ESL Federal Credit Union

Press Release:

ESL Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce that Great Place to Work® and Fortune magazine named the locally-owned financial institution one of 2024’s Best Workplaces for Women.

ESL ranked number 19 on the list of 50 Best Small and Medium Workplaces for Women. In a separate ranking, the Great Place to Work list also includes 100 large companies to complete the full list of Best Workplaces for Women.

To determine the Best Workplaces for Women™ list, Great Place to Work measures key behaviors that drive trust in management, connection with colleagues, and loyalty to the company from more than 600,000 responses. The survey gives employees the opportunity to share confidential quantitative and qualitative feedback about their organization’s culture by responding to 60 statements on a five-point scale and answering two open-ended questions.  

“We are thrilled to be named a Great Place to Work for Women once again,” said Faheem Masood, president and CEO, ESL Federal Credit Union. “We are proud that the ESL workforce is comprised of more than 65% women, working in important roles at all levels of the organization. Women find satisfying and fulfilling careers at ESL and we are so proud they report being so happy in our workplace.”

The full list of Best Workplaces for Women can be viewed at: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/women/2024

This marks the third Great Place to Work selection for ESL in 2024. In September, ESL was selected as a Great Place to Work in Financial Services and Insurance, and in June ESL was selected as a Great Place to Work in New York State.

ESL Trust Services LLC, a subsidiary of ESL Federal Credit Union, recently named Lauren Whiting as fiduciary officer.

In her new position, Whiting will coordinate the legal and financial paperwork associated with trust accounts and work closely with administrators of the estate.

Whiting holds more than seven years’ experience working with estate law, most recently working with Nixon Peabody LLP, as an associate attorney.

Whiting received her juris doctor from Michigan State University College of Law, and her bachelor’s from Grand Valley State University. She is a member of the Monroe County Bar Association, a board member of the Estate Planning Council of Rochester and membership chair of Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys.

Whiting also volunteers her time with several organizations and is on the advancement committee of Volunteers of America.

She is a resident of Le Roy with her husband and daughter.

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union today announced it has distributed $15 million to members in an additional Owners’ Dividend payout for 2020. 

Today’s distribution supplements the advance Owners’ Dividend payout of $20 million issued to members in June 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Totaling $35 million for the year, this marks ESL’s largest Owners’ Dividend ever.

“With this additional $15 million Owners’ Dividend payout to members and the $20 million payout from back in June, the $35 million paid in total to members for 2020 upholds our commitment to sharing our financial success with our members,” said Faheem Masood, president and CEO, ESL Federal Credit Union.

“The trust and loyalty of our members throughout our 100 years of serving Greater Rochester allows us to pay out this additional $15 million and supports our purpose of helping our community thrive and prosper in what has been an unprecedented and uncertain time for our community.”

With this latest distribution, ESL has now shared more than $185 million with its members over the program’s 25-year history.

The individual Owners’ Dividend payout amounts ESL members receive are based on established Owners’ Dividend criteria. For more information about the criteria, please visit www.esl.org/about-us/the-esl-difference/owners-dividend.

Qualification for the Owners’ Dividend is subject to eligibility requirements, and payment of the Owners’ Dividend is not guaranteed.

About ESL Federal Credit Union

With more than 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 374,000 members and 11,400 businesses. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal banking, business banking, mortgage services and wealth management services through its locally based 22-branch network; telephone, mobile and online banking; and live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs more than 860 people in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $8 billion in assets. Since 1996, ESL has paid out 26 consecutive Owners’ Dividends to its members, totaling more than $185 million. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work^® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for 10 years, since 2010. ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut Street, in Rochester and can be found online at www.esl.org

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union, which has a branch in Batavia, is pleased to be recognized for taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace. ESL recently received Gold recognition – the highest possible rating – for the second consecutive year by the American Heart Association 2020 Workplace Health Achievement Index.

The American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Achievement Index measures the extent to which the company has implemented workplace health best practices.

