Brunswick Credit Union invests in its communities

Near the end of last year, Jenna McEwen and some of her Brunswick Credit Union colleagues were sitting in a Moncton school gymnasium, using Pokémon cards and other toys to teach elementary school students the basics of budgeting. Each child who approached their table was given a spending limit of $6.50, and told the dollar value of each item, with the task of purchasing their preferred toys while staying on budget.

The outreach was part of Brunswick’s Each One Teach One initiative to provide basic financial education to community members. The program is delivered in partnership with community organizations by Brunswick employees who volunteer their time and are certified by the Canadian Credit Union Association.

“It’s a really good initiative,” says McEwen, a commercial account manager at Brunswick’s Moncton branch. “It fosters what the credit union stands for: we’re part of the community and we’re trying to grow our community.”

That community focus is what draws so many employees to Brunswick, and is a major factor in retention, says CEO Lisa Loughery. The New Brunswick-based financial institution— the result of a 2023 merger of Bayview Credit Union, Advance Savings Credit Union and Progressive Credit Union — prides itself on a “very low turnover rate,” Loughery says.

“There’s a camaraderie — we all care about each other and the communities we live in. We’re trying to do our best for them,” Loughery says. “Our staff love what we do as a company and take pride in it – and our success doesn’t happen without them.”

The credit union also sets an annual goal to give a certain percentage of its net profit back to the communities in which it operates. In 2024, Brunswick dispensed $160,000 in community grants and student bursaries. It also participates in a regional credit union system initiative that gives employees $50 twice a year to spend at local businesses and to donate to local causes.

Loughery says her own tenure with Brunswick and one of its predecessor credit unions is because of that culture. She started working for Bayview as a teller when she was 18 and fresh out of high school, and worked for the credit union for 15 years, hopscotching through “every role there was.” After leaving for stints at two big banks, Loughery came back to Bayview in 2015 as CEO and led it through the eventual three-way merger.

“I loved working for the bank also and enjoyed what I did, but the strategy is delivered to you. With the credit union, we have the opportunity to create our own plans and our own strategy,” she says. “We’re able to do things for our members that a large bank is not able to do.”

Another factor in Brunswick’s low turnover is its support for employees’ professional development, Loughery says. The institution provides financial support for courses that are requisites for a new role and has job-shadowing opportunities.

The credit union also has an Emerging Leaders program for early-career employees that focuses on networking, personal and professional development and community outreach. The group organizes guest speakers, workshops and some of the credit union’s charitable initiatives, including a holiday food drive in December, as well as participation in the Coldest Night of the Year walk for local charities. McEwen, recently elected the incoming chair, says the group is planning to implement a formal mentorship program in 2025.

She says that in addition to being personally fulfilling, the group has helped her build her skills. “We have workshops for email writing, resume building, how to apply within the organization to move up the ladder. It’s helped me grow professionally,” she says.

This article appeared in the magazine announcing the winners of this year's Atlantic’s Top Employers competition, published March 25, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.