SAFE History

SAFE Credit Union has served its members with honesty, integrity, and innovative solutions since 1940, growing from 10 founding members to more than 240,000 today.

Constantly evolving, SAFE embraces technology and implements ground-breaking banking solutions to accommodate members' changing needs. Originally launched to serve employees at the Sacramento Air Depot in Sacramento, California, SAFE now serves anyone who lives, works, or worships in 13 counties in the heart of California.

The credit union opened in 1940 as the Sacramento Air Depot Federal Credit Union. In one year, it ballooned to 275 members and managed $7,000 in assets. In that era, the unsecured loan limit was $50 and share holdings were limited to $200 per member. By 1944, membership had swelled to 1,800 members and assets reached $30,000.

In 1953, the credit union was renamed Sacramento Air Force Employees Federal Credit Union. By 1959, the board of directors shortened the name to S.A.F.E. Federal Credit Union. Today, we're called SAFE Credit Union.

As base civilians flocked to join the credit union, our membership and assets flourished. In 1984, SAFE ranked as the 75th largest credit union of 21,000 credit unions in the United States, with assets of nearly $143 million and a membership 40,000 strong.

In 1984, CEO Robert White retired, and the SAFE Board of Directors selected then-Chief Financial Officer Henry W. Wirz to serve as President and CEO. Under his leadership, the credit union enjoyed tremendous growth. Notably, SAFE merged with McClellan Federal Credit Union in 1996, expanding its membership to include military personnel serving at McClellan Air Force Base.

SAFE members voted to convert to a state charter in 1998, furthering the credit union's reach beyond its aviation heritage to provide banking services to the Greater Sacramento region. SAFE proudly serves anyone who lives, works, or worships in the counties of Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, Yuba, Sutter, Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Nevada, San Joaquin, Solano, and El Dorado.

SAFE found other opportunities to grow through merging with other local credit unions, including with Sacramento-based Capital Power Credit Union in 2007 and with American River HealthPro Credit Union in 2009.

In 2014, SAFE opened its Pleasant Hill mortgage lending office and moved its corporate headquarters from North Highlands to Folsom.

After 32 years of invaluable service, Henry Wirz retired in 2016, transferring his responsibilities to Dave Roughton.

As President and CEO, Roughton continued to foster the credit union’s growth, including the acquisition of deposit accounts from KeyPoint Credit Union members living in SAFE’s service area. He also oversaw the opening of a new SAFE branch in the Land Park area of Sacramento, bringing SAFE’s services to a changing, dynamic neighborhood that many SAFE members call home.

Roughton’s leadership and vision helped SAFE grow tremendously, from $2.5 billion in assets and 206,000 members in 2016 to over $4 billion in assets and 240,000 members in 2021.

In late 2021, Roughton announced he would retire in early 2022. The Board of Directors named former Chief Credit Officer Faye Nabhani President in 2022. She became the President/CEO effective January 1, 2023.

In 2019, SAFE became the naming rights sponsor of the SAFE Credit Union Convention & Performing Arts District in the heart of downtown Sacramento. The District includes the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center. Through the sponsorship, SAFE also provides financial wellness services to city of Sacramento employees through SAFE’s Workplace Financial Wellness program.

SAFE is one of the largest credit unions in the Greater Sacramento region, is among the largest 25 in California, and in the top 100 in the United States. Our mission is to help members improve their financial well-being, to provide excellent service, and to ensure a financially sound credit union.