Best Credit Unions to Work For, ranked 36-70

August 25, 2024 9:00 PM

Leaders in this year's class of 70 honorees for the Best Credit Unions to Work For listing are distinguishing themselves from their peers through innovative wellness programs and prioritizing a more adequate work-life balance.

Chosen organizations are selected through two surveys in conjunction with the Best Companies Group. The first, which is filled out by an applicant's employees, gauges their perspective on eight different categories like role satisfaction, work environment and overall engagement. The second survey, filled out by the employers, looks at the benefits and internal policies of each credit union.

Roughly 94% of employees working at companies that made this year's ranking responded that they are satisfied with their working conditions, and 95% saying they felt safe in this environment. Responses of staff members from organizations that didn't make the list to the same prompts were 91% and 94% respectively.

Read on to learn more about the institutions that ranked from 36 to 70 on the 2024 Best Credit Unions to Work For. Click here to read about the honorees that ranked 1 to 35 on the list.

(Asset totals and employee headcounts were provided by the credit unions at the time of application.)

Christopher Buchanan contributed to this article.

LAFCU employees participate in internal training related to cybersecurity and fraud prevention, called Shields Up! The series included videos featuring employees as well as quiz contests. The first phase of Shields Up! won the Innovation Award from the Michigan Credit Union League in 2023.

LAFCU

70. LAFCU

Lansing, Michigan
Assets: $1 billion
CEO: Patrick Spyke
No. of employees: 168

Interesting Fact: The credit union is launching a $50 certificate of deposit program to entice members of various income levels to "make wealth-building more accessible and inclusive, empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity," LAFCU said.

Unusual Perk: LAFCU makes sure each employee knows how much they mean to the credit union during its staff appreciation day, where team members receive personalized gifts and handwritten notes from managers to express gratitude for their work.

CBC employees participate in the company's Halloween contest.

CBC Federal Credit Union

69. CBC Federal Credit Union

Oxnard, California
Assets: $860 million
CEO: Richard Weber
No. of employees: 118

Interesting Fact: CBC will go through a rebranding process this year, including a name and logo change, to OceanAir Federal Credit Union. The new name will be effective Nov. 1.

Unusual Perk: CBC provides monthly recognition of employee excellence.

Employees of Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union at a baseball game.

Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union

68. Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union

Columbia, South Carolina
Assets: $1.3 billion
President and CEO: Robert Dozier Jr.
No. of employees: 314

Interesting Fact: Palmetto Citizens allocated $250,000 for a program to help employees of the Orangeburg County School District with the homebuying process. Employees financing their home with the credit union are eligible for up to $15,000 in assistance toward the down payment and other closing costs.

Unusual Perk: Credit union employee benefits feature a 4% profit share, immediate vesting for the 401(k) and fully paid health insurance for associates.

Credit union employees participate in Prospera Fest, which is an all-staff training day.

Prospera Credit Union

67. Prospera Credit Union

Appleton, Wisconsin
Assets: $372 million
CEO: Sheila Schinke
No. of employees: 87

Interesting Fact: Prospera established a mentoring program for new employees within the last year to help them better acclimate to their new roles and understand the responsibilities that are entailed.

Unusual Perk: The credit union launched a milestone anniversary lunch with the CEO this year to commemorate employee achievements.

Employees during Security First FCU's 2024 All-Staff Training & Team-Building Day.

Security First Federal Credit Union

66. Security First Federal Credit Union

Edinburg, Texas
Assets: $487 million
CEO: Anthony (Andy) Reed
No. of employees: 134

Interesting Fact: Last year, Security First FCU launched its Drive Your Dream auto lending program for subprime members in a project led by a team of employees. After implementing the program in roughly 18 days, the credit union underwrote more than $25 million in subprime auto loans from July through year-end in 2023.

Unusual Perk: The credit union covers the cost of employees' diagnostic imaging and lab procedures.

HAPO Community Credit Union team members volunteer their time.

Annie Jacobs

65. HAPO Community Credit Union

Richland, Washington
Assets: $2.4 billion
President and CEO: Scott Mitchell
No. of employees: 499

Interesting Fact: HAPO offers professional developmental and succession planning at the individual business unit level to promote internal growth and development.

