Branch banking

As more transactions roll out of CU branches in favor of e-channels, the role of the branch manager is changing.

The first day Jill McNabb stepped into her role as branch manager for the Bastrop branch of Greater TEXAS FCU, she moved her office to the front of the building.

It's not uncommon for Glenda Evans to step into the middle of a line of members, pull out her smartphone or tablet and show someone how to download and use the credit union's mobile banking app.

It's certainly not the typical CU office, as members occasionally walk by in pajamas while brushing their teeth.

Whether the branch handles 4,000 transactions a month or 28,000, what ensures a CU office of any size runs smoothly are clear lines of communication between the manager and staff.

Twelve years ago Greg Logoteta decided he no longer wanted to "sell ice cubes to Eskimos" and made the move from working at a big bank to running an office of SAFE CU.

When staff approach Scott Callison with a question, they should be ready with some answers of their own.

Lisa Fitzpatrick doesn't mind avoiding mid-day traffic in Linn County, Iowa, and not hearing the slamming of her car door as often.

RALEIGH, N.C. – State Employees’ CU is partnering with the North Carolina Botanical Gardens to develop landscaping templates for SECU’s 235 branches using only North Carolina native plants.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Veridian CU will open its 26th branch Tuesday inside the new Prairie Trail Hy-Vee, which is opening the same day.

ORONO, Maine – University CU on Tuesday began clearing ground at the historic 1820s Katahdin Building – which was gutted by fire in 2009 – on a new 16,000-square-foot, Greek Revival-style structure that will serve as its administrative offices.

BELLEVUE, Neb. – SAC FCU plans to open a branch inside a new Walmart Supercenter, under construction downtown.

Columbus Data Services, an ATM processor, has completed MasterCard end-to-end certification for all Triton ATM products. As a result, CDS is now processing transactions that comply with the EMV-chip card standard on MasterCard networks.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Service CU announced it has opened a branch inside the Walmart Supercenter in Hinsdale.

ROCKVILLE, Md. – The National Institutes of Health FCU has hired a real estate consultant, Scheer Partners, to find it a 20,000-square-foot property near the area’s biotechnical hub for a new headquarters.

VIENNA, Va. – Navy FCU on Monday opened a branch inside a Safeway store in Germantown, Md., and may expand its grocery store presence.

ALBANY, N.Y. – SEFCU, New York’s seventh-largest credit union, is moving its headquarters to a former train station in downtown as part of a plan to redevelop the site.

TAMPA, Fla. – Fast-growing Grow Financial FCU announced today it is opening its first out-of-state branch this fall in Columbia, S.C., the first of 15 branches the $1.9 billion credit union plans for South Carolina.

Aspire FCU call center staff can tell if they are having a good day by the looks on their faces-which they can see from the mirrors in each of their cubicles.

One credit union has found success using remote controlled drones to highlight branch locations and promote the credit union.