CN/IC Employees Credit Union is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The $9.4 million credit union headquartered in Memphis was created on the evening of Nov. 15, 1932. On that evening, a small group of employees from the Illinois Central Railroad met with the field secretary of the Credit Union National Extension Bureau to discuss establishing a credit union.
Illinois Central Credit Union of Memphis, Tenn., was the result of the meeting. The credit union changed its name to CN/IC Employees Credit Union in September 2011 to better align itself with the new generation of employees at CN Railroad, previously Illinois Central Railroad.
“I am very honored to be able to continue the legacy of this credit union and to be here to celebrate its 90th anniversary,” said Sandra Griffis, CN/IC Employees Credit Union manager, who has worked at the credit union since 2010. “There have only been five managers during our 90 years. The turnover in employees has been very little in those 90 years and most of those were from retirement.”
Today, CN/IC Employees Credit Union serves 1,196 members across the United States and up and down the railroad line. The oldest and longest-tenured member is 100 years old. She has been a member since she joined in 1944. The credit union is proud to serve generations of railroad members.
“We just had a young man who is 23 years old come in recently who found his picture as a young boy of around 8 years old in our friends’ photo album,” said Griffis. “He now works for the railroad and so do his uncle and cousin. His grandfather retired from the railroad and served as a board member for the credit union for several terms. It was such a delight to talk with him and reminisce some of our memories with his family. Knowing that our members have such confidence in us to encourage their children to use the credit union is exactly the credit union experience we are trying to pass down from generation to generation.”
When you work with members for generations and offer exceptional member service, the credit union becomes a special place.
“Our staff develops such a close relationship with our members that we truly feel like family,” said Griffis. “There have been many cases where we were in the top five phone calls made when one of our members pass away — and it’s not to find out about any money — it’s truly because they know of the close relationship we have with our members. While it’s always sad to lose anyone, it really touches our hearts that we made this top list.”
CN/IC Employees Credit Union is planning a fall member appreciation event to help celebrate the 90th anniversary. For more information about the CN/IC Employees Credit Union, please visit icecu.net.
