CFGFCU team launches 60 Acts of Community to thank members
August 2, 2022, Hagåtña, Guam
Community First Guam Federal Credit Union announced today it is celebrating its 60th Anniversary by committing to 60 Acts of Community as a token of its appreciation to its members and the people of Guam for their support throughout the past six decades.
The company’s 60 Acts of Community is a community outreach initiative driven by its employees to celebrate the credit union’s milestone 60th Anniversary in Guam. The first Act of Community kicked off on July 30 with a clean-up in the historic capital of Hagåtña, also the site where Community First is constructing its new Hagåtña headquarters opening in early 2023.
“From our Board of Directors to our associates, we agreed that our year-long celebration should meaningfully thank our members for their trust and loyalty throughout these six decades. What better way to do it than to focus outward and help make out communities better places to live and work,” said Perry Taitano, Chairman of the Board for Community First.
The CFGFCU teams from each of the four Member Service Centers in Hagåtña, Tamuning, Mangilao, and Dededo joined the Hagåtña cleanup to help kick off the celebration and have committed to completing 15 Acts each per service center throughout the year. They will start by focusing on the villages in which they serve and branching out to where there are needs around the island.
“Each act of service, no matter how great or small, is an opportunity to become better engaged with our neighbors, understand where there are needs, and work together as a team to fill them,” said Joyce Padua, Tamuning Member Service Center Manager.
Serving Six Generations of Guam Residents
Community First was established in 1962 and is the oldest local Credit Union in Guam. Formerly known as NavMar Federal Credit Union, Community First initially served the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Civil Service community on the island. In September 1997, the Credit Union amended its charter to a community status and opened membership to any person living, working, worshipping, or receiving an education on Guam.
Through September 2000, the Credit Union closed its military branches to consolidate operations at its main branch in Hagåtña and eventually opened a northern branch in Dededo. Soon afterward, a Drop Deposit/ATM Kiosk was made available at the Big Navy main gate for the Credit Union's southern members to access their accounts.
On October 1, 2000, the Credit Union officially changed its name to Community First Guam Federal Credit Union to better reflect its community charter status. In January 2018, Community First launched the island's first student-run credit union, an incubator for student interns to learn about the financial services industry, in the heart of Mangilao near the University of Guam and Guam Community College.
Today, Community First serves a growing member base of close to 14,000 members islandwide by providing a full range of personal financial products – checking, savings, and mortgage loans – and business loans. In its efforts to support the revitalization of Hagåtña and mark 60 years in Guam, the credit union invested in its second stand-alone building – the 15,000 square-foot Community First Hagåtña Headquarters -- along Route 4 between West O’Brien Drive and Chalan Santo Papa.
Gerard Cruz, President and CEO of Community First, added, “For the past six decades, Community First has proudly served six generations of Guam residents and businesses. We are a member-focused, full-service institution that values community, trust, and long-term relationships with its members and their families. We thank our members and Guam’s community and look ahead to supporting many more success stories for generations to come.”
Photo caption:
Community First Guam Federal Credit Union celebrated its 60th Anniversary by launching its 60 Acts of Community, a community outreach initiative driven by its employees to celebrate the credit union’s milestone 60th Anniversary in Guam. The CFGFCU kicked off the year-long celebration on July 30 with its first Act of Community, a clean-up of the historic parks in Hagåtña that ended in front of the company’s new Hagåtña headquarters opening in early 2023. From left: Joyce Padua, Tamuning Service Center Manger; Patricia Tenorio, Consumer Credit Officer; Alyssa Diaz, Mortgage Loan Originator; Gerard Cruz, President and Chief Executive Officer; Chona Atalig, AVP/ Compliance Manager; Donna Aguon, Senior Mortgage Underwriter; Terese Salumbides, VP/ Chief Credit Risk Officer; Neo Pangilinan, Officer Trainee; Nathaniel Dela Cruz, Officer Trainee; Peter Palomo, SVP/Technology Manager; Georgette Ulloa, Credit Counselor; Ashley Arceo, AVP/ Credit Counseling Manager; Marylou Aguon, Loan Servicing Technician II; and Evangeline Muña, Loan Servicing Manager.