Gala Spotlight Honoree: Redwood Credit Union, Large Business of the Year

Now celebrating its 65th year of service, Redwood Credit Union (RCU) provides affordable personal and business banking and financial services to anyone living or working in the North Bay or San Francisco. As a financial cooperative, RCU is focused on people not profit, which means earnings are returned to its Members in the form of lower loan rates, higher savings yields, and fewer and lower fees for its services. RCU offers comprehensive banking and financial services including checking and savings accounts, home and auto loans, credit cards, business services, commercial and SBA lending, online and mobile banking, retirement and financial planning services and more. RCU’s wholly-owned subsidiary also provides insurance services and discount auto sales.

Redwood Credit Union honors a long tradition of commitment to its communities. RCU supports numerous local nonprofit and community organizations through volunteer efforts, sponsorship and fundraising. In 2014, RCU staff and board members volunteered more than 3,200 hours at over 140 events benefiting organizations such as the Sonoma County Volunteer Center, Redwood Empire Food Bank, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS), and United Way. Employees contributed over $98,000 to RCU’s 2014 United Way workplace giving campaign.

RCU has ranked as one of the top SBA lenders in the Bay Area for the past 6 years, and is an SBA preferred lender. Believing that small businesses are the cornerstone of our local economy, RCU has partnered with CAP Sonoma to offer $1 million in funding to graduates of CAP Sonoma’s Microbusiness Development Program.

In 2014, RCU was named to North Bay Business Journal’s Best Place to Work for the ninth consecutive year, and voted Best Credit Union by readers of the Press Democrat, NorthBay biz, and the Bohemian. Brett Martinez, RCU’s President and CEO since 2004, was voted Community Leader of the Year for the 2nd time (the first was in 2009), and is the only person to receive that distinction twice. RCU also received North Bay Business Journal’s Corporate Philanthropy Award.

RCU has $2.4 billion in assets and serves nearly 240,000 Members, with 17 branch locations from San Francisco to Ukiah, and more than 30,000 free network ATMs nationwide. RCU was recently named one of the 5 healthiest credit unions in the nation, and has a five-star Bauer Financial rating, and an Excellent rating from Weiss Ratings.