Our story

Started by eleven teachers in 1954 who could not get a fair loan, and who decided the fix was to lend to each other.

The founding story of most credit unions is some version of this one. A group of people with something in common — a workplace, a parish, a town — discovered that the lending available to them was either unavailable or predatory, pooled what they had, and wrote their own loans. Ours was a school district. The first loan was for a used car and it was repaid.

Seventy-two years later we hold deposits for thirty-eight thousand members across nine branches. The structure has not changed at all: members own it, members elect the board, and the earnings have nowhere to go but back.

What we are and are not

We are a not-for-profit financial cooperative. Not-for-profit does not mean we lose money — we have to earn more than we spend or we cannot keep the lights on or the deposits safe. It means there are no outside shareholders with a claim on what is left over.

We are not a charity, not a bank, and not large. Roughly a hundred and forty employees. That size is the reason for most of what is good here and most of what is limited here, and we try to be plain about both.

How decisions get made

An unpaid, member-elected board sets policy and hires the chief executive. Volunteer committees handle audit and lending oversight. Every member gets one vote in board elections regardless of balance. More on governance.

Where we operate

Nine branches, plus the shared branching network that gives members access to thousands of credit union locations nationwide. Branches and ATMs.

In the community

Scholarships, financial education in local schools, paid volunteer hours for staff, and small grants. What that actually amounts to, including the numbers.