Community involvement and impact, not growth, are what Anderson prides himself in when he reflects on his years of service.
In 1990, when Bill Anderson became its CEO, Mid Oregon Credit Union had a single location in Bend, Oregon. There were only 10 employees serving the fewer than 6,000 members and managing about $19 million in assets.
Now, as Anderson celebrates 25 years at Mid Oregon’s helm, the credit union looks very different. Seventy-five employees are spread across six branches to serve nearly 25,000 members. Assets have increased by an order of magnitude to over $200 million.
But reflecting on his quarter-century leading Mid Oregon, Anderson doesn’t focus on the credit union’s impressive growth. Instead he highlights its place in the communities it serves.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that our impactful community service is second to none,” he said. “As the region prospered, so did the credit union. When the region suffered, so did the credit union. I am proud of how we weathered the recession and the position the credit union is in to succeed going forward. What has stayed the same is the focus on Central Oregon and how best to serve our growing membership and communities.”
Mid Oregon Credit Union was founded in 1957 by a small group of educators in Prineville, Oregon, a city of less than 10,000 people about an hour northeast of Bend. Like all credit unions, Mid Oregon is not-for-profit, which means that while is must generate positive earnings, that is not its purpose for existence, as with for-profit financial institutions. Rather, Mid Oregon Credit Union exists to serve its members, the 25,000 Central Oregon residents who are both the customers and co-owners of the financial cooperative.
In that sense, the credit union is the same as it was back in 1957 — a group of people working together to build financial strength for themselves, their families and their community. If the small group of founders could see the credit union now, one can only imagine the kind words they would have for its staff, members and leaders, and especially for its president and CEO, Bill Anderson.
