About Us

Let’s get to know each other.

Home office two story building in the spring with teal fade.

Who We Are
Our Story
Leadership & Results

Who We Are

We are a community of member-owners.

People joining together to improve their financial well-being and to help one another is at the core of who we are, becoming a strong and meaningful resource for our members, their families and our communities.

Join Us Today!

More than a place to do your banking.

As a member-owner, you earn more, pay less and your money stays right here making a difference in the place you call home. It really does matter where you bank.

Profits come back to you.

Experience service with heart and soul.

Your community benefits, too.

You’re the inspiration for what we do.

While financial services may be the reason we meet, it’s the relationship that develops along the way that matters most to us. Making the car you need to get to work each day fit your budget. Helping you with financing to further your education. Getting you into your dream home. Or maybe a short-term loan to get you through the rough times. When you are able to realize your best life, it inspires us to find a way for all of our member-owners, every day.

Our member-owners say it best.

“I bank here because of the people; they are always looking out for me.”

Ben W., Fremont

“I feel a genuine welcome the minute I get through the door. They put their heart and soul into it.”

Tara O., Neenah

"I feel part of the family. It’s a community who cares and wants you to be the best you can possibly be.”

Jaron L., DePere

We call it Meraki.

It’s a Greek word meaning to do something with soul, creativity and love; to put something of yourself into your work. The experience is difficult to put to words, but you feel it when it’s there. It isn’t something you touch, but it touches you. It can’t be measured, but the impact is immeasurable. Meraki expresses how we choose to serve our member-owners, our communities and each other. It motivates us to provide exceptional experiences and fills us with the satisfaction that comes from making a difference in the lives of others.

Lady smiling forming a heart with her hands.

“We’ll find a way” is more than a slogan.

It’s who we are and what we do. It’s our promise to give our all for our member-owners and the community.

Our Mission & Vision

Our Mission

To provide high quality, competitive, financial products and services which anticipate and exceed our members' needs. To be the primary financial institution for our members.

Our Vision

To consistently demonstrate to our members and potential members that Community First is the best choice for the majority of their financial business and is a place where Everybody Counts, Everybody Cares, Everybody Delivers, Everyday!

Our Core Purpose

To positively impact our members' lives through our values of:

providing WOW service that exceeds the expectations of our members;
maintaining a positive attitude and show enthusiasm in everything we do;
and demonstrating passion, care and dedication, and to do the right thing for our members.

Ready to become a member-owner?

Join Us Today!

Our Story

It started with people helping people.

Some had deposits they wanted to grow. Others were looking for loans for everyday needs. Brought together in spirit of cooperation, each person was able to get what they needed. This still forms the basis of who we are today.

Working together for the benefit of everyone. It’s that simple.

In 1953, Maurice Dresang organized Outagamie County Credit Union to help county employees with financial needs. He served as volunteer manager/treasurer, a role he held for over two decades in addition to his full-time jobs.

In subsequent years he was approached to manage two other area credit unions, so in 1970 he proposed the three credit unions combine their resources to provide better services for each of their members. A vacant grocery store building on Richmond Street in Appleton was converted into the Appleton Credit Union Service Center to accommodate members from all three credit unions.

By 1978, the Service Center was serving 13 independent credit unions when members voted to join together as one to provide members with more cooperative benefits and unified services. This merger remains the largest number of credit unions combined in history.

In 1983, our name was changed to reflect our commitment to the communities we serve. Since that time, we have continued in our belief that community always comes first and as a cooperative the more of us working together, the stronger we can all be together.

The original grocery store before being remodeled into our first home.

Community First Founder Maury Dresang (right) is shown with
other early board members (from left): Gar Vogt, Pat Hughes,
Dwane Seidel, Bob Van Beek and Tony Choudoir.

Timeline of events & recognition.

We’re proud of the things we’ve been able to accomplish thanks to our member-owners.

