Your Credit Union: Sustaining Service & Value

A Message from RCU's President & CEO

Early each year, I share with Members highlights of the accomplishments achieved together as a Member-owned financial cooperative. And while 2007 was another solid year of service and financial performance for Redwood Credit Union (RCU), addressing the needs of Members in the current environment, and touching on what the future holds is what is on most Members' minds today. We listen carefully to Members, and hear growing concerns about personal finances, and larger issues such as sustainability of our communities, environment and your desire to do business with trusted companies whose values align with your own.

Your Credit Union makes a core commitment that we will “do the right thing,” and this includes: Service & Value to Members: RCU ranks 7th in Member giveback nationwide, which means we return tremendous value to Members every day. Our service surveys reveal that 99% of our Members are satisfied/very satisfied with the service they receive from us—and this is key, because service to you is the reason we exist.

Free Education & Financial Literacy:

In 2007, RCU hosted 78 free financial education seminars and partnered with businesses and non-profits to expand our communities’ financial literacy on relevant topics. We also made our community room, located in our Santa Rosa Administrative Offices, available to 27 non-profit organizations for meetings and events, free of charge.

Environmental Impact:

Your Credit Union consolidated 3 offices into one larger facility in Santa Rosa last year. We pursued environmentally friendly efforts in the remodel that earned several environmental awards, and an L.E.E.D./green certification is pending. RCU promotes recycling, and encourages fuel efficiency by offering loan discounts on qualified hybrid vehicles.

Community Impact:

In 2007, our employees volunteered over 2,500 hours in our communities, and the Credit Union together with Members, Officials, and employees contributed record funding levels to non-profits in the North Bay.

Employee Well-Being:

RCU is committed to providing a positive, healthy workplace for our dedicated employees, and we are honored to be named among the Best Places to Work in the North Bay for the past two years.

Our mission statement commits that your Credit Union focuses on three things: our Members, our employees and our communities. This focus helps us make daily decisions that are rooted in credit union values and service to provide a continuous cycle of benefit to all three groups. Thanks to your continued participation, your Credit Union has grown to serve nearly 140,000 Members with assets of over $1.7 billion, and we are the 56th largest of over 8,000 credit unions nationwide. By allowing Redwood Credit Union to serve all or most of your financial needs, we can better serve all Member-Owners with affordable financial services, and make a positive impact on our communities, employees and environment.

I invite you to join us for our Annual Membership Meeting in April for an update on RCU’s performance in 2007, and our Annual Report will be available online and in our branches at that time.

On behalf of the Officials and staff of Redwood Credit Union, I thank you for your ongoing participation in our financial cooperative. We look forward to continuing to serve your financial needs, and wish you a happy and healthy 2008! ▲