening ceremony was attended by local service members, law enforcement, first responders, and educators, Glendora’s city council, and distinguished guests such as World War II veteran Carl Harstine, and Vietnam veterans Gary Lynch and Leonard Coates.
Redwood CU hosted a free document shredding event at Sutter Novato Community Hospital. Approximately 700 local residents brought old financial documents and other confidential paperwork—33,500 lbs in total—to be shredded by Shred-IT, which provided on-site shredding trucks for the credit union’s annual Shred-a-Thon event.
America's Christian CU’s premier foster care partner, Olive Crest, hosted a Foster Champions breakfast at Eagle Rock Baptist Church. The gathering included about fifty champions from all over Los Angeles County, representing churches, nonprofits, and individuals passionate about this ministry. The keynote speaker was Jason Johnson, a prolific blogger and mobilizer who has been spearheading foster care ministries across the country.
Greater Nevada CU has helped more than 320 students pursue their education by awarding more than $430,000 in scholarships since 2000. This year, the credit union received 125 applications and selected 29 winners to receive $2,000 each.
North Bay CU’s Chief Compliance Officer, Carole McCormick, has achieved Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) accreditation through the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, an international organization dedicated to developing experts in preventing and detecting financial crimes.
Redwood CU Ukiah Assistant Branch Manager Earl Chavez was recently honored with a Volunteer of the Year Award by the Ukiah Chamber of Commerce.
Alaska USA FCU selected Bryce Deeney for its executive team as vice president of payments. He will frontline the credit union’s money movement and also be responsible for understanding digital trends and innovations in banking.
Bay FCU has selected Janice Bunao as the new assistant vice president/branch manager of its Freedom branch. Bunao has a proven track record in member service, leadership, and building member relationships. She has previously held the position of AVP/Branch Manager at Bay FCU’s Aptos and River Street locations, successfully leading her teams at each.
CU of Southern California (CU SoCal) and FedONE FCU will successfully complete their merger on June 1, 2019. The newly combined organization will retain the CU SoCal name. It will have more than $1.5 billion in assets, 20 branch locations, and serve more than 118,000 members throughout Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. CU SoCal President and CEO Dave Gunderson will continue in the same role of the combined organization.
Bay FCU has named Manny Escarcega as the assistant vice president/branch manager of its new Salinas Branch. Escarcega has a strong background in sales, member service, and leadership, and will carry that experience forward as he oversees daily operations at the branch in downtown Salinas. The branch was formerly Coast-Tel FCU before its recent merger into Bay FCU.
Bay FCU has selected Janice Bunao as the new assistant vice president/branch manager of its Freedom Branch. Bunao has a proven track record in member service, leadership, and building member relationships. She has previously held the position of AVP/Branch Manager at Bay FCU’s Aptos and River Street locations, successfully leading her teams at each.
Christian Community CU donated $10,000 in a matching fund to International Ministries for their online Masters of Theological Studies program. The funds for the donation come from the credit union’s “Cards that Give to Missions” program, in which a portion of the credit union’s interchange income (fees merchants pay to card issuers) is donated.
Bay FCU has promoted Frank Sanchez to assistant vice president/branch manager of the River Street branch in Santa Cruz, CA. In his new role, Sanchez will be highly focused on exceeding member service standards, achieving branch financial goals, mentoring and developing staff, and becoming an active partner in the community.
LBS Financial CU has promoted Jennifer Trejo Morones as the new vice president of electronic services. Morones started her career with LBS Financial CU 16 years ago.
Redwood CU has welcomed Elizabeth Duffy as vice president of payments. In her new role, Duffy will focus on strategic initiatives for credit and debit cards and electronic services to enhance member experience and satisfaction.