Community First Credit Union Timeline

1953	Outagamie County Employees Credit Union is organized
1966	Maury Dresang is asked to manage Zwickerknit Credit Union
1969	Maury Dresang is asked to manage the Postal Employees Credit Union
1970	Outagamie County Employees Credit Union, Zwickerknit Credit Union and Postal Employees Credit Union form the Appleton Credit Union Service Center
1975	The Appleton Community Credit Union is chartered
1978	13 Service Center credit unions merge into the Appleton Area Credit Union
1983	On September 20, Appleton Area Credit Union is renamed Community First Credit Union reflecting a commitment to all communities.
1984	Oneida Street branch opens in April Neenah-based Marathon Credit Union merges with Community First
1986	The Community First Insurance Center is incorporated December 1, 1986, Allis Chalmers Appleton Employee Credit Union merges with Community First Credit Union
1987	On January 5, the Ballard Road branch becomes Community First's fourth location
1988	The Nicolet branch opens in Grand Chute in July
1989	On February 1, the Waupaca Area Credit Union merges with Community First. In Fall of that year, the new branch in Waupaca opens. November 1989, Industrial Drive branch opens in Neenah
1991	Community First Fox Cities Marathon is held for the first time
1991	The branch at the King Veterans Home opens in October
1995	New corporate office opens on Oneida Street in Appleton in September
1999	Members Financial Service begins offering members investment and financial management option Community First unveils its website www.communityfirstcu.org
2001	First branch in Oshkosh opens on Westowne Dr. Community First student-run branch opens at Appleton West High School Community First opens a branch and convenience store at Touchmark Retirement Community Lakeport Credit Union in Manitowoc joins Community First Credit Union
2003	New branches in both Darboy and Greenville open Branches at Appleton North High School and Oshkosh West High School open
2004	Appleton East High School branch opens New branch opened in Manitowoc Wolf River Credit Union in New London merges with Community First Credit Union
2006	New branch at Fox Valley Technical College opens Nichols branch opens Charter expansion into the counties of Shawano, Oconto, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Green Lake and Waushara
2008	Community First marks $1 billion in assets Miller Electric Credit Union merges with Community First Credit Union
2009	First branch in Brown County opens in De Pere Second branch in Oshkosh opens on South Park Ave. Opened Jefferson Elementary School branch providing financial education and hands-on branch experience for kindergarten through 6th grade students
2010	Community First was the proud sponsor of the Lexington Homes BIG BUILD 2010 for *Extreme Makeover: Home Edition* Manitowoc County Employees Credit Union merges with Community First
2011	Menasha Corporation Employees Credit Union merges with Community First WPS Credit Union, Oshkosh merges with Community First
2012	Community First opens a branch at Appleton Retirement Community New branch in Howard opens to serve Green Bay area member-owners NewVISION Credit Union merges with Community First Opened Roosevelt Middle School/Kaleidoscope Academy branch, providing financial education and hands-on experience for students
2013	Prime Financial Credit Union in Two Rivers joins Community First Public Service Credit Union merges with Community First Menasha Employees Credit Union merges with Community First
2014	Oshkosh Central Credit Union merges with Community First New branch in Bellevue opens to serve Green Bay area member-owners
2015	Ground breaking occurs for a new home office in Fox Crossing Kimberly branch opens Opened a branch at The Heritage/Peabody Manor retirement community
2016	New branch opens at the One Menasha building in downtown Menasha
2017	Badger Elementary School branch opens providing financial education and hands-on branch experience for kindergarten through 6th grade students New Home Office opens in Village of Fox Crossing. Village dedicates as Dresang Way in honor of Community First Founder Maury Dresang. St. Elizabeth Employees Credit Union merges with Community First
2018	Partnership with Junior Achievement of Wisconsin and Fox Valley Technical College announced to develop the Community First Career Exploration & Financial Literacy Center
2019	Opened new branch on Lake Park Road in Menasha Core system upgrade occurs Community First Champion Center opens Community First Founder/Credit Union Pioneer Maurice ‘Maury’ Dresang passes away at age 90
2020	Oshkosh Truck Credit Union member-owners approve merger with Community First Community First Career Exploration & Financial Literacy Center opens on FVTC campus in partnership with Junior Achievement Held 45th Annual Member Meeting virtually for the first time on June 15
2021	Introduced upgraded Digital Banking platform on Aug. 17 Moved the branch location at the King Veterans Home, where Community First has been serving our military heroes and their spouses since 1991
2022	Launched contactless credit and debit cards Expanded CFCU volunteer board of directors from 9 to 11 Received the United Way Fox Cities' Emerging Leaders Giving Award for CFCU's 2021 campaign participation Introduced Verifast palm identification at branch teller stations, becoming the first credit union in Northeast Wisconsin to offer members this increased level of security, speed, and accuracy
2023	48th Annual Meeting returned in-person with almost 900 registered members plus 1300 who watched on livestream from Fox Cities Exposition Center

