North Bay CU, which has seen a robust 10% increase in membership growth, is expanding its field of membership to serve more Northern California residents. The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has approved the credit union to serve those who live, work or worship in Marin, Napa and Solano counties, in addition to Sonoma County.

LBS Financial CU donated $2,500 to Nixon Academy of Multimedia Arts Production elementary school in Cerritos as part of their 2020 Adopt-A-School program. With this grant, Nixon Academy was able to invest in the technology application program, Notability, and professional development for approximately 450 licenses to be used by their 3^rd through 6^th grade students.

SAFE CU has earned a Best Place to Work designation from the Sacramento Business Journal for the third year in a row.  SAFE CU was named the 2020 No.1 Large Employer in The Greater Sacramento Region and received the same designation in 2018, and was named one of the best places to work in 2019.

Travis CU and Solano County Public Health have partnered together to produce the video series, ‘Strengthening Your Financial Foundation in the Time of COVID-19,’ featuring multiple financial education topics that are most relevant during the pandemic. The series of informational videos will be shared weekly with Solano County residents through Solano County Public Health’s as well as the credit union's communication channels.

UNCLE CU has hired Sunny Olabode as vice president of finance. In this role, Olabode directs and administers the organization’s financial planning objectives, oversees budget management and provides strategic direction in measuring financial and operational performance. She also leads the daily operations of the finance and accounting teams, including the hiring and supervision of staff.

San Diego County CU is a proud sponsor of the 2020 San Diego Padres season. The credit union has been supporting our hometown team, the San Diego Padres, since Petco Park’s inaugural season.

LBS Financial CU awarded $20,000 in scholarships to 36 students in Long Beach, Lakewood, Cerritos, and surrounding communities for the 2019-2020 school year. 

San Diego County CU is sponsoring a virtual technology fair for adults 50+ hosted by San Diego Oasis. “The Get Connected: Technology Fair for Adults 50+” is in its 8th year, and for the first time completely virtual, more than 10,000 adults 50+ are expected to join the event for cutting-edge technology learning to improve quality of life and engagement.

1st United CU is matching virtual food drive donations (up to $10,000) to help local families during these unprecedented times.

San Mateo CU facilitated a donation from teen philanthropist for COVID-19 response. Olivia Sze raised $1,085 to help her community through her Hidden Treasures Fundraiser.

The Travis CU Foundation announced that it raised more than $1 million for the COVID-19 Relief Initiative, which was matched by Travis CU, for a total of $2 million which will be distributed to 83 local community organizations, many who are providing resources and services to individuals and families impacted by the pandemic. Travis CU matched every dollar raised by the Travis CU Foundation up to $20,000, for a maximum of $40,000 total per agency. The campaign culminated on Sept. 30.

American First CU was honored to be invited as guest speakers at the Brother2Brother Virtual Retreat hosted by Male Success Initiative (MSI) – Fullerton to provide advice and guidance to men of color in their academic and college careers. MSI aims to foster academic success, establish a support network of mentors, and increase graduation and retention rates of California State University, Fullerton’s men of color.

San Diego County CU was selected as a CRMNext Right on The Money Superhero Award finalist—which recognizes banks and credit unions that have gone above and beyond to deliver stellar experiences in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

L-R: Jenny Fonsen, Senior AVP Member Services and Fatima Zinselmeir, AVP Quality Service & Development. 

Coast Central CU has promoted Jenny Fonsen to Senior Assistant Vice President of Member Services, and Fatima Zinselmeir has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Quality Service & Development. Fonsen’s responsiblities include lead roles in major credit union initiatives, as well as compliance, operational procedures, auditing, and security.  Zinselmeir is responsible for management of the credit union’s quality service and training programs. 

SESLOC FCU surpassed one billion dollars in assets as of quarter-end Sept. 30, 2020.  The credit union has 56,000 members and honors its educational roots by providing $20,000 a year in grants to local K-12 school teachers and offering ongoing financial wellness support for members.

Bay FCU and Santa Cruz Community Ventures have joined forces to provide financial education in rural, low-income minority communities throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. This effort is funded, in part, by an AHEAD grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

UNCLE CU has hired Charles Crohare to lead the organization’s business banking initiatives. As AVP, Business Banking Manager, Crohare will focus on expanding the role of the credit union as a vital resource and trusted financial partner for local small businesses.

San Diego County CU's Call Center Senior Vice President Sheena Peoples was named one of SD Metro Magazine’s top 40 Under 40. The award recognizes some of the best and brightest minds making a positive difference in the San Diego community.

LBS Financial CU has hired Richard Flores as Vice President/Branch Manager of the credit union’s new Long Beach Marina location that will open this fall. Flores has more than 20 years of financial services experience, most recently as a District Manager at Chase and prior experience with Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

Bay FCU welcomes Emily Quatman to its Investment Services team. Quatman brings more than 14 years of financial services experience to Bay FCU and has an extensive background in establishing, cultivating, and maintaining client relationships. 

America’s Christian CU has announced its member-generated Visa® Platinum GiveBack donation for the last four calendar quarters. In alignment with its corporate priorities of stronger communities, families, and ministries, America’s Christian CU will divide the proceeds of $18,000 among eight (8) key ministry partners.

San Diego County CU is the proud title sponsor of the 24th Annual San Diego County Credit Union Festival of Arts in North Park being held virtually in 2020. The festival will feature eight free live interactive online events on Thursdays and Saturdays until Oct. 29 showcasing local artists, musicians and local artisans with food, drink and product demonstrations.

