Business View Magazine | February 2021

209 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2021 ZEAL CREDI T UNION Zeal began as CO-OP Services Credit Union in 1952 with a group of folks getting together to provide services at an affordable cost; they set out to be different than a bank. The fundamental difference between credit unions and banks is that a credit union is not for profit and exists to help members achieve their long-term financial goals. Banks have shareholders who own substantial portions of stock and much of the decision-making goes to increasing that profit. Credit Union shareholders are made up solely of members and decisions are based on positively impacting those members. Zeal Credit Union exemplifies the overall credit union spirit of people helping people and truly making a difference. Zeal Credit Union officially changed its name from CO-OP Services to Zeal Credit Union in 2016. And through it all, they carry on the founding mission of being a credit union that serves members who are hardworking citizens in the community. Julie Kreinbring, CEO of Zeal CU, recounts, “Throughout our history, we’ve had at least 15 to 20 mergers to get where we’re at today. They were often small homegrown entities with 12, 50, or even 200 members – located in smaller facilities. An example might be a branch within a church building. But all of the members were part of the community that we already served, so for them it was just like coming home.” As much as COVID-19 disrupted the world, it didn’t present a big challenge for Zeal in terms of accessibility for members. Chief Experience Officer, Coretta Wallace, explains, “We’ve made sure our locations are still available in-person, or in some cases on an appointment basis. We’re trying to provide all of our services to members in any way that they prefer access to us, to ensure that their experience remains uninterrupted and to help them further if they are experiencing financial challenges due to COVID. We’ve tried to take what could be a challenge and create an opportunity for our members to achieve what they need during these difficult times.” CEO, Julie Kreinbring