Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
Sunward Federal Credit Union, formerly known as Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union, announced its expansion into Colorado with a new branch opening in Durango this May.
The new branch, located in Durango Town Plaza, represented Sunward’s first location in Colorado and brought the Albuquerque-based credit union’s total number of branches to 16 across New Mexico, California and now Colorado. The move underscored the credit union’s strategy of growing into high-opportunity, community-driven markets in the Southwest.
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Durango, a vibrant city in southwestern Colorado, is home to more than 19,000 residents and serves as the county seat of La Plata County. The broader county has seen consistent growth, with a population nearing 60,000. Known for its active lifestyle, outdoor recreation and strong small business community, Durango attracts young professionals, entrepreneurs and retirees. Its median age of just under 36 aligns with a prime demographic for financial institutions looking to serve growing families, small business owners and digital-first consumers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“We’re thrilled to become part of the vibrant Durango community,” Alex de la Cruz, EVP at Sunward, said. “With our growth into Southern Colorado, we have a new opportunity to share the exceptional experience Sunward members have come to know and love, marking an important milestone in our mission to become the economic engine for communities in the Southwest.”
The credit union said it plans to host a grand opening celebration on May 16. Once open, the Durango branch will offer a full suite of personal and business banking services, supporting Sunward’s goal of delivering trusted, locally focused financial solutions.
Founded in 1948 by employees of Sandia National Laboratories, Sunward is one of New Mexico’s largest credit unions, with over 165,000 members and more than $4.2 billion in assets.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