Unusual Perk: HAPO offers employees a central website known as HYPE to connect with other employees in challenges, clubs and shout-outs. Staff members can earn points to spend on gift cards by interacting with their peers.

As part of CCU Florida's community service programs, employees volunteer to support the Children's Hunger Project.

Community Credit Union of Florida

64. Community Credit Union of Florida

Rockledge, Florida
Assets: $1.4 billion
CEO: Laurie Cappelli
No. of employees: 164

Interesting Fact: To better prepare for succession and employee moves, CCU Florida has established a business continuity program that relies on managers to identify growth opportunities for employees and ensure that processes are captured for the next staff member in that role.

Unusual Perk: Flexible hybrid scheduling to emphasize work/life balance is part of the credit union's work-from-anywhere program.

Astera team members get together at the credit union's annual holiday party.

Astera Credit Union

63. Astera Credit Union

Lansing, Michigan
Assets: $200 million
CEO: Martin Carter
No. of employees: 69

Interesting Fact: Within the last year, Astera launched its payday lending consolidation product known as a "Financial Freedom Loan" to assist with making on-time payments and provide members with opportunities for learning about financial literacy topics.

Unusual Perk: Employees get eight hours a year of paid time off if they choose to volunteer at charities.

"Do Good" is the credit union's motto for volunteering in the community. These capes are given to the Do Gooder of the week in Blue Federal's Cheyenne and Denver communities.

Blue Federal Credit Union

62. Blue Federal Credit Union

Cheyenne, Wyoming
Assets: $2.1 billion
CEO: Stephanie Teubner
No. of employees: 399

Interesting Fact: In 2023, Blue Federal implemented a new human resources information system to create a central hub for employee needs such as payroll, performance evaluation, succession planning and more.

Unusual Perk: Blue Federal has an "employee engagement passport" which is an in-house app that allows employees and leaders to prompt one-on-one meetings with upper management concerning their growth and future development in the company.

Members of the Casper team take a step back in time for a branch-wide Halloween costume event.

Western Vista Credit Union

61. Western Vista Credit Union

Cheyenne, Wyoming
Assets: $261 million
President and CEO: Steven Leafgreen
No. of employees: 54

Interesting Fact: Western Vista hosts annual roundtable discussions with its employees to stay attuned to their needs and to gather feedback on how the credit union could improve.

Unusual Perk: Employees get discounted and interest-free loans for major life purchases.

Christmas gifts for board, staff and community members.

American Southwest Credit Union

60. American Southwest Credit Union

Sierra Vista, Arizona
Assets: $389 million
CEO: Jay Williamson
No. of employees: 69

Interesting Fact: American Southwest Credit Union launched Lumin digital banking and video banking through Glia, with plans to further tech adoption through new initiatives such as fully automated deposit account opening, access to the Federal Reserve's FedNow network and more.

Unusual Perk: In addition to providing employees with eight hours of paid leave for volunteer efforts, ASCU established a "Leave Bank" allowing staff members to donate up to 80 hours per year of paid time off as supplemental support for employees during special circumstances where they may have limited leave hours.

In support of its "Get Active" programming and wellness initiatives, FMFCU partners with a local YMCA to host a pickleball clinic for employees to learn the game.

Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union

59. Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Assets: $1.8 billion
CEO: Michael Magnavita
No. of employees: 322

Interesting Fact: Employees are granted employer-sponsored care assistance for aging family members, such as transportation to medical appointments or meal delivery, securing of proper care or assistance facilities.

Unusual Perk: The credit union offers golf and pickleball clinics for employees eager to learn the fundamentals of the games.

Employees during Michigan First's team learning day.

Michigan First Credit Union

58. Michigan First Credit Union

Lathrup Village, Michigan
Assets: $1.5 billion
President and CEO: Jennifer Borowy
No. of employees: 490

Interesting Fact: Michigan First has previously steered clear of online account opening tech due to the propensity for fraud and risk, but the credit union is ready to dive in after bolstering its security.

