FORT WORTH, Texas -- From her first day on the job as president/CEO, Lily Newfarmer said she knew that aggressive plans were needed to get members to use the array of products and services at Tarrant County Credit Union.

Having previously served as executive vice president, Newfarmer took the helm of the $45 million credit union in 2001. She was in a prime spot to see what needed to be done and what had to be scaled back.

"When I took over, we had negative earnings for the first time in the credit union's history. I knew we had to do three things: incent the staff, reward our members and stay tuned in and in focus."

Over the next seven years, Tarrant County increased its marketing dollars, implemented staff incentives that included tying year-end bonuses to specific goals, joined a shared branching network with 38 others in Fort Worth and 2,000 nationwide, and converted to a community charter in 2004. Four branches are now open with another two scheduled for 2009 that will offer Saturday and after hours. The credit union's membership grew organically from 5,700 in August 2001 to more than 7,500 members today, Newfarmer said.

A critical piece of the puzzle for more member participation started with the credit union's employees. Tarrant County measures how effective staffers are at getting members to use more products and services. Newfarmer emphasized that jobs are not in jeopardy if employees don't reach their annual goals. Part of their merit increase is linked to how employees give back to the community. A point system keeps track of time offered.

"We don't want to force people, but we've found that people really want to do good," Newfarmer said. "Even when they have reached their maximum point level, they still sign on to do more events in the community."

Staffers really entrench themselves in the community. One time, employees made more than 3,000 peanut butter and honey sandwiches and gave them out to the homeless. Others participate in walk-a-thons. Tarrant County has partnered with the YWCA's foster program for young girls. Fort Worth has a shelter for 15 girls under the age of 18. As tenants leave, credit union employees will go in and apply fresh paint and decorations to newly vacated rooms. Taking it one step further, Newfarmer said she is in talks with the YWCA to mentor some of the young ladies, including offering them entry-level jobs at the credit union. For its outreach efforts, Tarrant County was awarded the 2007 Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Recognition award at the state level for credit unions in the $20 million to $50 million asset category.

"We want all levels [of staff] to see the bigger picture," Newfarmer said.

Meanwhile, the decision to convert to a community charter nearly four years ago had to do with the increased competition and the concern that Tarrant County members could have their pick of financial institutions, including bigger credit unions, but the scenario did not work the other way around, Newfarmer explained. The credit union, which at one point had two branches in county buildings, also wanted to change the way it was perceived by county officials. Tarrant County started sponsoring county employee appreciation days, golf tournaments and other events.

"At that time, we were in two facilities. On any given day, we could be asked to leave," Newfarmer said. "Now [in 2009] we've been invited to open more facilities. They are building these for us as opposed to us sweating about losing our space."

Tarrant County's members are considered to be very stable with long-term ties with many falling into the A and B borrowing categories, Newfarmer pointed out. The concern here was whether the credit union was doing enough to reach out to C and D borrowers, she said.

"We thought, 'surely, we're not serving everybody.' Are these people being preyed on by predatory lenders?" Newfarmer wondered.

To be sure the credit union started offering second-chance loans and checking accounts in 2006. A payday alternative loan with a savings component feature, longer repayment terms and lower rates made its debut on Aug. 1. So far, roughly 30 loans have been approved based mostly on word of mouth.

Newfarmer was dismayed when she heard the average household savings rate had dropped to the negative range. Tarrant County took a page from Bank of America's "Keep the Change" program, which encouraged customers to round up change on debit transactions to the nearest dollar for deposit in a savings account. With a few tweaks, the credit union launched its version called "Change is Good." Since its rollout in 2006, 600 members have signed on, amassing nearly $30,000 in change saved.

This spring, the credit union also opened up 100 new checking accounts when it started offering an early bird feature that allowed members to get their direct deposited paychecks a day earlier. A Web poll that asked what members would do if they could get their paychecks sooner, revealed that the majority would use it toward gas costs, Newfarmer said.

"It was an initiative we had planned for 2009, but because of the price of fuel and everything else, we thought it would be better to roll it this year on September 1," she said, adding the credit union's board was all for it.

Having a progressive board has helped Tarrant County, as one examiner put it, to "have the service of a $500 million credit union," Newfarmer said. In fact, the credit union doesn't even look at its peers, choosing instead to go up three levels.

"They get it," she said of the board and management team.

And, mergers are adamantly not an option, Newfarmer said. Larger credit unions have beckoned but are politely refused. For Tarrant County, operating expenses tend to be higher than it peers, but the increase is made up when members are rewarded, she said.

"It would be a hard fight," Newfarmer said on

merging. "When we started offering financial education classes, I think we solidified that we have value. We knew we had to distinguish ourselves because the competition is fierce."

--msamaad@cutimes.com

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