BrightBridge CU’s Haverhill, Mass., branch celebrates the launch of its new name and brand. From left to right: President/CEO John J. Howard, Vice President of Retail Banking Jim Potter, Universal Banker Araldy Zapata, Branch Manager Taveiry Brito, Teller II Darlene Lopez, Lead Teller Veronica Jimenez, Financial Services Representative Wanda Marte and Regional Sales and Service Manager Kinjal Singh. (Credit/BrightBridge CU)
Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU) and Bridgewater Credit Union, a division of MVCU, officially rebranded to BrightBridge Credit Union on March 24, 2025, the $2.2 billion, Lawrence, Mass.-based credit union announced Tuesday.
According to Brightbridge, the new name, first announced in September 2024, “unifies a branch network that spans from southern New Hampshire through the South Shore of Massachusetts and reflects the credit union’s commitment to empowering members with financial opportunities and building stronger connections with the communities it serves.” The credit union’s new brand is reflected in redesigned branches, new signage and updated digital banking platforms.
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“The name BrightBridge Credit Union embodies our dedication to supporting our members through life’s biggest milestones and challenges,” President/CEO John J. Howard said. “We will focus on providing exceptional financial products, services and personalized support that will ensure our members know that we have their backs! We truly want this to be the best place they’ve ever banked and we will work hard to make that a reality.”
In other name change news, the $3.4 billion, Birmingham, Ala.-based APCO Employees Credit Union rebranded to Southern Energy Credit Union on Feb. 24, 2025. According to Southern Energy, the new name reflects growth while reinforcing its dedication to powering the financial success of Southern Company employees, retirees and their families. The change followed two mergers completed by the credit union in the past two years – one with Powerco Federal Credit Union in 2023 and one with Mutual Savings Credit Union in 2024 – which expanded its footprint across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
“We have been proud to serve our members as APCO Employees Credit Union for the last 70 years,” Southern Energy President/CEO Derrick Ragland said. “Following the recent mergers, we were presented an opportunity for our brand to better reflect our new collective membership and credit union team. Our commitment to members, especially those from long-time partners, is stronger than ever, and we wanted an identity that fully represented that continued commitment.”
And, Baltimore County Employees Federal Credit Union officially became Peake Federal Credit Union on March 4, 2025. The new name and brand, first announced in November 2024, allows the credit union to be more welcoming to the communities it has grown to serve and is accompanied by a new tagline: Banking. Elevated., Peake Federal said.
“With over 60 years of serving Baltimore County employees and their families, our transformation into Peake Federal Credit Union embodies our steadfast commitment to supporting the financial well-being of our members and the communities we serve,” Peake Federal President/CEO Mark Caverly said. “Our core values and dedication to exceptional service remains the same and we’re looking forward to cultivating even stronger connections within the communities we serve.”
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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.
