On a recent visit to DECU's headquarters here, there's hustle and bustle but not so much that members are lost in the shuffle. Member service representatives and other staffers are sporting sharp, olive-colored polo shirts and crisp black slacks as members wait in an airy lobby resembling a modern airport hangar. A sporty red convertible greets members as they walk through the door beckoning the curious to seek out Car Solutions, a car buying CUSO housed in DECU's lobby, catty corner to the credit union's investment and insurance office. Turn a corner and each station has a teller there during the lunch hour rush. Or, for those who've signed up for online banking, four terminals are available for quick updates.

In 2000, DECU moved down the street, but still in Delta Air Line's "neighborhood", to its current four-story headquarters on 1025 Virginia Airline. At one point, the carrier leased space in the facility for several of its departments, Olson said. Even with all the room earmarked for growth, she predicts that the growing credit union will need a larger building not too far down the road. Over the past nearly four years, DECU has opened four branches in the Atlanta area with "convenient" branch locations playing a "major factor" for future growth. Two more will open later this year and branch expansion will continue into 2008 throughout Newnan and West Cobb counties.

Olson recalls the days when the credit union served a single sponsor and how straightforward the relationship was.

"It was great when we were a single sponsor credit union but that's not the way of the world now. You have to be diverse to survive," Olson said.

To that end, DECU has spread itself around Atlanta through ads in local county newspapers and magazines, radio ads and partnering with school systems. In tracking television ads, Olson said they found that its main demographic is women ages 25-34, a statistic that makes a lot of sense to her.

"Moms usually make the financial decisions or highly influence them," Olson said.

Although the credit union has the strongest presence in Georgia, Olson said they're just as linked with members outside of the Peach State. In fact, Florida has the second largest membership base even though DECU doesn't have any branches there. The launch of Internet banking and bill payment in 1998 has helped build those branchless relationships. DECU has just rolled out online banking enhancements eAlerts and A2A, which allows members to transfer funds between two different financial institutions.

The vision of DECU's board and Richard Foley, the president/CEO, has helped move the credit union forward beyond its traditional single sponsorship field of membership. Foley was there when Delta Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2005 reassuring members and employees that the credit union would be there for them. Although highly sought after by US Airways, the carrier emerged from bankruptcy protection on April 30 and earlier this month, Fitch Ratings gave Delta's Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificate transactions a "positive" rating. EETCs are hybrid corporate-structured debt obligations in which payment on the notes is supported by the carrier while providing protection to investors in the event of issuer default.

Foley supported Delta Air Line's firm stance to remain independent. After US Airways withdrew its $10 billion hostile takeover bid, Foley praised Delta employees for working "hard to have their company emerge from bankruptcy as a strong, stand-alone carrier" and commended the credit union for supporting their efforts.

Fresh Products

Meanwhile, this year alone, DECU has rolled out an array of new products and services. On July 2, it began offering business services at its new Peachtree City branch. The HLPR loan, a 3/1 adjustable rate mortgage and the Liberty loan, which allow members to bypass closing costs and origination fees also made their debut. In 2006, DECU unveiled its certificates of deposit and by year-end, had opened more than 1,000 CDs totaling $23 million. Last year, DECU also saw its Visa card reward points program grow 29% to 43%, 287 participants. Points were redeemed for more than $725,000 in retail gift cards, $390,000 in cash and $130,000 in charitable contributions.

To reach out to the youth market, the credit union hosted its first college intern this year, Alex Mikhalevsky, a junior at Clemson University majoring in marketing with a minor in finance management. DECU is also prepping to host co-op students from Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University. More than 200 applicants also applied for three $5,000 college scholarships this year.

Olson said she is more than optimistic about the direction DECU has chartered. But the marketing veteran, with nearly 30 years in the industry, is frustrated that many still don't know what a credit union is. She believes a segment of dues to CUNA should be earmarked for a national branding campaign.

"We need to do national advertising in the worst way," Olson said. "Credit unions are just not good about telling their personal stories. When we say we're 'not for profit,' what does that mean to the average consumer? We need to appeal to their heart and let them know we have good products and very few fees."

DECU is certainly doing all it can to make the connection here and abroad. Through the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates' Georgia-Polish Credit Union Partnership Program, the credit union has linked up with a sister credit union in Poland. In May, a DECU delegation spent a week with Polish officials amazed at how far the "people helping people" philosophy travels. In one diary entry, a DECU executive wrote: "There is something universal about communicating with people who are so kind and hospitable that breaks down the language barriers."

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