ESL offers a comprehensive program that addresses all facets of wellness through its BeWell@ESL Employee Wellness Program. The company provides its employees with the tools they need to stay healthy and well.

Some recent examples of programs offered include: a series of Wellness Webinars for employees; an on-site library with books focused on nutrition, fitness, financial wellbeing, mindfulness, and general health topics; financial incentives for healthy activities; as well as discounted medical premiums with annual health screenings.

“We are honored to receive Gold recognition for the second year in a row by the American Heart Association for our investment into our employee wellness programs,” said Maureen Wolfe, ESL senior vice president/director of human resources and community impact.

“The challenges workplaces face amid the COVID-19 pandemic reaffirms the importance and our commitment to ensuring employees have accessible tools and resources to make healthy choices and lead healthy lives.”

The American Heart Association created the Index with its CEO Roundtable, a leadership collaborative of more than 40 CEOs from some of America’s largest companies who are committed to applying evidence-based approaches to improve their employees’ overall health. 

The American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Solutions offers a suite of evidence-based tools to help optimize current employee health programs. These tools leverage the science behind the Index while improving consumer engagement and promoting healthier behaviors. For more information, visit www.heart.org/workplacehealth.

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union reaffirms its commitment to Greater Rochester 100 years after its founding on Nov. 20, 1920.

Founded by George Eastman as the Eastman Savings & Loan Association, the institution was initially chartered as a vehicle to encourage thrift among Eastman Kodak employees with the ultimate goal of being able to purchase homes in an effort to build community.

One-hundred years later, as ESL Federal Credit Union, Greater Rochester’s largest financial institution, with more than $8 billion in assets, now employs more than 870 people, and serves more than 374,000 members and 11,400 businesses throughout Monroe and the surrounding counties. There is a Genesee County branch at 4214 Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia.

“Our Purpose at ESL is to help our community thrive and prosper and living up to this Purpose will require us to take significant and impactful actions that help build a healthier, more resilient and equitable Greater Rochester,” said Faheem Masood, president and CEO, ESL Federal Credit Union. “Our Purpose and Mission motivate us to do what is best for our employees, their families, our members and the Greater Rochester community.

"The success of ESL over our century of serving the community by providing financial guidance and solutions, along with a superior customer experience, is all due to the trust and loyalty of our employees and members. The actions we take, whether sharing our financial success with our members through our Owners’ Dividend or reinvesting in the Greater Rochester community, would not be possible without their dedication and support.”

Opening its first community branch off of Kodak property in Irondequoit in 1995, ESL has now grown to a 22-branch network, with the recent announcement of its 23^rd branch being built in Victor, and committing to the future construction of branches in traditionally underbanked neighborhoods. As of this date, the exact locations of future branches has yet to be determined, but ESL is looking at neighborhoods within the City of Rochester to better serve residents.

“The physical presence of financial institutions in communities has a direct impact on residents’ access to the financial products, services and resources that can help them thrive,” said Marcelina Nobrega Courtney, senior vice president/director, Retail Banking, ESL Federal Credit Union. “While the services utilized by our members may have changed, we continuously see an increase in traffic in our branches.

"Because of this we believe that we can best serve communities and neighborhoods when our branches and people can work directly with residents to help them live a financially healthy life.”

In addition to evolving its core banking products and services over the years, ESL has significantly increased its level of reinvesting in the community through grants to nonprofits. In 2019, ESL reinvested more than $16 million in grants. The institution expects reinvestments in 2020 to be approximately $20 million, with plans to increase its level of giving accordingly as the institution continues to grow.

“The reinvestments ESL makes through its philanthropic efforts focuses on specific areas that can help build a healthier, more resilient and equitable Greater Rochester,” said Ajamu Kitwana, vice president/director, Community Impact, ESL Federal Credit Union. “By focusing on employment, education, affordable housing and connected neighborhoods, we can make significant impact by investing in the excellent community resources already in place.

"We hope to inspire collaborative work that has a dedicated focus towards achieving common goals. It will take a collective effort to build Greater Rochester into the community we know it can be.”

