Betty Dillard
bdillard@bizpress.net
Randolph-Brooks FCU expands to D-FW area Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, the second-largest credit union in Texas, has made its first expansion into the Dallas-Fort Worth area with the Sept. 15 opening of new branch locations in Frisco and Plano. The credit union plans to build additional branches in North Texas. A location in Allen is scheduled to open in October. “We’re excited to be able to bring RBFCU to the Dallas area,” said Christopher W. O’Connor, president/CEO. “We’ve built a strong network of branches in South Central Texas, and we believe RBFCU offers competitive products and services that will provide exceptional value to the Collin County community.” During the past five years, the credit union’s membership has grown by 60 percent to more than 475,000 members, and assets have grown by more than 75 percent. “We provide a competitive suite of products and services, including low-rate loans, free cash-back checking and innovative mobile services,” O’Connor said. “These offerings have been successful in our other markets, and we believe they will be equally attractive to our Collin County members.” The new branches are located at 1801 Dallas Parkway in Plano and 4040 Preston Road in Frisco. Established in 1952, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial cooperative with assets exceeding $6 billion. It has 50 branch locations throughout Texas.
TEXAS TRUST YOUTH COUNCIL TEACHES STUDENTS FINANCIAL SENSE Texas Trust Credit Union named 16 local high school students as members of its fall 2014 Youth Advisory Council (YAC). A part of Texas Trust’s financial education initiative, the advisory council equips high school students with financial skills and education to prepare them for college and beyond. The council meets twice a month and provides learning opportunities in marketing, financial services and careers in the financial field. The council also organizes a community service project benefiting a nonprofit. “YAC teaches students how to be money-wise and exposes them to what is involved in running a financial institution,” said Amber Danford, senior vice president of marketing for Texas Trust. “Our goal is to equip these students with financial sense so that they are prepared to make smart decisions about their money.” YAC members are chosen based on their leadership credentials, extracurricular activities and desire to serve and actively participate in the council. More than 115 high school students applied for this term, which runs through December. The members for the 2014 fall council are: Roberta Flores (James Martin High School) and Aisha Garrett (James Bowie High School) in Arlington; Anfernee Combs and Ja’Meelah Robinson (Cedar Hill High School) in Cedar Hill; Darryon Bates and Malyk Davis (DeSoto High School) in DeSoto; Jonathan Guerin (South Grand Prairie High School), Tiffany Chavarria and Jemiah Williams (Dubiski Career High School), and Kelsey Wilcox (Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy) in Grand Prairie; Ronnie Wilson (Harmony Science Academy) in Harmony; and in Mansfield, Brianna Dumas (Timberview High School), Karisa Coe (Mansfield High School), Lauren Jackson (Legacy High School), Daniel Kelly (Frontier High School) and Sheryse Lincoln (Lake Ridge High School). Texas Trust, one of the largest credit unions in North Texas and the 17th largest in Texas, has assets of $825 million and operates in Dallas, Tarrant, and Henderson counties as well as parts of Ellis and Johnson counties. It has 14 branches in Mansfield, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Hurst and Athens.
MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES VOLUNTEERS AID NONPROFITS More than 1,000 employees at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA donated more than 3,000 hours of volunteer service during the company’s second annual Week of Caring Sept. 8-12. Week of Caring is a five-day community service campaign that Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA implements in the communities surrounding its four U.S. locations: Detroit, Mich.; Fort Mill, S.C.; Montvale, N.J.; and Fort Worth, where the company’s Business Center Operations is located. The program is focused on building long-term partnerships with nonprofit organizations committed to creating positive social change in four focus areas: education, community enhancement, arts and culture, and diversity and inclusion. “Week of Caring is a signature program that fosters our team members’ passion for giving back to organizations close to where we live and work,” said Peter Zieringer, president and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, which is headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich. The company kicked off its Fort Worth project on Sept. 8 at Sagamore Hill Elementary School. During the week, participants volunteered at a community project of their choice with one of these Fort Worth nonprofits: Community Food Bank, Community Storehouse, Fort Worth Independent School District, KaBoom!, Kids Against Hunger Tarrant County, REAL School Gardens, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth and SafeHaven of Tarrant County. The volunteer projects included building a custom-designed playground, working with students to build bookshelves, planting gardens, packaging and delivering meals, and general neighborhood cleanup and beautification. “Social responsibility is an integral part of our core values at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services; it is a strategic pillar in how we define our corporate identity and how we do business,” added Zieringer. “While we plan to make a significant impact this week, our commitment is alive and well all year round.”
WORTHINGTON NATIONAL BANK HOSTS ARTIST RECEPTION Worthington National Bank hosted an art reception for Fort Worth physician turned artist Don Matheson on Sept. 18 at the bank’s downtown Fort Worth branch. The bank’s Fort Worth, Arlington and Colleyville locations are home to collections of artwork created primarily by Texas artists and/or artists who painted scenes of Texas life. These artists, their work and their reputations are nationally recognized. Worthington National Bank’s Sundance Square location showcases numerous pieces of art, including works by Emily Guthrie Smith, who taught at Texas Christian University. Her painting The Branding Room once hung in the dining room at Fort Worth’s Western Hills Hotel and was saved from a 1968 fire that destroyed the building. Worthington National Bank also has offices on the second floor of the historic Burk Burnett Building. This floor houses a collection of watercolors created by Fort Worth artist Danny Jones. CEO Greg Morse commissioned Jones to create 12 paintings, each to capture a unique Fort Worth image or landmark, including Bass Hall, Tarrant County Courthouse, the downtown Post Office, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Modern Art Museum, Colonial Country Club, TCU and the Will Rogers statue in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. There are also bronzes, mounted longhorn heads and an extensive collection of maps.