Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.
Orono-based University Credit Union is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary amid plans to modernize two more branches next year.
The University of Maine Employees Credit Union, as it was originally known, opened for business on Oct. 31, 1967, in the basement of Coburn Hall at the University of Maine.
Today, UCU has nine retail branches — three campus branches in Gorham, Presque Isle and Orono, and six traditional branches including two apiece in Orono and Portland, one in Bangor, and one in Farmington. As of Sept. 30, it had $283.6 million in assets and 28,093 members -- made up of students, employees and alumni of the University of Maine System and their families.
As part of the anniversary festivities, UCU has been gathering testimonials from members on their history with the credit union. One wrote about still having the tin bank offered when the credit union opened in Coburn, while another shared that she met her future husband at UMaine Orono and that she joined his account as soon as they married in 1997.
“We’re extremely proud to be celebrating our 50h anniversary,” said Matthew Walsh, a Presque Isle native who has been with UCU for 20 years and was named president and CEO in 2006.
“Many organizations, financial and non-financial, don’t survive 50 years,” he said. “We’re proud of where we came from and excited about where we’re headed.”
On that front, Walsh said that about a third of the retail branches have been renovated or have started to be renovated. Its branch on Forest Avenue in Portland underwent a complete makeover this year, with pods replacing traditional teller lines and new offices with transparent glass doors.
“It’s just an immersive, engaging environment,” he said. “That’s an example of what our future branches will look like.”
Next up in 2018 are planned renovations at Brighton Avenue in Portland and Union Street in Bangor.
As for workforce plans, Walsh said it’s expected to stay in the high 80s and grow in the future after being trimmed from over 100 last summer through a reorganization and without any layoffs or branch closures.
“It was truly through attrition and change,” he said.
On the more immediate horizon, anniversary celebrations are planned at all branches on Nov. 3, and the remembrances being compiled may be published later for members.
Asked about his own memories, Walsh recalls the late 1990s, when there were only about 35 employees in Portland and Orono in an “all-hands-on-deck” environment.
“No matter what your role, everyone was prepped to play a certain role in the account opening process,” he said.
For Gerald “Jerry” Hayman, Jr., who chairs UCU’s board of directors, membership in the credit union is a three-generation family tradition. His father was the first, and he has carried on that tradition with his daughter.
“We started with a children’s account and now she’s transferred into a checking account and debit card,” he said, noting that his daughter could easily deposit paychecks into her UCU account from the Boston area while in college.
“The way the world’s going,” Hayman said, “it really doesn’t matter where you are, we can serve you.”
The Giving Guide helps nonprofits have the opportunity to showcase and differentiate their organizations so that businesses better understand how they can contribute to a nonprofit’s mission and work.
Learn MoreWork for ME is a workforce development tool to help Maine’s employers target Maine’s emerging workforce. Work for ME highlights each industry, its impact on Maine’s economy, the jobs available to entry-level workers, the training and education needed to get a career started.
Learn MoreFew people are adequately prepared for all the tasks involved in planning and providing care for aging family members. SeniorSmart provides an essential road map for navigating the process. This resource guide explores the myriad of care options and offers essential information on topics ranging from self-care to legal and financial preparedness.
Learn moreThe Giving Guide helps nonprofits have the opportunity to showcase and differentiate their organizations so that businesses better understand how they can contribute to a nonprofit’s mission and work.
Work for ME is a workforce development tool to help Maine’s employers target Maine’s emerging workforce. Work for ME highlights each industry, its impact on Maine’s economy, the jobs available to entry-level workers, the training and education needed to get a career started.
Few people are adequately prepared for all the tasks involved in planning and providing care for aging family members. SeniorSmart provides an essential road map for navigating the process. This resource guide explores the myriad of care options and offers essential information on topics ranging from self-care to legal and financial preparedness.
In order to use this feature, we need some information from you. You can also login or register for a free account.
By clicking submit you are agreeing to our cookie usage and Privacy Policy
Already have an account? Login
Already have an account? Login
Want to create an account? Register
In order to use this feature, we need some information from you. You can also login or register for a free account.
By clicking submit you are agreeing to our cookie usage and Privacy Policy
Already have an account? Login
Already have an account? Login
Want to create an account? Register
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Our privacy policy
To ensure the best experience on our website, articles cannot be read without allowing cookies. Please allow cookies to continue reading. Our privacy policy
Comments