FOLSOM, Calif. – (Feb. 18, 2020) – SAFE Credit Union launched the second phase of its game-changing SAFE Credit YOUnion campaign featuring its own staff members this week. The SAFE marketing team pulled from a rich pool of co-workers
– from front-line staff to corporate executives – that represent the grand diversity of the Greater Sacramento region.
“We are so excited about this next phase of our branding campaign,” says Erica Dias, Vice President Marketing, Communications, and Community Banking. “By having staff members behind the YOU messaging, it really does show we honor
you, our members and the community we serve. Our creative marketing team worked with Sacramento ad agency un/common to create this lively campaign that connects our staff members with our neighbors in a bigger-than-life way.”
Images of SAFE staff members will be portrayed on billboards along the Highway 50 and Interstate 80 corridors starting the week of Feb. 17. Staff members will also be featured in promoted social media campaigns.
SAFE launched the SAFE Credit YOUnion campaign in May 2019 through digital, video, social, and out-of-home channels. The bold imagery and straightforward messaging helped SAFE break out of the financial advertising clutter in the Sacramento market.
SAFE, a $3 billion credit union, is the third largest credit union in Sacramento serving 235,000 members.
So who are the people behind the new campaign? Let us introduce:
Lixa Anderson
Lixa Anderson has been AVP, Software Engineering & Integrations, at SAFE for three years. She started at SAFE seven years ago, bringing 18 years’ experience in technology and 14 years in leadership. She recently completed an executive MBA
degree. She leads a team responsible for delivering custom features in SAFE’s digital banking channels for members as well as internal technology solutions that promote efficiency. She’s originally from Southern California but
over the seven years she’s been in the Sacramento area she has fallen in love with the outdoors, including Folsom and Tahoe Lakes. She also likes visiting San Francisco and Bodega Bay.
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Alex Becerra
Alex has worked at SAFE for six years, and has been a Senior Business Development Specialist on the Community Banking team for around 4 ½ years. He serves SAFE’s members by providing opportunities for real-world learning and
financial education through SAFE’s Workplace Financial Wellness services. His mission is to make financial health a reality for as many members of the community as possible. He actively volunteers in the community, and is a member of
Metro EDGE, Folsom Leading Young Professionals, and alumni of the Folsom Leadership Class of 2017. He was raised in Lincoln, and he loves living in a region that is culturally and geographically diverse. As he says, “Sacramento is a
region that thrives due to collaboration, innovation, and contribution from all walks of life.”
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Victor Bruce
Victor has served SAFE business members for two years as a Commercial Loan Portfolio Officer. He has expertise in commercial lending and SBA lending to help businesses grow. He works with SAFE business members to help them with the details of
their loans to ensure they get the funding they need. Victor was born and raised in the Sacramento area, and he appreciates that it’s centrally located between the Sierras and the Pacific Ocean for all things entertainment and outdoor
activities – especially cycling.
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Lisa Cook
Lisa has worked as a senior loan servicing specialist at SAFE Credit Union for 18 years. She came with 14 years of banking experience that started with a vocational training program in high school. Her job at SAFE’s headquarters in Folsom
provides her the opportunity to serve members by ensuring their loans and the initial setup of their loan meets their needs. She also helps branches and SAFE’s all-local call center assist members with loans. She loves working and living
in Sacramento, especially the beautiful surroundings as well as the convenience to top-notch restaurants and a wide range of quality entertainment. She likes being close to her home town in the Bay Area as well as Reno and Tahoe.
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Carl Lee
Carl has been AVP, Regional Sales, for three years. He started at SAFE 15 years ago bringing experience in leadership, banking services, as well as loan processing and underwriting. He daily visits SAFE branches, connecting directly with branch
staff and members. He inspires his team to advance in their careers and invest in deepening members’ relationships with SAFE. What does he love best about working at SAFE? “My most favorite part of being a part of SAFE is that
we refer to each other as the SAFE family.”
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Michael Smith
Michael has worked with SAFE for 4 ½ years and has been AVP, Real Estate Lending Operations, for three of those. He came to SAFE with 17 years of mortgage lending experience, and has put that to use as he focuses on finding ways to ensure the
mortgage lending process is as easy as possible for SAFE members while staying on top of the market to bring them quality mortgage options. He enjoys the many entertainment and outdoor activities the Sacramento area offers. He likes experiencing
the art, theater, and music scene in the urban center, as well as finding adventure hiking, cycling, paddle boarding and more in the region’s beautiful parks and lakes.
Michelle DeLaRosa
Michelle has been with SAFE for four years. She’s been in her current role as the Call Center Coordinator for eight months. She puts to use her time management skills and brings integrity to everything she does. She serves SAFE’s members
by ensuring that their account requests are completed in a timely manner, and making sure that they receive exceptional service. Sacramento is her hometown, and what she loves most about it is the variety of people who live here.
Taylor Morgan
Taylor started with SAFE in 2016, and has been a Relationship Officer in the Natomas branch since 2018. She started her SAFE journey shortly after majoring in business administration at CSU Sacramento. She uses her knowledge of business practices
to deepen relationships with members. She serves members daily by being friendly, knowledgeable, and being a welcoming face in SAFE branches. She’s spent most of her adult life in Sacramento, and says, “The city has molded me in so
many ways. Being able to give back to the community and work for such a great organization is exactly where I want to be.”
Avinesh Naidu
Avinesh has with SAFE for four years and been on a branch manager for almost a year. He has been in banking/ customer service industry for the past 10 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in business management. He loves engaging with
members on a daily basis to help them with their financial well-being and is honored to be part of their journey with SAFE.
Grace Roberto
Grace came to SAFE five years ago, and has been in her current position as senior digital product manager with SAFE’s Digital Banking and Innovation team for a year. She tests and implements new technologies for the SAFE Mobile App and Online
Banking platform, including real-time and actionable targeted marketing, Alexa Conversational Banking, digital receipts, and more. She is a co-winner of the 2018 CUlytics Analytics Challenge. Grace cares about ensuring the member experience with
SAFE’s tech is seamless. “It takes only one misplaced button to make or break a member’s experience online. I’m passionate about creating, engaging, exciting and relevant digital experiences for SAFE members so they know
they never have to turn to a big bank to deliver a cutting-edge UX.” The aspect she loves best about Sacramento is the people. She moved here in 2010 with her husband and they’ve made amazing friends in the recreational volleyball
leagues they play in.
Selena Zuniga
Selena has worked as a member service representative at SAFE for a year and a half. She brings a positive personality while building long-lasting relationships with our members. She loves living and working in Sacramento because, as she says, “you
can get a little bit of everything. You can get a taste of the country life while being able to enjoy the city life that Sacramento has to offer.”
About SAFE
SAFE Credit Union has made members an integral part of its vision since 1940. Over the years the credit union has kept the focus on what really matters, putting members first, a formula that has seen SAFE grow into a leading financial institution in Northern California with $4.5 billion in assets and about 242,000 members. SAFE crafts every cutting-edge product and sterling service with members’ needs foremost in mind. In addition to banking services conveniently available through online, chat, mobile, or phone options, SAFE offers in-person services for members and small businesses at service centers across the Greater Sacramento region. SAFE is a not-for-profit, state-chartered credit union with membership open to businesses and individuals living or working in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, Sutter, Butte, Nevada, Solano, San Joaquin, Contra Costa, Yuba, Amador, and Alameda counties. Insured by NCUA. www.safecu.org