Digital first at PSECU

Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) longstanding “digital first” innovation is at the heart of its business mission.

While the Harrisburg area credit union staple is working to grow its impact in the greater Lehigh Valley its overarching mission is to serve Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth.

“We want to make sure services and efforts reach everyone in the state, and the Lehigh Valley is one of our strategic areas. We definitely want to be part of that,” said Karen Rousche, community engagement program manager for PSECU in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County.

Regulated and insured by the National Credit Union Administration, PSECU serves the 67 counties making up the commonwealth. A push for greater visibility and membership across the Lehigh Valley is among its strategic goals.

“Our LV staff is on [organization] boards, and they’re part of community committees because we don’t have branch [offices] on the corner,” Rousche said.

The American Heart Association, YMCA and YWCA in Allentown and Bethlehem as well as Bethlehem’s Southside are engagement organizations.

“We’re looking at growing the Easton area, and we’re looking to find the right opportunities,” she said.

Founded on the principal of “people first” during the Great Depression in 1934 by about 22 Harrisburg businessmen, the not-for-profit financial organization adopted a “digital first” philosophy at the dawn of the Internet age during the early 1990s.

A prophetic move that has fueled PSECU’s service model for decades was crucial to serving customers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rousche said as a “branchless” organization without brick and mortar physical buildings being active in communities is vital to remain visible and engaged with current and prospective credit union members.

PSECU’s four charity pillars: education, well-being, children and the environment (added in 2018) provide avenues for employee volunteer service as well as an impactful presence across the commonwealth.

“In 2018 we took a look at our strategic plan and began to think outside of Harrisburg,” Rousche said.

Realigning the organization’s strategic goals and adding the environment dovetailed into the digital first, green banking initiatives.

Also in 2018, Rousche said PSECU conducted member and public surveys to find out what charity causes and initiatives were important to people in various communities.

It discovered community engagement was and continues to be a decision making factor for consumers when they pick businesses to patronize and do business.

“We learned from the survey this is important, and it can be a differentiator especially for younger consumers,” Rousche said.

Forbes.com reported Gen Z roughly those born between 1997 and 2012 are motivated by causes when it comes to their wallets. The report said when Gen Z consumers don’t like or agree with a company’s morals or behavior they will boycott the company and urge their friends to do the same.

Among the service organizations PSECU supports is Children’s Miracle Network and its five hospitals in Pennsylvania; Junior Achievement chapters throughout the commonwealth’s four regions and Pennsylvania Environthon [environthon.pa.org].

Environthon.org encourages high school students to develop and form teams and projects based on air, soil, water, forestry and aquatic ecology.

“They build their project and compete on the local, county, state, national and international levels,” Rousche said.

“We look for those organizations that are overarching such as Feeding Pennsylvania and groups that support every county in the state,” she said.

Not only is embracing the community good for business, it’s good for employee retention, too.

Rousche said PSECU listens to employees and looks for volunteer projects they can get behind and support.

“It gives them job satisfaction to know we support the community, and we’re letting them [volunteer] on employment time. Our employees tell us it’s important,” Rousche said.

Candice Richards, PSECU regional membership development manager said providing resources, lending and saving products and services aimed at reducing financial stresses was among its top priorities to every Pennsylvanian not just to PSECU members.

“We do a lot of financial education [open to] everyone. I’m in the field a lot. Folks are feeling the pinch of inflation and higher interest rates, and folks feel like their finances are being stretched,” Richards said.

From college campus events to its blog and website content, resources include how to build credit and eliminate debt; savings accounts and plans serving all ages from youth to retirement accounts and affordable loan products.

“We find once people get to know us, they love us. We do not have physical branches, but once they realize how easy it is for them to do their banking on the couch or wherever it’s convenient it makes it easy for them,” Richards said.

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