Virginia Beach, VA (January 13, 2017) – To the tune of the famous 1967 Turtle’s song, “Happy Together,” on January 17th, HeritageWest and SouthWest Community Credit Unions will formally adopt the name of their parent company: Chartway Federal Credit Union. Uniting the family of credit unions under one shared name will provide strengthened member benefits and a consistent experience across all of the credit union’s 17 Utah-based branches and its 50 locations nationwide.
Given that the only difference between the credit unions has been the visual identity – the names and the logos - uniting under one name will not impact member accounts or employee roles. Members may also continue to visit the same locations and be served by the same employees they have come to know and trust.
This decision was the result of in-depth conversations with the credit union’s members and employees. The financially strong $2B credit union with high ratings in member satisfaction is always looking for ways to deliver additional value and consistency. “We determined that uniting under one visual identity would allow us to provide what members said they wanted: a consistent experience, improved account access, better rates and lower fees, enhanced technologies and new, value-added products,” said Brian Schools, president & CEO of Chartway.
Members will see these benefits in the coming months, as the credit union plans to launch a new website, new checking accounts, improved rates, the elimination of more than a dozen fees, and instant debit card issue technology in 2017. Other than that, the transition process should be a seamless one for credit union members, as all of its branches operates on the same system and offer the same products and services.
“We’re still one family, just as we’ve always been,” asserted Schools. “Having one shared name will simply allow us to operate with less complexity, deliver a consistent experience for members and employees, and provide additional value to our members and communities.”
“HeritageWest and SouthWest Community Credit Unions have been part of the Chartway family for the past seven years and we could not be more excited to now come together under one name,” said Skip Wilson, regional president, western region. “In fact, the primary question we’ve received from members so far here in Utah is why we didn’t unite under one name earlier. They’ve known that we’ve been part of the same organization – that we’re all on the same systems and offer the same set of products – just operating under different names and logos. As such, the transition will be seamless and we’re grateful that our members are as excited as we are. It’s a great thing.”
HeritageWest and SouthWest Community Credit Unions joined Chartway in 2010. Since that time, Chartway has invested significantly in the Utah market. In addition to making life more affordable for its members, the credit union has supported numerous charitable events and organizations, and donated more than $1M to Utah-based non-profit organizations including the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Utah, Dixie Regional Medical Center, Angel’s Hands, Ability Found, and Learning Center for Families through its charitable arm – the We Promise Foundation.
Chartway’s We Promise Foundation, also provided a $250,000 charitable grant to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah in December 2016. The organizations have plans to celebrate this contribution and more than $1M donated to Make-A-Wish Utah since 2010 in spring 2017.
The We Promise Foundation also annually hosts a Putting for Promises Golf Tournament in Lehi, UT, to raise money to make dreams come true for children battling life-threatening illnesses. This year’s tournament was held at Thanksgiving Point Golf Course raised $53,000. This year’s tournament – the 2nd Annual Putting for Promises Golf Tournament at Thanksgiving Point – will be held on May 23, 2017.
Additionally, the credit union’s employee-led volunteer team, The CARE Team, has supported non-profits like Switchpoint Community Resource Center, The Road Home, New Life Fellowship, Big Brothers / Big Sisters and more.
Describing the credit union’s commitment to making a difference, Schools stated, “At Chartway, helping others and giving back is core to our culture. It’s an absolute honor to have the opportunity to work alongside people who care so immensely about our members and our communities. We look forward to continuing to build on that tradition.”
On January 17, 2017, HeritageWest and SouthWest Community Credit Unions will formally adopt the name of their parent company: Chartway Federal Credit Union. Given that the only difference between the credit unions has been the visual identity – the names and the logos - uniting under one name will not impact member accounts or employee roles. Members may also continue to visit the same locations and be served by the same employees they have come to know and trust. Here, Brian Schools, Chartway’s president and CEO and several members of the credit union’s senior leadership team are pictured with all of the credit union’s Utah-based employees.
In 2016, the We Promise Foundation received a distinguished award from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah during its Evening of Wishes gala: the David Bishop “Hope Through Wishes” Award. Here, several Make-a-Wish Foundation of Utah children spent time with Brian Schools, Chartway’s president & CEO, Karen Lane, We Promise Foundation executive director, Skip Wilson, regional president, western region, and several of its Utah-based employees.
To thank the credit union’s charitable arm for its contributions over the years, the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Utah named its newly-renovated Wishing Tower – a place where children submit their wish to the Wishing Wizard – in honor of the We Promise Foundation. Here, Skip Wilson, regional president of the credit union’s western region and Karen Lane, We Promise Foundation executive director, cut the ribbon to officially open the Wishing Tower.
We Promise kid hero Brinley (6 years old // wish: to have a princess playhouse) enjoyed buzzing about the Putting For Promises Golf Tournament with Utah Bees mascot Bumble the Bee during the May 2016 Putting for Promises golf tournament hosted by Chartway’s We Promise Foundation. The event raised $53,000 to make dreams come true for children battling life-threatening illnesses.