ESL built its three community building objectives based on where reinvested dollars could have the most positive impact. These objectives are:

• Expanding Individual Opportunity: supporting programs and efforts to expand professional and education opportunity for all residents of Greater Rochester
• Building Strong Neighborhoods: investing in neighborhoods across Greater Rochester to ensure they are prosperous, well-connected and inclusive
• Strengthening Organizations and Systems: supporting organizations and initiatives by investing in the necessary yet less visible systems, capacities and policies that ensure they are successful

Today, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 374,000 members, employs more than 870 people in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $8 billion in assets.

Since 1996, ESL has paid out 25 consecutive Owners’ Dividends to its members totaling more than $170 million. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for 10 years since 2010.

ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut St., in Rochester, and can be found online at www.esl.org

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce that for the 10th time since 2010, Great Place to Work® and Fortune magazine named the locally owned financial institution one of 2020’s Best Medium Workplaces.

ESL ranked number 61 on the list of 100 medium-sized companies (100-999 employees). This award marks the third Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine accolade received by ESL in 2020; ESL was also named a Best Workplace in Financial Services and Insurance, and a Best Workplace in New York State.

In Genesee County, there is a branch of ESL Federal Credit Union at 4214 Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia.

“We are thrilled to be named one of the best medium-sized workplaces for the tenth time since 2010,” said President and CEO Faheem Masood. “Amid these extraordinary times, we reaffirm our commitment to invest in our unique workplace practices. While these investments in our employee experience are important, our employees tirelessly live our core values, and are the biggest factor to what makes ESL such a great place to work and bank.”

The list considered survey feedback of more than 189,000 employees working in small- and medium-sized businesses in the United States. The following highlights from the Great Place to Work survey tells why the locally-owned financial institution continues to earn this distinction:

• 97 percent of employees are proud to say they work for ESL
• 96 percent of employees feel welcome when they join the company
• 96 percent of employees feel good about the ways ESL is contributing to the community

The full list can be viewed here.

About ESL Federal Credit Union

With 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 374,000 members. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal banking, business banking, mortgage services and wealth management services through its locally based 22 branch network, telephone, mobile, online and live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs approximately 850 people in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $7.3 billion in assets. Since 1996, ESL has paid out 25 consecutive Owners’ Dividends to its members totaling more than $170 million. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list 10 times since 2010. ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut St., in Rochester, and can be found online at www.esl.org.

Press release:

Today, Sept. 1, Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) announced the winners of its Home Possible RISE Awards^SM. The annual program, RISE (Recognizing Individuals for Sustained Excellence), salutes Freddie Mac’s top clients across multiple categories for excellence with Home Possible® mortgages – Freddie Mac’s affordable lending solution for low- to-moderate-income home buyers.

ESL Federal Credit Union, which has a branch in Batavia, earned the following Home Possible RISE Awards:

• Home Possible RISE Award for Greatest Volume in a specific community;
• Home Possible RISE Award for Education to customers.

In 2019, ESL Federal Credit Union made homeownership possible for low and moderate income households by providing more than 200 Home Possible mortgage loans totaling approximately $24 million.

“ESL is honored to be recognized by Freddie Mac as a top performer for our efforts supporting homeownership for low- and moderate-income members, first-time homebuyers and underserved communities,” said Tony Holmes, vice president/director, mortgage lending, ESL Federal Credit Union.

“The Home Possible mortgage program is a perfect match for our efforts to improve access to homeownership throughout Greater Rochester. I commend our outstanding team for their work to guide our members through the process to help them achieve their dreams of homeownership.”

The Home Possible RISE Awards combined volume from national Home Possible and Home Possible Advantage mortgage options. Lenders must be active Freddie Mac Seller/Servicers, and correspondent lenders and brokers must originate through those Seller/Servicers. Freddie Mac reviewed 2019 data and awarded the top organizations among several categories.

The complete list of the award winners is available at FreddieMac.com/HomePossible/RISE.

