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.
When including a photograph, please give a detailed description for each photo sent, including the names and titles of individuals in the photograph. For more information about Members in the News, please contact Associate Editor Natalie J. Moreno at nataliem@ccul.org.
CoastHills CU bolsters commitment to member feedback by automating its survey process. Now, when members take satisfaction surveys, their feedback is automated into a report that refreshes every three hours, giving branch staff a real-time look at data that will help them improve their member service. Managers can review both positive and negative feedback with their staff immediately.
SAFE CU President and CEO Dave Roughton received the California Advocate of the Year Award for 2019 from the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues at an awards ceremony during the REACH 2019 convention in Monterey, CA
California Coast CU's Pack the Pantry in partnership with all of the local community college campuses and the San Diego Food Bank, is collecting non-perishable food between Nov. 4 and Nov. 18 at its 25 branch locations, all San Diego County community college campuses, and the campuses of Imperial Valley College in Imperial County and Mt. San Jacinto Community College in Riverside County.
Redwood CU has hired Tom Ausdenmoore as the new general manager of Redwood CU Auto Services. In this role, Ausdenmoore looks forward to providing car buyers a personalized, stress-free experience.
USC CU has hired Mike Rogers as chief financial officer and Daniel Fernandez as vice president of Community Development. Rogers was previously with Xceed FCU, where he’s served as the vice president of Finance since 2015. Fernandez is from the Opportunity Fund, where he was responsible for building, launching and managing the non-profit CDFI’s micro-lending and community development functions.
First Financial CU has an established an Emergency Loan Program for members affected by the California wildfires, it was announced by Carlton Musmann, First Financial CU President/CEO.
SESLOC FCU members have the chance to enroll in a unique Save to Win 12-month Share Certificate. Save to Win is a prize-linked savings account that offers the chance to win extra cash as increased deposits are made to the account. The goal of the program is to help people grow healthier savings habits in a fun way.
|Greater Nevada CU has promoted John Ahdunko to vice president of business development. For the last four years, Ahdunko has served as a regional sales manager for the credit union, responsible for strategizing and achieving branch and corporate initiatives across its branch network while overseeing seven locations. With expertise in strategic planning, business development, budgeting, sales and service development as well as performance management, Ahdunko will lead the implementation of business development strategies for Nevada’s largest domiciled, community-owned financial institution.
America’s Christian CU celebrated International Credit Union (ICU) Day® on Oct. 17 and welcomed its members and guests with cookies and lemonade at the main branch in Glendora, as well as at the Azusa branch. In addition, employees celebrated with an international potluck, sharing treats from several different cultures. Some of the countries represented were England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Israel, India, Mexico, and the Philippines.
First Financial CU took advantage of the annual Great California ShakeOut earthquake preparedness drill on Oct. 17 to conduct a company-wide disaster recovery exercise. The disaster recovery exercise was successful and staff learned more about how it can build upon and maintain a robust disaster recovery plan. As a result, if/when a major disaster occurs that disrupts business as usual, First Financial CU has processes and procedures in place to handle it and still provide service to members.
The Vocality Community CU team spent Columbus Day morning reviewing strategic plan initiatives and playing Escape Room to hone their team building skills, then hit the streets to clean up around local senior housing units and a senior community building.
SAFE CU was named a Best Place to Work in the Greater Sacramento area by the Sacramento Business Journal for the second year in a row. SAFE CU received the award at a luncheon celebrating the best workplaces in California’s capital region. The award is based on results from surveys sent on behalf of the Sacramento Business Journal to employees at small to large companies in the region.
Redwood CU welcomes back Andy Ramos as senior vice president of member engagement. In his new role, Ramos will help ensure that Redwood CU maintains its long-standing reputation for personalized service, partnership, and passion for helping members succeed. Ramos formerly worked for Redwood CU for many years, serving as regional branch manager, assistant vice president of sales and service, and senior vice president of member experience.
Valley First CU staff donated blankets for the animals at the Stanislaus County Animal Shelter. Recently all 155 Valley First staff came together for an Annual Team Day event, which included making fleece tie blankets for shelter animals.
Redwood CU hosted a Bite of Reality event and sent 700 of its employees out to teach practical financial skills to more than 3,100 high school students across three North Bay counties. Provided exclusively to credit unions by the Richard Myles Johnson (RMJ) Foundation, the Bite of Reality program has been presented by Redwood CU at local schools since 2013, but never on such a large scale.
America’s Christian CU has been named a 2019 adoption advocate by Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA), an Ohio-based nonprofit started by the founder of Wendy’s. DTFA, which annually releases a list of the nation’s most Adoption-Friendly Workplaces, has recognized America's Christian CU as an adoption advocate in the past as well.
Compass Community CU has once again received a Superior 5-star Rating from BauerFinancial, the nation’s premier bank and credit union rating firm. Compass Community CU has maintained that top rating for 38 consecutive quarters.
Greater Nevada CU has hired Mike Dietrich as its new Chief Administrative Officer. Dietrich will oversee digital services, information technology and cybersecurity, and the people services department, which includes people resources, training, staffing and administrative services for the credit union as well as its wholly owned subsidiaries, Greater Nevada Mortgage and Greater Commercial Lending.
Point Loma CU has changed its name to MyPoint CU. The new name is part of a broader strategic initiative that started two years ago to align the overall brand’s experience with the needs of consumers and employees today and for the next 70 years.
1st United CU teamed up as an official sponsor of the Oakland A’s to support the Alameda County Community Food Bank through Homeruns for Hunger, for the eighth consecutive year. For every home run the A’s hit during the regular season, 1st United CU committed to donate $50 to the Food Bank. This year’s donation amounted to $12,250.