Unusual Perk: The credit union operates a bowling alley for employees to use during down time.

Employees during the company Christmas party at Disneyland Hotel.

Sherri Inman

57. Altura Credit Union

Riverside, California
Assets: $2.6 billion
CEO: Jennifer Binkley
No. of employees: 456

Interesting Fact: To support the local Riverside art scene, the credit union sponsors the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. Close to half of Altura's permanent full-time and part-time employees based in the U.S. identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Unusual Perk: Altura has an open-door policy that allows employees to submit constructive feedback to leadership at every level through various channels.

Ascend employees dress up to support fundraising efforts for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2023, employees raised $3,720 for the cause.

Ascend Federal Credit Union

56. Ascend Federal Credit Union

Tullahoma, Tennessee
Assets: $4.4 billion
President and CEO: Matt Jernigan
No. of employees: 631

Interesting Fact: Coaching, development and succession planning are at the forefront of Ascend's long-term sustainability strategy, which led to a 43% internal promotion rate last year.

Unusual Perk: Ascend worked with Middle Tennessee State University to provide an 18% tuition discount to employees in addition to its preexisting tuition reimbursement program.

A snapshot capturing the Cyprus culture as the credit union's team comes together to participate in its annual mortgage event.

Cyprus Federal Credit Union

55. Cyprus Federal Credit Union

West Jordan, Utah
Assets: $1.7 billion
CEO: Todd Adamson
No. of employees: 446

Interesting Fact: Cyprus adopted a user-friendly AI knowledge base over the past year to help bolster its teams by providing data-driven insights to create new efficiencies.

Unusual Perk: The credit union regularly gives away tickets to employees for various sporting events, concerts, shows, general travel and more.

Empower Federal Credit Union

54. Empower Federal Credit Union

Syracuse, New York
Assets: $3.2 billion
President and CEO: Ryan McIntyre
No. of employees: 644

Interesting Fact: Empower has a partnership with Syracuse University to bring athletes and coaches on-site for autographs and meet-and-greets.

Unusual Perk: Employees can have hybrid work schedules, with an in-office requirement of five days a month.

Golden 1 and community leaders celebrate the opening of the Golden 1 Credit Union Financial Resource Center in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood of Sacramento.

Golden 1 Credit Union

53. Golden 1 Credit Union

Sacramento, California
Assets: $19.3 billion
President and CEO: Donna Bland
No. of employees: 2,038

Interesting Fact: As the sixth-largest credit union by assets in the country, Golden 1 has committed itself to helping lower barriers to homeownership across its membership through the launch of a new closing cost credit program. The initiative provides members with financial support.

Unusual Perk: Golden 1 provides comprehensive health and well-being support for employees with its Be Well, FitOn Health and Golden 1 Cares programs.

LSCU's mascot, Penny the Pug, presents a donation to the Greenville Independent School District.

Lone Star Credit Union

52. Lone Star Credit Union

Dallas, Texas
Assets: $176 million
President and CEO: Marcy Phillips
No. of employees: 39

Interesting Fact: This past year, the credit union introduced construction-to-permanent homebuilding loans with the help of Truhome Mortgage Solutions and underwrote its first loan within the first week of the program going live.

Unusual Perk: Hybrid work environments have become a popular topic of debate between employees and executives. To ease the discussion, Lone Star allows back office staff members to choose where they'd like to work from each day and employs a relaxed office attire standard.

American Heritage's Spring Adopt-A-Highway cleanup

American Heritage Credit Union

51. American Heritage Credit Union

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Assets: $4.8 billion
President and CEO: Bruce Foulke
No. of employees: 612

Interesting Fact: American Heritage Credit Union leaders host an annual employee appreciation for associates with games, prizes and food prepared by management.

Unusual Perk: As part of helping employees maintain a healthy lifestyle outside of the office, the credit union offers staff members access to free wellness programs for quitting smoking and nicotine replacement therapy. Added benefits include biometric screenings for illnesses and flu shots.

Chartway Promise Foundation delivers “Ready Bags” for medically fragile children and their families.

