As we look to make the most of a new year, I am filled with optimism about what 2024 has in store for our employees, our members and our communities. I am honored to serve as President/CEO of our credit union, and I can speak for our entire team when I say we are deeply grateful that you choose to bank with VyStar. As always, we are committed to providing you with the products and services you need to enjoy a prosperous year ahead.
We have big plans for 2024, including opening new branches, providing new financial wellness resources, growing our community support and continuing to help you achieve your financial goals.
Please join me as we take a look at the busy year ahead.
Ready to Serve More Members
The focus of much of our growth in 2024 will be in Central Florida and Georgia. We were proud to ring in the new year with the opening of our Altamonte Springs branch in early January, a beautiful location just north of Orlando. Later this year, we plan to open a branch in Lake Nona and our third branch in Tallahassee, a community that has welcomed us with open arms over the past few years. In Georgia, we recently celebrated the opening of our Suwanee branch just outside of Atlanta. We also plan to open branches in Marietta, Smyrna, Alpharetta, Peachtree Corners and Pooler this year.
It is truly humbling to serve so many residents and business owners across Florida and Georgia. This growth is meaningful for our credit union in many ways. It gives us more scale, which ensures our impact is sustainable. Greater scale diversifies risk and brings more resources to our credit union. That helps us better serve you and live out our purpose to Do Good.
Focusing on Financial Wellness
We are proud to share that we are launching VyStar Financial Fitness, which will help our members take control of their finances at every stage of life. Members will now have access to a wealth of resources, including educational webinars, articles, videos and more. You can also take the VyStar Financial Fitness Quiz and have a chance to win our giveaway.
In addition, our VyCast podcast series continues to offer valuable insights across a wide range of topics. New episodes are published regularly on YouTube and your favorite podcast platforms. Visit our VyCast page to learn more.
Supporting Our Communities
In 2023, we challenged each of our full-time employees to volunteer for at least eight hours and provided them with paid time off for these hours. The result was over 32,000 volunteer hours completed, more than ever before. Our employees also donated over $100,000 to local nonprofits through our Pay It Forward initiative. These incredible efforts were in addition to the over $6 million donated by the credit union and close to $1 million of impact by VyStar Foundation. I hope you are as inspired as I am by their generosity. In 2024, we hope to set the mark even higher, as we continue to be a strong community leader and a trusted financial institution.
Once again, thank you for being a VyStar member. It is your support that makes this exciting progress possible.
Brian E. Wolfburg
President/CEO