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Mountain America Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution with an on-going tradition of partnering with consumers to help meet their financial needs. With more than 185,000 members and $1.4 billion in assets, it is the second largest credit union in Utah and the state's 15th largest financial institution*. Nationally, Mountain America ranks 62nd** out of more than 9,000 credit unions. Mountain America traces its origin back to two large credit unions formed to serve the financial interests of Utahns. Established in March 1934 as the Utah Telephone Credit Union (UTELCU), telephone workers from Salt Lake Telephone, Mountain Bell, Western Electric, and AT&T were later joined by several other utility companies, including Mt. Fuel Supply. In May 1984, UTELCU changed its name to Mountain America Credit Union to reflect the diversification of its membership. Later that year, Entra CU and Postal Workers CU-the first credit union established west of the Mississippi-joined Mountain America. The Utah State Employees Credit Union (USECU), established in April 1952, was the largest credit union merged to form what is now Mountain America. Originally created to serve State Road Commission employees, membership later broadened to include all state employees and various city and county employees. In 1985, USECU changed its name to Utah State Credit Union (USCU) to more accurately describe its membership. On November 14, 1988, USCU united with Mountain America to bring about the second largest credit union in the state. In 2001, Desert West Federal Credit Union and MetroWest Credit Union both joined Mountain America. Mountain America has a long heritage of partnering with members. A shared effort to help each other succeed has built trust and a commitment to make the partnership one that works. Mountain America is committed to helping members enjoy a good lifestyle by providing a positive incentive for them to build a solid foundation and realize their financial dreams. With this in mind, the Credit Union offers its members a full-range of personal financial products and services, money-saving benefits, and timesaving conveniences geared to fit the different lifestyles of all of its members. Mountain America's strength lies in its large network of branches and ATMs. The Credit Union has 40 full-service branches, from Logan to St. George, Vernal to Tooele, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Mesquite and Las Vegas. Mountain America owns several ATMs and belongs to seven networks including the CO-OP, which allows members to complete surcharge-free transactions in more than 18,000 ATMs throughout the country. Mountain America's philosophy of offering easy access to high-quality products as a cooperative institution allows members to enjoy traditionally higher dividends on savings and lower rates on loans. "Not for profit, not for charity, but for service" accurately describes the Credit Union's ultimate goal. Organized to serve, member satisfaction is the objective at Mountain America. MACU empowers its employees to make decisions at the frontline. A four-tiered hierarchy ensures that employees make decisions based first on the needs of the membership, then in the interest of the Credit Union, the work team, and lastly, themselves. In May 2003, Mountain America Credit Union transitioned from a state-chartered credit union to a federally-chartered institution that operates within a closed field of membership. The following people are eligible for Mountain America membership: Residents of Salt Lake County Family members of existing MACU members***; Persons living with or under the same roof as existing Mountain America members; Members or volunteers of any of the Credit Union's Affiliated Associations; Employees or volunteers of any of the Credit Union's Select Employee Groups. Some of Utah's leading corporations include: Questar Gas, Novell, State of Utah, Smith's Food and Drug, L-3 Communications and Salt Lake County employees. The general membership deposit is $25 (or 5 "shares") per member, which gives the member one voting right. This deposit is returned when the partnership is terminated. Mountain America is owned by all of the people who use it. Mountain America's Board of Directors operates the Credit Union for the owners on a not-for-profit basis and is responsible legally and ethically for the operations of the Credit Union. The Board consists of ten volunteer members each serving a three-year term. Elected by members at the annual meeting, the Board approves all policies and ensures that the Credit Union operates within sound business practices and is knowledgeably managed.