Chartway Credit Union

50. Chartway Credit Union

Virginia Beach, Virginia
Assets: $2.9 billion
President and CEO: Brian Schools
No. of employees: 548

Interesting Fact: Through its Chartway Promise Foundation, the credit union has awarded $15 million in charitable grants to support medically fragile children and their families.

Unusual Perk: Chartway's wellness program includes pet adoption reimbursement for the emotional health of team members and for rescuing animals.

Landings' Cinco De Mayo celebration.

Landings Credit Union

49. Landings Credit Union

Tempe, Arizona
Assets: $241 million
CEO: Brian Lee
No. of employees: 58

Interesting Fact: Landings is working with the Phoenix-based financial education platform My First Nest Egg to offer members an app to teach their children healthy saving and budgeting behaviors.

Unusual Perk: In addition to interest-free loans, the credit union's Franklin Club provides employees with educational resources to learn more about credit scores, budgeting, loans and other financial topics.

Mountain CU employees at the Waynesville location prepare for Member Appreciation Day in 2023.

Mountain CU

48. Mountain CU

Waynesville, North Carolina
Assets: $336 million
CEO: Amy Woody
No. of employees: 78

Interesting Fact: Mountain CU helped establish the Business and Banking Apprenticeship at the nearby Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, North Carolina, to provide a pipeline of young professionals into the industry.

Unusual Perk: The credit union wants to ensure its employees aren't confined to a single role and encourages them to pursue their own career aspirations within the organization by providing one-on-one mentoring sessions.

Employees during Buckeye State's Christmas party.

Buckeye State Credit Union

47. Buckeye State Credit Union

Akron, Ohio
Assets: $142 million
CEO: Michael Abernathy
No. of employees: 71

Interesting Fact: To better meet the needs of its subprime members, Buckeye State plans to adopt an artificial intelligence-powered underwriting product offered by Scienaptic AI to tailor loan products to borrowers.

Unusual Perk: Employees are periodically recognized at Cheer4Peers events hosted by management, where staff members can highlight the accomplishments of their co-workers.

During Members First's "Week of Joy," team members go out into their community and spread joy by surprising a stranger with a $50 gift card.

Members First Credit Union

46. Members First Credit Union

Midland, Michigan
Assets: $826 million
President and CEO: Carrie Iafrate
No. of employees: 254

Interesting Fact: Over the last year, Members First has added a diverse suite of employee programs that range from paid family care leave for employees with parents who require care to a revised hybrid work program that provides an annual allowance for outfitting at-home offices.

Unusual Perk: The credit union hosts special observance activities that highlight different cultures, with programs that include origami instruction, Spanish tile painting and virtual sign language lessons.

Pioneer Appalachia Federal Credit Union's Green Chili Shootout earlier this year.

Jake Ruddle

45. Pioneer Appalachia Federal Credit Union

Charleston, West Virginia
Assets: $225 million
President and CEO: Dan McGowan
No. of employees: 41

Interesting Fact: In addition to significant payments upgrades like the integration of the Clearing House's Real Time Payments and the Federal Reserve's FedNow payment settlement systems, Pioneer Appalachia was approved for a field of membership expansion that triples its current member base.

Unusual Perk: The credit union hosts a weight-loss challenge for staff to encourage physical fitness.

UMCU hosts the National Championship trophy as a proud partner of Michigan Athletics.

University of Michigan Credit Union

44. University of Michigan Credit Union

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Assets: $1.4 billion
CEO: Tiffany Ford
No. of employees: 227

Interesting Fact: UMCU is expanding its leadership development program to include tailored plans and paths for specific roles.

Unusual Perk: Free in-person yoga classes help staff members unwind.

Greenville Federal Credit Union

43. Greenville Federal Credit Union

Greenville, South Carolina
Assets: $440 million
President and CEO: Paul Hughes
No. of employees: 98

Interesting Fact: Greenville established a "Learning League" of employees who are subject matter experts to work side-by-side with new hires and new-to-role employees as an educational resource for expediting training.

Unusual Perk: Greenville has flexible schedules that allow employees in certain positions to work from home.

