since 1935 | #justbeyourself

Volume 6 | Issue 11 | November 2023
Our Mission: Providing financial solutions for every stage of life.

Dear Valued Member,

Regular readers of my monthly letter might recall I reported back in July that Community First had been selected Credit Union of the Year for Florida by the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates. Although it was a significant honor and validation of our hard work, all of us at Community First embraced it as motivation to serve you even better.

Striving to continually improve is part of our culture here at Community First, and over the past few months we have been working hard to live up to our growing reputation as the region’s best credit union. We continually remind ourselves that we work for you, and helping you live your best life is the reason we exist.

Here are some of the ways we’re continuing to improve for our members and our employees:

Redesigned website

One improvement you may have already experienced is our redesigned website, which we have upgraded with a brighter, more contemporary look. Launched at the end of October, the redesign is more than cosmetic. The site’s features and resources are much the same, but they’re arranged more intuitively to make them easier to find quickly. (It’s important to note is that the redesign did NOT include our online banking platform, which looks and functions the same as you have come to expect.)

You also may notice when visiting our redesigned site that we have given more prominence to the Careers section, which we updated to appeal to potential new employees who share our service culture and would appreciate being part of a team that makes a difference in people’s lives.

A team with a purpose

Our employees enjoy helping members access the financial services they need and find answers to their questions, but their commitment to the community doesn’t stop there. I’m proud to report that our credit union’s Day of Purpose in October was a great success, with 410 employees traveling across the region to volunteer at 21 nonprofit agencies as close as downtown Jacksonville and as far away as Amelia Island. After a morning of teambuilding exercises, our employees spent the afternoon engaged in service projects ranging from cooking meals to walking dogs.

Their efforts were greatly appreciated by the organizations they helped. At the Barnabas New To You Resale Store in Fernandina Beach, the organization’s volunteer services manager, Patricia Thompson, said our employees “put out more donated items in two and half hours than we could have in a week! Thank you for completing your Day of Purpose with us!”

At the Quigley House shelter in Clay County, Development Director Jackie Krug, thanked our employees for contributing to a “safer and cleaner environment” for the shelters’ survivors domestic violence and sexual assault. “Your team’s dedication and support are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to growing our partnership!” she said.

In addition to the rewards of performing the service itself, employees have told me the highlight was getting to know their coworkers on a more personal level. From executives and headquarters administrators to employees at our 20 branches, our people came away from the Day of Purpose with stronger connections among themselves as well as the communities and neighborhoods they serve.

Although the timing was purely coincidental, it’s interesting to note that our employees were building these connections at about the same time we were being notified by the Jacksonville Business Journal that Community First had earned recognition as one of the Best Places to Work in Northeast Florida. According to JBJ, the honor is given to organizations that “go beyond the norm to foster an enjoyable and meaningful work environment for their employees.” Going beyond the norm is certainly our intention, and we’re gratified that our employees recognize our efforts.

Adding branches

Another way we’re continuing to improve is by growing our branch network. Our new Northpoint Branch opened its doors in late October, and our grand opening celebration began Oct. 30. If you live in the Northpoint area, I encourage you to stop by and have a look.

More branches are coming soon as well. The new Boulevard Crossing Branch is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2024, and the Murabella Branch in St. Johns County is coming next summer. Also, our new Gate Parkway Branch is also on track to open late in 2024, replacing the current Baymeadows location.

Listening to our members

As Community First continues to grow, we’re guided by you — our members — through your comments and suggestions. Many of you are familiar with our periodic member surveys conducted using the Net Promoter System. In addition to measuring member satisfaction, NPS gives members an opportunity to tell us both what they like about our credit union and how we can improve.

Many of the improvements you see us making to our products and services are a direct result of what we learn from member comments. We’re rigorous about how we conduct the surveys, which we send to a random sample of all members, not just those who have recently interacted with us and would be more likely to view us favorably.

We’ll be sending out our next random survey in early November to about 18,000 of our 171,000 members. If you happen to be among those who receive a request to complete the survey, I sincerely hope you’ll participate. By doing so, you’ll be helping Community First improve for all of your fellow members.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I want to thank you for your continued trust in Community First and for providing us with the purpose that drives us to be the best. ■