Elko FCU selects Corelation to help enhance personalized service to its members, including the 200 small businesses they serve.

San Diego County is recognizing exemplary innovations in education by serving as a sponsor of the 17^th Annual Innovation in Education Awards, presented by the San Diego County Office of Education and the Classroom of the Future Foundation (CFF).

1st United CU is sponsoring the Youth Financial Literacy Ambassador (YFLA) Program. YFLA is the vision of Mission San Jose high school student, Jatin Chadha, who wanted to learn more about personal finance. Working with the Fremont Family Resource Center, Jatin and his peers hosted four classes at his school. The response was positive and led to the creation of the YFLA train-the-trainer program in which students learn financial concepts and host classes to teach what they learned.

America’s Christian CU recently funded its 2,000^th adoption loan—an exciting milestone in its 11-year ministry of assisting members who seek to adopt. 

Travis CU is looking to increase the number of high school students in Yolo County who complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Dream Act Application by offering webinars to educate students and families on available financial aid resources.

LBS Financial CU employees and original CEO, Morris Hayter in the 1950s.

LBS Financial CU celebrated its 85^th anniversary. Created by Long Beach Unified School District and Long Beach City College employees in 1935, the credit union has grown to not only include local school employees from several districts and colleges, but also employees of select local businesses and many local cities and counties where members live or work. The credit union started with 28 members in 1935 and has grown to more than 130,000 members in the local area today. The credit union celebrated this year’s milestone with community outreach efforts and support during the COVID-19 crisis, such as providing lunches to healthcare professionals, featuring local restaurants on social media, hosting a dry food & personal item drive for Long Beach Rescue Mission, and donating funds to six educational foundations.

San Diego County CU's  Nathan Schmidt has been named Executive Vice President, Chief Experience Officer and Digital Channels . In this role, Schmidt is responsible for management of the overall customer experience including further oversight of customer interactions with the San Diego County CU brand, in addition to his existing responsibilities which include marketing, advertising, digital channels, product development, business development and community and media relations atSan Diego County CU. 

San Diego County CU (SDCCU) partnered with the San Diego Blood Bank to host a blood drive at five SDCCU locations throughout San Diego county, collecting 89 pints of much-needed blood, which will help save the lives of over 267 people.

Christian Community CU has partnered with Abilene Christian University (ACU) to offer the Wildcat Rewards Visa Card. The co-branded card program allows cardholders to earn rewards points that can be used to help pay for students’ expenses at ACU or any other college through ACU’s Wildcat Rewards program. Rewards can also be redeemed for cash back, airfare, merchandise, and more through the credit union’s CURewards program. 

America's Christian CU staff participated in the annual Miracle Jeans Day fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Together, the credit union’s employees raised $850, bringing the total of funds raised for CMN in 2020 to $3,500.

Orange County’s CU brought awareness to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with decorated signs for their local Children Miracle Network Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Orange County. The signs are displayed on the hospital’s bridge, where staff and patients’ families can read words of encouragement.

Compass Community CU has once again been awarded the highest (5-Star) rating for financial strength and stability by BauerFinancial, Inc. Even in the current climate, Compass Community CU is able to excel in such areas as capital adequacy, profitability and asset quality. The credit union has earned and maintained this top rating for 42 consecutive quarters. Compass Community CU has earned the title of “Exceptional Performance Credit Union”, a status reserved for institutions that have earned Bauer’s highest rating consistently for at least 10 consecutive years.

Greater Nevada Mortgage's (GNM) Vice President of Mortgage Sales Nick Serrano has been selected as the national co-chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) education networking group. Serrano will help run and facilitate the MBA’s education networking group, serving alongside other mortgage bankers from across the United States. Serrano currently leads all mortgage consultant training at GNM, a subsidiary of Greater Nevada CU.

San Diego County CU Stuff the Bus, held in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) and iHeartMedia San Diego radio stations, is making a big impact in the lives of students in need this year. Not only were a record number of filled backpacks supplied to students experiencing homelessness, but more than 1,600 headphone sets and over 2,000 earbuds were purchased with the extra funds from the campaign to set students up for success in the new distance learning environment implemented this year due to COVID-19.

Kinecta FCU proudly supported members during the pandemic. Kinecta FCU funded 1,277 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling 67,509,011.43. In addition, Kinecta FCU partnered with Local Love Manhattan Beach to provide additional support for small business owners with 0% interest loans. Click here to view a supporting video. 

LBS Financial CU has hired Michael Tan, financial advisor for LBS Financial Investment Services. Tan comes with a very rich background in investment guidance and has been in the investment services industry for nine years. He recently worked with JP Morgan Chase, Chase Private Client and has worked for Scottrade/TD Ameritrade and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.

First Financial CU posted record-breaking real estate loan production results in August, funding more than $30.1 million in real estate loans. 

Christian Community CU’s Scholarships for Success program awarded $91,000 in scholarships to 91 students in 2020. Awards were given to new scholars and those who qualified for the multi-year scholarship program. Since the scholarship program began in 1999, the credit union has given over $1 million in scholarships.

San Luis Obispo Branch Manager Theresa Binney (center) and staff display member donations benefiting local non-profit Jack’s Helping Hand.

SESLOC FCU has named Theresa Binney as new manager for its San Luis Obispo branch. Binney brings to SESLOC FCU more than 18 years of financial institution expertise, including a commitment to delivering outstanding service and increasing efficiencies, plus vast experience in business lending, particularly with construction loans.

PremierOne CU presented two college-bound students with scholarships at a recent virtual online ceremony.