About ESL Federal Credit Union

With 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 374,000 members. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal banking, business banking, mortgage services and wealth management services through its locally-based 22 branch network, telephone, mobile, online and live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs approximately 850 people in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $7.3 billion in assets. Since 1996, ESL has paid out 25 consecutive Owners’ Dividends to its members totaling more than $170 million. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for nine years since 2010.

ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut St., in Rochester, and can be found online at www.esl.org

About Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac makes home possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Since our creation by Congress in 1970, we’ve made housing more accessible and affordable for homebuyers and renters in communities nationwide. We are building a better housing finance system for homebuyers, renters, lenders, investors, and taxpayers. Learn more at FreddieMac.com, Twitter @FreddieMac, and Freddie Mac’s blog FreddieMac.com/blog.

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union, which has a branch in Towne Center at Batavia, today announced it has distributed $20 million to members in an early Owners’ Dividend payout for 2020. 

“The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has created a great deal of financial stress for many in our community,” said Faheem Masood, president and CEO, ESL Federal Credit Union. “This $20 million is much more helpful to our members now instead of waiting until our traditional timeframe of January 2021.

"We believe this is a tangible way in which we can support our membership through these challenging times, as the combined impact of $20 million into our community can help make a difference.”

With this latest distribution, ESL has now shared more than $170 million with its members over the program’s 25 payouts.

The individual Owners’ Dividend payout amounts ESL members receive are based on  an established Owners’ Dividend criteria. For more information about the criteria, please visit esl.org/ownersdividend.

Qualification for the Owners’ Dividend is subject to eligibility requirements, and payment of the Owners’ Dividend is not guaranteed.

About ESL Federal Credit Union

With 100 years of locally-owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 370,000 members. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal banking, business banking, mortgage services and wealth management services through its locally-based 22 branch network, telephone, mobile, online and live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs approximately 850 people in in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $6.9 billion in assets. Since 1996, ESL has paid out 25 consecutive Owners’ Dividends to its members totaling more than $170 million. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for nine years since 2010. ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut Street, in Rochester, and can be found online at www.esl.org

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union is honored to announce that for the 14^th consecutive year, Training Magazine has named the locally owned financial institution one of the Training Top 125. ESL has an office in Towne Center at Batavia on Veterans Memorial Drive.

ESL ranked #17 on the 2020 list, which includes other well-known companies such as Best Buy, Edward Jones and Visa, as well as local companies Paychex and ConServe.

Top 125 companies are measured on several factors, including training program and scope, tuition reimbursement, training infrastructure and delivery, evaluation and metrics, and human resources components. The list can be viewed at Training Magazine’s website, traingingmag.com.

“It’s an honor to be named once again to the prestigious Training Top 125 list, and affirms our commitment to delivering a superior employee experience through our extensive learning and development offerings,” said Senior Vice President/Director, Human Resources & Community Impact Maureen Wolfe.

“The investment in the growth of our employees is a major focus at ESL. We want to ensure we continuously offer the opportunities, training and classes that our employees seek to develop their careers at ESL.”

For companies today, investing in internal training is vital to attracting, retaining and developing talent. Unemployment figures nationally and in the Rochester region continue at record lows. While these figures are great news for the economy, low unemployment figures also mean many companies strain in finding, hiring and retaining talent.

Promoting a superior employee experience is a key initiative for ESL. The company touts exceptionally low turnover, a rate of 13 percent in 2019, in part because of growth and development opportunities available to all employees. Last year, 71 percent of all jobs were filled from within and 88 percent of leadership positions were filled internally.

ESL invests significant resources to provide valuable learning solutions to its workforce. Every employee has the opportunity to further his or her skill set through coursework offered each year. Courses include topics such as leadership development, diversity and inclusion, mentoring and specific Microsoft Office program skills. Employees can also receive up to $5,250 of tuition aid each year for undergraduate or graduate coursework.

The March/April issue of Training Magazine profiles the Top 5 companies and provides information about the training efforts of all 125 organizations. The list of 2020 honorees also includes Dollar General at No. 1 and MasTec Utility Services at No. 2.

