Screenshot from an Avenir Financial video posted to its website announcing its new name.
As of Tuesday, the $384 million, Yuma, Ariz.-based AEA Federal Credit Union has a new brand and is now known as Avenir Financial.
Avenir Financial worked with the Strum Agency (formerly Weber Marketing Group) a Seattle-based strategic branding and analytics firm that recently completed an Oregon credit union's rebranding, to develop the new name, which means "the future or time to come" in French.
"After a detailed strategic process and deep consideration, we came to the decision to undergo a name change. We are optimistic that this name will help us grow in the communities we know and love and allow our existing and new members to reach their financial goals," Avenir Financial CEO Adele Sandberg stated. "Our mission of people helping people is who we are. That will not change with our new name. As we grow, we will continue to ensure that our members feel valued and welcomed as we help them realize their American dream – the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to anyone, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved."
Founded in 1942, Avenir Financial serves over 33,000 members in Arizona's Yuma and La Paz counties. It recently opened a new branch in the Yuma County city of San Luis – its fourth location. In November, the credit union announced it expected to close its acquisition of West Valley National Bank in 2024, which would allow it to expand into the Phoenix area and Nevada.
"With the addition of the San Luis branch in 2023 we are well represented in Yuma County and are looking to expand into other underserved areas," Sandberg said. "The definition of Avenir includes 'the future, promise and bring together' and I believe that's at the heart of what we do."
To mark the shift to its new name and brand, the credit union's new website, avenirfinancial.org, went live on Tuesday.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
