PLYMOUTH, Mich.–Backbone, the nationwide coalition that is seeking to highlight credit unions’ “essential role in empowering people and serving communities,” said it has added a number of new members.
The coalition said it now has 23 members touching every region of the country, which it said underscores “the value of collaboration in sharing the industry’s story with the American people.”
“The strength of our movement lies in our collaboration and cooperation,” Element FCU CEO Linda Bodie said. “Backbone is unifying credit unions around our shared story and sharing that story with the audiences that need to hear it.”
Tansley Stearns, the organizer of Backbone and CEO of Community Financial Credit Union in Michigan, was featured as part of the CU Daily Cast with Walter Laskos here.
Free Ads
The organization said it is offering to develop free ads about Backbone and credit unions’ impact on communities across the U.S.
“Credit unions have always been more than financial institutions — we’re trusted partners in our members’ lives,” Redwood Credit Union President and CEO Brett Martinez said in a statement. “We’ve long felt like the transformative power of credit unions is one of the best-kept secrets in financial services, so we’re excited to partner with Backbone and elevate the conversation around our life-changing work, which shouldn’t be a secret to anyone.”
With the new additions, Backbone said its membership includes 23 credit unions across 15 states, as well as the GoWest Credit Union Association and The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates.
‘Momentum is Building’
“We’re growing, our momentum is building, and we’re just getting started,” said Stearns. “In a time of challenge and uncertainty, we’re raising awareness and engagement with consumers nationwide. Credit unions can be an answer to economic strain and a financial partner for life. Backbone stands to ensure Americans know we will walk with them.”
The New Members
- BECU (Washington)
- Element Federal Credit Union (West Virginia)
- Evergreen Credit Union (Maine)
- First Tech Federal Credit Union (Oregon)
- The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Virginia)
- Merck Employees Federal Credit Union (New Jersey)
- Redwood Credit Union (California)
- Rivermark Community Credit Union (Oregon)
- Tarrant County’s Credit Union (Texas)
- Wright-Patt Credit Union, Inc. (Ohio)
Other Members
- Cardinal Credit Union (Ohio)
- Community Financial Credit Union (Michigan)
- Credit Union 1 (Alaska)
- Ent Credit Union (Colorado)
- Everwise Credit Union (Indiana)
- FourLeaf Federal Credit Union (New York)
- GoWest Credit Union Association (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming)
- OneAZ Credit Union (Arizona)
- SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union (California)
- Vantage West Credit Union (Arizona)
- Verity Credit Union (Washington)
- WEOKIE Federal Credit Union (Oklahoma)
- Westerra Credit Union (Colorado)
