since 1935 | #justbeyourself

Volume 6 | Issue 7 | July 2023
Our Mission: Providing financial solutions for every stage of life.

Dear Valued Member,

All of us at Community First were honored last month to be selected as the Florida Credit Union of the Year by the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates, marking the second time in three years that we received the award.

Being named Credit Union of the Year in 2021 was a great honor, but being selected again this year tells us something much more. Beyond recognizing our strong performance over the past year, the award affirms that our people-focused approach to serving members is working — and our peers are noticing.

The League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates represents 311 credit unions throughout Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Its annual awards are designed to recognize credit unions that provide “exemplary service” through their “day-to-day operations, financial prowess, and community outreach.” Community First was honored in the category for credit unions with $500 million or more in assets, which includes the largest credit unions in the state.

Being recognized as a leader among all large credit unions in our three-state region is a testament to the fact that we have never lost sight of why we exist and who we exist to serve. Since we were founded in 1935 to provide financial services to Duval County teachers, we have steadily expanded the scope of our member base and services while always staying true to purpose.

If you were to ask any of our employees over the years what that purpose was, you might have heard it expressed in different ways but always with the same essence — helping people pursue the things that make them happy and give their lives meaning. Last year, we decided take a closer look at how we articulate our purpose, and we came up a statement that centers on empowering our employees, members and community to live their best lives.

It's no accident that we list employees first in our purpose statement. We chose that order because we recognize that to be successful and truly serve the needs of our members, we need to fundamentally understand who our members are. And the best people to do that are our employees. They live where you live, shop where you shop and have kids who learn where yours learn. They know your neighborhoods, your aspirations and your challenges. They “get you,” and that’s the essential first step to being able to help you be your best self.

We’ve been working hard recently to support our employees with additional professional development programs and opportunities for career advancement. We’re also planning to strengthen our community connections by holding employee service events in local neighborhoods.

I’m excited to say that our credit union’s people-first approach is resonating with consumers of banking services, as we continue to attract new members. Last year, our membership increased over 6% to 168,000, and we’re continuing to add new members this year.

Just as importantly, our existing members are recognizing our efforts to continually improve by adding new services, reducing fees and offering great rates on loans and deposits. Our most-recent member satisfaction scores were up by 15% from the same period a year ago.

All of these things — member growth, increasing satisfaction scores and industrywide recognition as one of the best credit unions in the Southeast region — confirm that hardworking neighbors and business owners appreciate a local financial services institution that knows who they are and helps them become what they aspire to be. People recognize the value offered by a member-owned credit union, and Community First strives to provide the best value of all.■