2016 BEST Place to Work Redwood Credit Union

"The ideal organization makes employees better than they ever thought they could be." —Kristina Derkos

Kristina Derkos. senior vice president of administrative services at Redwood Credit Union has been working at the financial institution for the past 10 years. She recounts the company’s humble beginnings, taking root nearly 70 years ago. “Redwood Credit Union was started in 1950 by seven employees of Sonoma County who wanted to help each other out with affordable loans and a safe place to save money.” While RCU has grown drastically since then, she admits, “Our core model remains the same: We love to serve the North Bay communities with affordable financial services.”

The continuing positivity of the workplace is evident. “Our focus is on people, not profit,” Derkos says. “We listen carefully to our members to understand their needs so we can provide them with personalized solutions to help them reach their financial goals.”

When asked what she likes about the company itself, she has a clear answer: “Strong, ethical business practices and social responsibility are a hallmark of RCU. Organizations don’t just develop a positive culture overnight,” she reflects. “Through consistently sound business practices, continually setting an ethical example and creating policies and procedures that guide the activities of its employees, an organization builds a positive culture over time. Our decades of investment in this area shine through to our members and our employees.”

Derkos says these efforts over the years have created loyal members who refer RCU to friends and family through word of mouth. Now, she says, the vast majority of RCU’s growth is organic, coming from repeat business and referrals. “This happens because there’s exceptional trust between our employees and our members,” she says.

For Derkos, RCU was a welcoming environment from the outset. “From my very first day at Redwood Credit Union, I was thrilled to be surrounded by so many amazing employees at all levels of the organization,” she says proudly.

“Advancement and reward is never an issue because [our employees] understand the power of cause and effect. They understand they’re part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job. They intrinsically want to make a difference in their communities in profound ways. Our employees quietly drive their own high standards.”

And the improvements don’t stop there. Derkos shares details of the company’s Leadership Development Program, saying, “We designed the program to provide tools and resources that will help all managers at RCU become exemplary leaders,” she says. “The ideal organization makes employees better than they ever thought they could be.”

When talking with the other employees, it’s apparent that this enthusiastic, dynamic attitude doesn’t just come from one source. Rather, it’s simply something the workplace creates. Elizabeth Ludlam, a project management specialist, says, “I love being able to come to work, be with like-minded individuals and work together toward common goals. We work hard, but we have fun in the process and our work is something I’m proud of.”

Programmer Todd Cook adds, “There’s not a single thing we do at RCU where we don’t ask ourselves, ‘How will this impact or benefit our members?’ Most companies would ask themselves, ‘How will this impact or benefit our bottom line?’  We truly are all about our members.”