This year, we are celebrating 85 years of helping our members work toward and achieve their financial dreams — while investing in our local communities as strongly as ever.
What better way to celebrate TwinStar’s 85th anniversary by taking a quick look back at some of our biggest milestones.
1930s
- 1937: Olympia High School teachers Dewey Noblitt, Henry Gaines, and other teachers discuss forming a credit union.
- 1938: Thurston County Teachers Credit Union (TCTCU) opens for business on January 3.
1940s
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1948: TCTCU begins offering deposit accounts to provide summer income for teachers and medical insurance for members.
1950s
- 1954: Members vote in favor of membership expansion to include state education office employees, state teachers retirement employees, City of Olympia permanent employees and the two TCTCU employees: Dewey Noblitt and his daughter, Audrey.
- 1955: Noblitt resigns from his teaching position to become TCTCU’s full-time secretary and treasurer.
1960s
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1963: Noblitt retires after serving 25 years as secretary-treasurer. Over the course of his service, TCTCU made 8,431 loans totaling $3,293,103 and grew to 1,135 members and assets of $750,000.
1970s
- 1972: TCTCU moves into a branch at 1020 5th Avenue in Olympia.
- 1978: The TCTCU Board of Directors approves cash share withdrawals. Previously, members were required to draw a check from the credit union to be cashed elsewhere. TCTCU reaches $10 million in assets.
- 1979: TCTCU establishes a share draft program that generates 618 accounts totaling $760,803 by the end of the year.
1980s
- 1980: TCTCU merges with Public Employees Credit Union and Harbor Community Credit Union of Aberdeen — and expands into Grays Harbor County.
- 1981: TCTCU changes name to Twin County Credit Union (TCCU).
- 1982: TCCU merges with Centerville Community Credit Union of Centralia. Expands into Lewis County.
- 1984: TCCU merges with St. Joseph’s Federal Credit Union.
- 1987: TCCU’s Board of Directors approved a new mission statement:
- “Twin County Credit Union is a member-owned financial institution that provides comprehensive financial services to its members while ensuring growth and stability.”
- 1987: TCCU begins offering financial education classes in schools - something TwinStar still offers today.
- 1988: TCCU celebrates its 50th anniversary.
- 1989: TCCU reaches $100 million in assets.
1990s
- 1991: TCCU expands into Pierce County.
- 1995: TCCU installs its first ATMs.
- 1996: TCCU partners with WSECU to open the Lacey Credit Union Center, the first cooperative branch of its kind in Washington.
- 1997: TCCU launches its first website; begins offering home equity loans.
- 1999: TCCU merges with Korean Society Credit Union, increasing its membership to include members of the Korean Society and the Korean Women’s Club in Thurston and Pierce counties.
2000s
- 2000: TCCU merges with Grays Harbor Credit Union and Vantel Federal Credit Union.
- 2004: TCCU merges with Power Tech Federal Credit Union, increasing the number of its Clark County branches to three.
- 2006: TCCU changes its name to TwinStar Credit Union! Completes construction on its administration building in Lacey.
- 2007: TwinStar was chosen for a new in-school branch at the new Aberdeen High School.
- 2009: TwinStar expands membership to include anyone who resides in Washington. Merges with Timber Country Community Federal Credit Union in December.
2010s
- 2010: TwinStar merges with Renton Community Credit Union and Renton Community Credit Union.
- 2011: TwinStar expands into Oregon by merging with Rite Choice Federal Credit Union of Wilsonville. Later merges with Mt. Hood Federal Credit Union, which leads to the opening of a downtown Portland branch.
- 2012: Jeff Kennedy is named TwinStar president/CEO.
- 2013: TwinStar celebrates its 75th anniversary and recognizes its 100,000th member account being opened.
- 2014: TwinStar adopts a new brand promise, “Realizing Financial Dreams Together.”
- 2016: TwinStar’s total assets reaches over $1 billion.
2020s
- 2020: In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, TwinStar goes remote.
- 2021: TwinStar launches its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative.
- 2022: TwinStar reaches 150,000 members.
- 2023: TwinStar plans to merge with Northwest Community Credit Union of Eugene, OR.
We want to thank you for choosing us for your banking and financial needs. Your support helps make TwinStar Credit Union the success it is.
Keep your eyes out for details on how you can help celebrate our anniversary this year, including some sweet giveaways.
Here’s to reaching 85 more years of milestones — together!