In the Spotlight: Tongass Federal Credit Union

By Helen Mickel, President/CEO

—

Rooted in the Tongass National Forest, Tongass Federal Credit Union is celebrating 60 years Southeast Strong! This year, we grew even stronger when we joined together with ALPS Federal Credit Union. Both credit unions were started in the early 1960s by workers looking for fair and affordable financial options; our roots and history have always run parallel. In fact, for many years, we have considered ourselves ‘sister credit unions’ sharing resources and information.

Our merger was completed in February of this year with very little effect; but whew, the computer conversion had more than a few hiccups. The conversion officially took place over the weekend of July 28, and I want to acknowledge that it has been rough. If you are a member, you most likely experienced some inconvenience, heartburn, or frustration. Our team worked incredibly hard for months prior to prevent issues. Unfortunately, they did happen, and we are sorry for this. We definitely wish it had gone more smoothly. The final kinks are being worked out, and smooth sailing should be the norm going forward.

One thing that sets Tongass FCU apart is our staff. We staff locally in all our branches and microsites and are proud of our team’s commitment to our members and their communities. Our entire team stepped up and came together to help during the conversion. I want to offer a special thank you to Sandi, Robyn, and Katherine, the ALPS senior staff, who worked countless hours alongside TFCU senior staff to work out back-office issues affecting members. Sitka is their home; they have always been committed to providing the best possible service for their neighbors and friends.

In 2017, TFCU commissioned Tsimshian artist, David R. Boxley to create our “Spirit of the Tongass” design.

We are hoping that with the conversion behind us, you will be able to enjoy access to new services available in your online and mobile banking apps. Certain consumer loans are eligible to skip a payment once a year. You can choose to pay yourself early with “early deposit” ACH. You can view your written checks online and deposit checks with mobile check deposit. You can transfer funds between your own accounts and even transfer to other accountholders (this is great for giving money to your college kids!) You can also set up travel notifications and personalized account alerts. We think savings is very important and also offer debit card round-up. With this service, you can round up to the nearest dollar on your debit card purchase, and the change will be automatically deposited into your savings account.

On August 25, we were excited to celebrate our annual member appreciation day at all locations. We love taking the day to share food and drink and say thank you to our members in person. I also want to offer a special thank you to the many thoughtful and caring Sitka members who were supportive of our team during the conversion.

Southeast Alaska is our home, and we are committed to providing the best possible service for you – our members, neighbors, and friends. Together we are Southeast Strong.