Matz on Hand for Grand Opening of South Carolina Credit Unions Bilingual Branch

LANCASTER, S.C.-NCUA Board Member Debbie Matz was scheduled to participate in the grand opening of Founders Federal Credit Union’s first bilingual branch last week after deadline. “The future of the credit union community depends upon serving America’s fastest-growing ethnic groups,” she commented. “Latinos are under-represented in credit union memberships; reaching them requires different approaches. I believe Founders could serve as a model across the nation for credit union leaders who want to reach out to Latinos but are not sure how to approach them.” The $1 billion Founders FCU serves as an excellent example of a large credit union committed to serving its entire community, according to Matz. “Before establishing this bilingual branch, Founders reached out to leaders in the Latino community to identify their needs. Then the credit union introduced special services such as international remittances to meet those unique needs,” she noted. “This branch is the culmination of a comprehensive effort to reach an important group of potential members.”