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1st USCU Enjoys
Updated Corporate Headquarters
By Nicole Zaro Stahl Six months of construction came to fruition when 1st United Services Credit Union (1st USCU) moved its 80 corporate and branch employees back into an expanded and updated headquarters at 5901 Gibraltar Drive in July. The credit union first occupied the custom building in 1999. Growth since then had pushed several back-office operations into overflow space elsewhere in Hacienda. Now the entire Pleasanton population is back in one facility, with a redesigned interior that features a friendlier branch design, more collaborative workspace for corporate staff, and a conference room large enough to accommodate all-hands meetings. “Hacienda Business Park is a great headquarters and branch location,” comments Greg Pulliam, Chief Administrative Officer for the credit union, which has been serving residents and employees working in Alameda and Contra Costa counties since the 1930s. With a total of 13 branches from Fremont to Rodeo, easy freeway access and proximity to BART have always been major location considerations, Pulliam notes. Several East Bay branches are within walking distance of a BART station, which makes it very easy for employees to travel from site to site to conduct internal training or make presentations to a variety of groups. The credit union is actively involved in the community through educational and financial literacy programs targeted to different age groups. For example, the Berkeley branch is just half a block from Berkeley High School, a natural audience for the Gen-Y seminar “Teens and Money.” 1st USCU also sponsors a financial education class, providing professionally developed materials to teachers at seven high schools in the East Bay. Adult outreach includes seminars on topics like identity theft and understanding credit reports. A new presentation, “10 Steps to Financial Success,” is being given regularly at the branches and employer sites, Pulliam says. The credit union also has programs for youngsters that help them start to think about developing good savings habits. 1st USCU’s long history in the area has been accompanied by strong support of local causes. The “Taste of Summer” barbecue fundraiser for Hacienda Helping Hands this past May sparked the interest of more than two dozen employees, whose line dance took top honors for team cheer, while the CIO-led “pit team” crafted award-winning smoked ribs. “When we first heard about the event, we were very excited about participating,” Pulliam relates. “Quite a few of our staff and board members attended and everyone had a good time. Hacienda Helping Hands provides a valuable, much-needed service in the Tri-Valley, and we’re eager to hear about what’s next.” The credit union is equally attentive to the needs of its own workforce, a commitment that received industry acknowledgment last year with its inclusion as one of “The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security,” sponsored by insurance and benefits provider the Principal Financial Group. It was the credit union’s overall benefit package—not just standard life, health, and dental insurance and retirement plans, but employee development opportunities and a strong emphasis on wellness, from ergonomics to diet and nutrition—that earned the judges’ admiration. The win was a double victory, as 1st USCU selected the Alameda County Food Bank to receive the charitable donation prize from Principal and then matched the contribution itself. For more information, visit www.1stuscu.org. ACE Rail Promotes
Tri-Valley Commuting from New Hacienda
Office
By Nicole Zaro Stahl Most people associate Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) trains with a trip across the Altamont Pass, but even though the line originates in Stockton, its six stops from Livermore to San Jose make it a Tri-Valley commuting option as well. A new office in Hacienda will help the organization bring that point home to thousands of potential riders who are either unaware of the service or need additional information before stepping out of the comfort zone of the daily auto commute. “For the past 10 years, our main audience has been the San Joaquin Valley, but times have changed,” observes Thomas Reeves, Strategic Development and Communications Coordinator for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which owns and operates the line. “The Tri-Valley is not only a destination but a point of origin for people going elsewhere—to Fremont or Santa Clara, for example. And with the number of businesses in the Tri-Valley growing, these have become important markets for us.” The challenge for the Stockton-based organization has been how to recruit new passengers on this side of the Altamont from its location on the other. Surveys have shown that word-of-mouth, not advertising, is the most effective promotional tool. Reeves hit on the idea of opening an office in Hacienda, the heart of the target market, to serve as a launching pad for initiatives out into the community. “The best way to inform people about ACE is to partner with major business groups and employers, so they can do the cheerleading for us with their own employees,” Reeves explains. The new outpost, in Suite 340 at 4305 Hacienda Drive, will be the hub of outreach efforts to area businesses and organizations “to get people interested in our programs and show employers and employees what we’re about.” From a vastly improved on-time performance record (now over 90 percent) to a pilot program of WiFi- equipped cars, ACE rail has a good story to tell. Its campaign will highlight the comfort and convenience of its service. On display in the office will be an actual-size interior train segment, so people can try out the seats and table arrangements to see how much laptop space is available. Other amenities include bathrooms and drinking water. “We’ve been told that we have the cleanest cars in the nation. With the average time spent being 90 minutes each way, the train had better be comfortable, clean, and efficient,” Reeves remarks. “Our passengers watch movies, sleep, talk with friends. We have even had a couple get married as a result of meeting on the ACE train.” While functioning primarily as planning and meeting space for its outreach efforts, the Hacienda office will be open to the public, but visitors should call first as its business hours will be limited. Staffing it will be Thomas or one of his colleagues, all practicing what they preach—taking the ACE train from Stockton to the Pleasanton stop by the Fairgrounds, and then connecting via a free WHEELS shuttle to Hacienda. For more information, visit www.acerail.com, or call (925) 469-0851. |
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| Last modified: May 04 2010 06:34:37 Copyright © 2010 HBPOA |