About ESL Federal Credit Union

With 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 369,000 members. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal, business banking and wealth management services through its locally based 22-branch network, telephone, mobile, online and live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs more than 850 people in in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $6.8 billion in assets. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work^® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for nine years, since 2010. ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut St. in Rochester and can be found online at www.esl.org.

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union announced Friday (Jan. 17) it has dispersed $20 million to members in its largest and 24^th consecutive Owners’ Dividend payout.

“2020 marks a milestone year for ESL. As we enter our 100^th year of serving the Greater Rochester community, we are thrilled to share our financial success directly with our members through our most significant Owners’ Dividend payout to date,” said Faheem Masood, president and CEO, ESL Federal Credit Union

 “We are committed to living our purpose of ‘helping our community thrive and prosper,’ and we couldn’t do that without the support of our loyal members and community, and the hard work and dedication of our employees.”

With the latest distribution, ESL has shared more than $150 million with its members over the program’s 24 years.

It has a 22-branch network, including a branch is Genesee County at 4214 Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia.

The individual Owners’ Dividend payout amounts ESL members receive are based on an established Owners’ Dividend criteria. For more information about the criteria, please visit esl.org/ownersdividend.

Qualification for the Owners’ Dividend is subject to eligibility requirements, and payment of the Owners’ Dividend is not guaranteed.

About ESL Federal Credit Union

With 100 years of locally owned history, ESL Federal Credit Union serves as a full-service financial institution to more than 366,000 members. Founded in 1920, the company provides personal, business banking and wealth management services through its locally based 22-branch network; telephone, mobile and online services; and a live chat center.

The Rochester-based financial institution employs more than 830 people in the Greater Rochester area and holds more than $6.8 billion in assets. The company has appeared on the Great Place to Work^® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for nine years, since 2010. ESL Federal Credit Union is headquartered at 225 Chestnut St. in Rochester and can be found online at www.esl.org.

Press release:

ESL Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce today (March 27) that Great Place to Work® and "Fortune" magazine named the locally owned credit union one of 15 small- and medium-sized Best Workplaces in Financial Services and Insurance, ranking number four.

There is a branch in Batavia at 4214 Veterans Memorial Drive.

For a third year in a row, ESL is included among several other impressive financial institutions on the full list of 40 small-, medium-, and large-sized companies, including Edward Jones, Navy Federal Credit Union, USAA, and American Express. The entire list can be viewed at Fortune.com, here.

ESL earned this ranking based on employees’ responses to questions about their experience at work. Employees answered questions on topics of professional advancement, fairness, camaraderie and other facets of a rewarding career. ESL exceeded benchmarks for comparably-sized organizations striving to create a great workplace.

“We are truly honored to be recognized alongside these prominent and well-known financial institutions – especially in a year when the list size is limited to just 15 small and medium organizations,” said President and CEO Faheem Masood. “It speaks volumes about ESL’s commitment to creating a superior experience for our employees, who are driven to deliver a superior banking experience to our customers.”

The Best Workplaces in Financial Services and Insurance is one of a series of rankings by Great Place to Work and Fortune based upon employee survey feedback from Great Place to Work^®-Certified organizations.  

ESL also ranked on the Great Place to Work Best Small and Medium Workplaces for seven years (2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, and 2010) by Great Place to Work® and "Fortune."

About ESL Federal Credit Union

Founded by George Eastman in 1920, ESL Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution with $6.2 billion in assets. The locally-owned financial institution employs more than 750 people in Rochester, New York and, includes approximately 348,000 members worldwide.

The company has now appeared on the Great Place to Work® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list for seven years since 2010.  Access to the credit union includes 21 branch locations and more than 40 ATM locations, locally-based telephone and internet chat centers, and online and mobile banking channels. The company is headquartered at 225 Chestnut St., in Rochester, and can be found on the Internet at www.esl.org. 

About Great Place to Work®

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work® provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work® produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For®" and a series of Great Place to Work® Best Workplaces lists, including lists for millennials, women, diversity, small and medium companies and over a half dozen different industries.