Community First Credit Union Awards & Recognition

2002	DesJardins Youth Financial Education Award Dora Maxwell Award for Social Responsibility Wisconsin Credit Union League Political Advocate Award - awarded to CFCU employee Rick Sense
2003	Business Partnership of the Year, honored at Celebrating Our Volunteers Event for business/school partnership with Appleton Area School District Professional of the Year Award, awarded to Cathie Tierney by Wisconsin Credit Union League Wisconsin Credit Union League Political Advocate Award - awarded to CFCU employee Rick Sense
2004	Post Crescent "Small Business of the Year" Award Wisconsin Business & Education Partnership Award, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Appleton Association of School District Administrators "Friend of Education" Award
2005	United Way Fox Cities Corporate Challenge Award Urban Forestry Award, Town of Greenville Fox Valley Humane Association "Large Business of the Year" Award Special Olympics Wisconsin Premier Partner Award C. L. Greiber Award of Merit Business of the Year - State level, Awarded by Wisconsin Association for Career and Technical Education Business Friend of Education Award - State level, Awarded by Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, presented by Wisconsin State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster
2006	St. Elizabeth's Philanthropic Business of the Year Post Crescent, Best of the Valley Awards: Best Financial Institution, Best Financial Planner. Finalist - Best Mortgage Lender SBA Lender of the Year - Credit Union with the most 7(a) loans
2007	Post Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union - Finalist
2008	Corporate Report, Wisconsin' Business Magazine - Best Credit Union Post Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union - Winner Governor's Council on Financial Literacy Award: Recognizing individuals and organization for excellence for increasing financial literacy among Wisconsin residents
2009	Post Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union - Winner Best Supporting Business, Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Presented to Community First Credit Union for giving back to the community through financial and in-kind support and involvement in community events, support of community organizations and employee commitment to volunteering Credit Union Magazine subscribers voted Community First President and CEO, Catherine Tierney, Hero of the Year. Candidates for this award are credit union employees or volunteers that have gone above and beyond to promote credit union philosophy, exhibit a firm belief in credit union values, show dedication to credit union principles and make a difference in the local community. The Pierre Jay Award from the National Association of State Chartered Credit Unions (NASCUS) was presented to Catherine Tierney, President and CEO of Community First Credit Union. This award is presented to individuals who demonstrate outstanding service, leadership, achievement and efforts which benefit NASCUS and the dual chartering system. Bancography Brand Index ranked Community First Credit Union 8th among the top 25 credit unions in the country with assets of more than $1 billion for brand strength. Key factors utilized to determine this ranking include the institution's reputation, service quality, image and market awareness. The brand value index identifies institutions that produce financial results beyond what their capital base, market conditions and competitive environments would predict. Top 10 Ranking; Crystal Performance Award, Raddon Financial Group, a provider of researched based solutions to the financial services industry, awarded Community First Credit Union the Crystal Performance Award. The award recognizes credit unions with assets greater than $500 million for achieving a top 10 ranking in 2008 based on a balanced scorecard measurement of growth, income, efficiency and margin management.
2010	Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union - Winner 2010 Reader Poll Awards, Best of Oshkosh: Best Financial Institution & Best Mortgage Lender Green Bay Press-Gazette, Best of the Bay Finalist: Best Credit Union Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 2^nd consecutive year
2011	Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union - Winner Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 3rd consecutive year
2012	Walter L. Rugland Community Service Award, Catherine Tierney, President/CEO of Community First Credit Union, Celebrating our Volunteers Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union & Mortgage Lender - Winner Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 4th consecutive year
2013	Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union & Mortgage Lender - Winner Corporate Citizen/Leadership Award, Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry Fox Cities Business Hall of Fame, inductee Catherine Tierney, President/CEO of Community First Credit Union, Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 5th consecutive year
2014	Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union & Mortgage Lender - Winner Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 6th consecutive year
2015	Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union Winner and Mortgage Lender Finalist Waupaca Buyers' Guide, Best of Waupaca: Best Lender & Best Savings Institution - Winner Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 7th consecutive year
2016	Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union Winner and Best Mortgage Lender Finalist Community First President/CEO Cathie Tierney named Post-Crescent Media's CEO/Executive of the Year. Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 8th consecutive year.
2017	Future Neenah/Corporate Citizen of the Year Award, Community First Credit Union. Legacy Award/Governor's Council on Financial Literacy, Community First Credit Union President/CEO Cathie Tierney. Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 9th consecutive year.
2018	Post-Crescent, Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union winner and Best Mortgage Lender winner CUES Hall of Fame Induction, Community First Credit Union President/CEO Cathie Tierney, honored for her lifetime of achievements and dedication to the credit union movement. Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 10th consecutive year.
2019	Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 11th consecutive year. LEAVEN Founder’s Award for corporate citizenship
2020	Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union/Bank winner Best of Winnebago Co.: Best Mortgage Lender winner Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 12th consecutive year.
2021	Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 13th consecutive year Best of the Valley: Best Credit Union winner
2022	Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 14th consecutive year United Way Fox Cities Emerging Leaders Giving Award Best Credit Union in the Fox Valley Best Credit Union in Winnebago County Best Mortgage Lending Company in Winnebago County
2023	Best Credit Union in the Fox Valley, Appleton Post-Crescent Best Credit Union in Winnebago County, Oshkosh Northwestern Best Mortgage Lending Company in Winnebago County, Oshkosh Northwestern Top 10 Ranking/Crystal Performance Award for 15th consecutive year, Fiserv Legacy Builder – Community Partnership Award, Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity: Community First Credit Union Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s Distinguished Service Award: Community First President/CEO Cathie Tierney Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce: Large Business of the Year

