Community First Credit Union Reopens Renovated UNF Branch

The credit union’s only on-campus University branch serves students, faculty and administrators.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 6, 2020 – Community First Credit Union and the University of North Florida announce the credit union’s on-campus branch location has reopened after a renovation that commenced in spring. The credit union underwent a full interior renovation of its space after renewing its 10-year lease to remain on UNF’s campus. The reopening coincided with the reopening of the UNF campus on August 17.

Community First announced last fall the credit union and UNF had renewed their partnership to extend the long-term lease. The agreement included a commitment to renew and renovate the branch to better engage how students use the branch today. The agreement also includes Community First scholarships in the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) and Hicks Honors College, support of UNF’s new Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Downtown Jacksonville, along with additional funding for the Student Emergency Relief Fund, student wellness initiatives, Athletics, Market Days, John A. Delaney Student Union and orientation programming as well as the Alumni Association’s Third Thursday events. Community First executives serve as COEHS and Coggin College of Business (CCB) advisors.

The UNF branch located in the John A. Delaney Student Union opened in 2009. Before this current branch opened, Community First served the campus in another location since the early 2000s. The UNF branch is a full-service financial center available to anyone when on campus. It is the only full-service financial center on the campus. It is staffed by a manager and two member solutions representatives and is 1,071 square feet. It serves more than 3,885 current members with financial services and products. 

The branch underwent extensive interior renovations that included new floor plan design, décor, and furnishings to modernize the branch. UNF’s CCB marketing students gave real-world input for the design and renovation as part of a class project. In addition, the students provided marketing program ideas for student engagement at the branch.

“Reopening this renewed branch and refocusing our campus efforts is important for us and the UNF community,” said John Hirabayashi, CEO and president of Community First. “This amenity provides convenient daily and long-term financial services directly to students, faculty and administrators.”

Community First has a longtime dedication to education. The credit union was founded by teachers and administrators and later became known as Educational Community Credit Union. While the credit union has expanded to serve anyone in any profession in the seven-county region, Community First still supports a wide variety of education-focused partnerships and its members who work in education.

Community First Credit Union is a state-chartered credit union based in Jacksonville serving anyone who lives or works on the First Coast. Community First is one of the 10 largest credit unions in the state, serving more than 148,000 members and with assets of $1.9 billion. Community First has 19 locations and 340 employees. A not-for-profit, Community First is a full-service financial institution offering banking, loans, mortgages and investments for consumers and businesses across the First Coast.