Carolina Foothills employees volunteer to work at the Bloodmobile.

Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union

42. Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union

Spartanburg, South Carolina
Assets: $201 million
President and CEO: Scott Weaver
No. of employees: 68

Interesting Fact: Carolina Foothills has pledged to fund $10 million in loans to minority-owned small businesses as part of a local revitalization campaign. The credit union has funded $1.5 million since the program's inception.

Unusual Perk: Carolina Foothills offers no-cost to low-cost insurance premiums for employees.

Apple Federal's Women Giving Back program.

Apple Federal Credit Union

41. Apple Federal Credit Union

Fairfax, Virginia
Assets: $4.5 billion
President and CEO: Andy Grimm
No. of employees: 533

Interesting Fact: To nurture its diverse array of staff members, with over 30 different languages and nationalities represented across several branches, Apple Federal created a three-tier leadership development program to support its managers. The first tier focuses on management basics, while the second tier focuses on becoming an effective coach, and the third tier deals with strategic leadership.

Unusual Perk: The credit union offers paid time off for community volunteer activities such as youth-mentoring programs and working in food pantries.

MAX team members in the 2023 The Shoppes at Eastchase Christmas Parade.

MAX Credit Union

40. MAX Credit Union

Montgomery, Alabama
Assets: $2 billion
President and CEO: Martin Head
No. of employees: 305

Interesting Fact: The credit union's philanthropic campaign MAX4Kids has raised more than $1.6 million for local children's charities since its debut in 2001. MAX also gave out roughly $50,000 in scholarships to local high school seniors this year.

Unusual Perk: MAX hosts an annual companywide tailgate party to don their team colors, enjoy food together and commemorate the start of football season.

Deseret First employees at the credit union's Orem,Utah-based branch.

Deseret First Credit Union

39. Deseret First Credit Union

West Valley City, Utah
Assets: $1.1 billion
CEO: Shane London
No. of employees: 218

Interesting Fact: Deseret has emphasized its Visa card products over the last several months, allowing members to pick their own PIN and receive digital cards when their physical cards are lost or stolen. The credit union has also integrated its card platform into its mobile banking portal.

Unusual Perk: For employees seeking to unwind a bit, the credit union offers access to an on-site fitness center and game room.

Employee volunteers help EcoAction Arlington with park cleanup and invasive plant removal at Lubber Run Park as part of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Volunteer Day.

Northwest Federal Credit Union

38. Northwest Federal Credit Union

Herndon, Virginia
Assets: $4.5 billion
President and CEO: Jeff Bentley
No. of employees: 495

Interesting Fact: NWFCU adopted a new customer relationship management system through Salesforce, which allows front-office employees to better understand member relationships and capitalize on other tools like preapproved loans through CuneXus — generating $11 million in direct consumer loans.

Unusual Perk: Through the credit union's For Achievements Made Every day (FAME) platform, employees can acknowledge the accomplishments of their peers using a points-based system. Points can then be used to donate to a charitable organization of their choice.

Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union

37. Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union

Denver, Colorado
Assets: $333 million
President and CEO: Christine Wiley
No. of employees: 41

Interesting Fact: The credit union partnered with CURevl to launch a student loan program, which includes educational resources for college planning and predicted salary ranges of different positions when the member graduates.

Unusual Perk: Rocky Mountain's spirit days allow staff members to celebrate holidays, culturally significant days and other themes with festive outfits and a potluck lunch.

United team members create Valentine's cards for senior citizens in the credit union's local communities in Nevada.

United Federal Credit Union

36. United Federal Credit Union

Saint Joseph, Michigan
Assets: $4.1 billion
President and CEO: Terry O'Rourke
No. of employees: 715

Interesting Fact: United is exploring the addition of loan products for members that are designed as a more financially sound alternative to payday lenders. Other initiatives that the credit union is working on include revisions to its down payment assistance program and the adoption of a new employee experience platform to regularly gather feedback from staff.

Unusual Perk: The credit union established a "Memorable Moments" program to fund staff gestures toward credit union members during important life events such as marriages and deaths.