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Leadership & Results

There’s strength in numbers.

Our member-owners have the power to spend smart, the power to give back and the power to save more. We currently serve more than 160,000 members from 25 full-service locations and manage more than $6.1 billion in assets.

Join Us Today!

View our 2023 annual report to member-owners.

Our belief has always been to be fiscally responsible with our member-owners money by maintaining a balance between sound growth, earnings and reserves. See how we have returned value back to our member-owners over the years.

Purple and teal image collage text 2023 member-owners annual report. Moments that matter..

View 2023 Annual Report Download 2023 Annual Report

See a recording of our 49th Annual Meeting.

2022 Annual Report

2021 Annual Report

2020 Annual Report

2019 Annual Report

2018 Annual Report

2017 Annual Report

2016 Annual Report

Leadership by members, for members.

We’re all in this together. Our volunteer Board of Directors are members-owners nominated and elected by fellow member-owners. As a member-owner, you have equal ownership and one vote regardless of how much money you have on deposit.

Our Executive Leadership Team

Catherine Tierney, CCUE
President/CEO

Tim Hoff
Chief Lending Officer

Scott Steinfort
Chief Technology Officer

Kristy Hesse
Chief Human Resources Officer

Amanda Secor
Chief of Staff

Chad Bostick
Chief Financial Officer

Craig Gloudemans
SVP Finance

Andy Hull
SVP Information Technology

Sherri Jablonicky
SVP Fraud & Security

Mary Lornson
SVP Lending

Mary Sullivan
SVP Special Projects

Our Board of Directors

We are very fortunate to have the consistent and capable support of our Board of Directors, who volunteer their time. You elect them as your representatives to guide the organization in fulfilling its mission, to establish governance policies and to monitor our performance. Board members are elected at the Annual Meeting to serve a three-year term. Any member interested in running for the board is encouraged to apply during the call for candidates.

Sara Micheletti, Chairman
Attorney, McCarty Law

Peter Mariahazy, Vice Chairman
Human Resources Director, Catalysis

Michael Moore, Secretary
VP of Engineering, Oshkosh Corporation

Catherine Tierney, CCUE, Treasurer
President/CEO, Community First Credit Union

Matthew Bingham
Vendor Manager, SECURA Insurance

Daniel Ferris
VP, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary – SECURA Insurance Company

Amy Fricke-Weigel
CEO, Fricke Printing Service, Inc

Sarah Hutchinson
Retired United States Marine Corps

Paul Schwartz
VP of Information Technology, Badger Liquor, Inc

Kathryn Sieman
Board & CFO Advisory Services Consultant

Adam Swoverland
VP of Finance, Breakthrough (a U.S. Venture company)