Message to Our Members – May 2024

(2 Minute Read) — We say a fond farewell to what’s been our home for the past 18 years. We no longer occupy Unitus Plaza in Downtown Portland, and our branch and ATM have closed. We recognize this is an inconvenience for some of you, and I sincerely apologize. We will have a new Downtown branch up and running soon.

We are thrilled to now be working out of one of our Distributed Administrative Network centers. Unitus Business Center (UBC)-Tigard opened on April 29. This new facility better meets our credit union’s needs, and it provides long-term value to our membership with lower operational costs.

I am proud of this new facility and our organizational structure that allows employees to work at the Distributed Administrative Network center that works best for them. Our next facility will open in Woodburn in 2025. Our Mill Plain branch also has workstations for employees who live near to that location. All these options mean shorter commutes and less pollution—it’s a win for everyone.

On Earth Day, I announced our new Environmental and Sustainability Action Plan. Unitus is committed to this plan that consists of five key pillars: Environmentally Responsible Business Practices; Waste Reduction; Energy and Resource Conservation; Member and Community Support; and Crisis Preparedness. Unitus is setting a vision for the future through this initiative with the focus on how our actions today will impact the world tomorrow.

One of the most exciting features of our new Tigard location is five acres of dedicated wetlands that will offset our environmental impact. Once full construction is completed, Unitus will apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. UBC-Tigard has been constructed with recycled materials and furniture, includes living plants in all workspaces to promote clean air, and has limited waste by repurposing materials during demolition.

Unitus has already begun several other environmentally responsible business practices, including eliminating paper, supplying facilities with reusable dishes, offering remote work flexibility, implementing a ride-share program, providing funds for employee transit, using energy-efficient lighting and other infrastructure, and offering financial products to help employees and members purchase energy-efficient vehicles, bikes, and home enhancements. Unitus became the first Credit Union to receive Gold Certification from the City of Portland’s Sustainability at Work program in 2018.

We’re just beginning this journey. We hope the steps we take together will help make a difference and positively address the climate crisis. We all need to do our part. I hope you’ll join us, and I hope our action plan makes you proud to be a Unitus member.

Steven Stapp
President and CEO
Unitus Community Credit Union