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 June 30, 2019.
SAFE CU awarded a $10,000 grant to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento’s efforts to scale up its school mentoring programs. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area serves children aged 7-18 raised by single parents, grandparents, and foster families in Sacramento, Placer, and Yolo counties.
Christian Community CU's Scholarships for Success program awarded $84,500 in scholarships to 85 students in 2019. 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 awarded $959,000 in scholarships.
Bay FCU has hired Camac Serna as its first bilingual home loan consultant in the Salinas area.
America’s Christian CU concluded a four-month generosity initiative where its employees increased efforts to help people in need. The generosity initiative kicked off with a clothing drive to benefit foster youth who are aging out and need business attire for job interviews. Staff members also donated blood, among other weekly events.
SESLOC FCU has hired Joseph (Joey) Ferrell as a Senior Relationship Manager. In this role, Ferrell is responsible for initiating new business growth, analyzing new market trends, and maintaining current client relations.
American First CU partnered with a local organization to help beautify and restore Boys & Girls Clubs across the City of Fullerton as part of its community service day. With a group of 100 volunteers working together for one cause, American First CU associates fanned out across four sites to paint walls, window trims and doors; rake leaves and plant succulents; scrub dirty rails, walls and furniture; build and organizecabinets, shelves and desks; and so much more.
Greater Nevada CU hosted a grand opening ceremony for its new 10,000-square-foot Fernley branch on Oct. 1. The celebration was joined by Fernley Mayor Roy Edgington Jr., the Fernley Chamber of Commerce, Nevada Veterans Coalition Color Guard, and Fernley Vaquero Marching Band. This represents the credit union’s 14th branch in the Silver State.
San Diego County CU has been named as one of the top 50 most community-minded companies in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal, in partnership with OneOC. The Civic 50 provides a local standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills and other resources to improve the quality of life in the community where they do business.
Financial Partners CU hosted its 3nd Annual Gateway Cities Economic Forum on Sept. 11, featuring economist and Beacon Economics Founder, Dr. Christopher Thornberg. Attended by local business owners and city and state officials, the Economic Forum was an opportunity to network and gain insights into the economy in general as well as specific highlights about the local economic climate and opportunities to stimulate growth in the Gateway Cities region.
SAFE CU worked with Juma Ventures Sacramento for a $20,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s AHEAD Program to support Juma’s efforts to secure employment for youths ages 16-24 from underserved communities.
LBS Financial CU delivered thousands of school supplies to Franklin Middle School to help initiate a successful start to the 2019-2020 school year. This included 1,400 Crayola markers, 864 colored pencils, 360 dry erase markers, 60 uniform shirts, 50 gift cards for student incentives, 10 electric sharpeners, a trauma kit for the nurse’s office, and a variety of other items from their wish list.
Travis CU won a 2019 Justice Leadership Award from the Yolo County District Attorney’s Multi-Cultural Community Council. The awards recognize individuals and organizations who promote diverse relationships, acceptance, and peace; forge multicultural coalitions to assure ongoing community dialogue related to cultural awareness; and ensure multi-cultural community participation in educational and informational programs.
SESLOC FCU offers members tips of financial security in the wake of the recent Capital One Financial Corporation data breach, which impacted more than 100 million consumers. With HomeFREE Checking with SESLOC program, members are protected against this type of theft and have access to the tools needed to recover should information be compromised.
Christian Community CU’s Board of Directors has appointed Marji Hughes as Interim CEO. For more than 27 years, Hughes has held leadership roles in various departments at the credit union including operations, member services, loan administration, and IT. Prior to her appointment as Interim CEO, Hughes served as Senior Vice President/COO.
LBS Financial CU delivered thousands of school supplies along with eight new banners to Whitney High School in Cerritos to help initiate a successful start to the 2019-2020 school year.
Alta Vista CU has named its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, David Justice, as its new CEO. He succeeds RaAnn Wood, who will retire Nov. 1, 2019. Justice has been with Alta Vista CU since 2015.
Bay FCU and the Aptos Chamber of Commerce hosted a networking mixer and ribbon cutting to celebrate the credit union’s new Aptos Branch. The branch, now located at 48 Rancho Del Mar Center, relocated this summer after 13 years of being in Aptos Village, and has undergone an extensive new design and has improved parking for their members.
Redwood CU has hired Tim Keane as vice president of corporate real estate. In his new role, Keane will lead the team responsible for acquiring, building, and maintaining the credit union's facilities.
Local firefighters will get free admission to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in September, thanks to Firefighter Appreciation Month Supported by California Coast CU. The special month-long offer provides free admission to the Safari Park for active-duty firefighters, and 10% off for up to six accompanying family members or friends.
LBS Financial CU delivered thousands of school supplies to Ernie Pyle Elementary School in Bellflower to help initiate a successful start to the 2019-2020 school year. Jessica Cummings, principal of Ernie Pyle Elementary School in Bellflower, provided the credit union with a wish list at the beginning of the summer.
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Western Healthcare FCU CEO Diana Michaels (left) with staff and board and supervisory committee members at the Mt. Diablo Chapter meeting. |
The Mt. Diablo Chapter Sept. 11 meeting not only featured chapter elections but also served as a warm celebration of Western Healthcare FCU CEO Diana Michaels' career. Michaels is retiring at the end of November. During the meeting, the board chair and staff from Western Healthcare FCU expressed their appreciation of Michaels as did CEOs David Green of 1st Nothern California CU; John Pamer of Diablo Valley FCU; Ana Tellez of Antioch Community FCU; and Rob Greaff of Delta Schools FCU.
