About Us

Our Founding – 1938: In the midst of the Great Depression, a group of union millworkers, known for manufacturing high-quality newsprint at Inland Empire Paper Company, created a financial cooperative called Empire Paper Employees Credit Union.

Our founders saw millworkers struggle to qualify for loans for basic necessities, such as a new stove or vehicle to get to work, because for-profit banks representing shareholders and private interests were not willing to lend money to the average worker. So they addressed this unfairness and inequity by creating our credit union, which became a community of financial support and resilience.

Using a humble shoe box secured inside a locker as the “vault,” they started our mission of promoting savings and lending money to their fellow workers during times of need. As the credit union grew, it hired its first manager, Tessa Smith, and we’ve been a women-led credit union ever since.

Expansion and Evolution – 1973: As decades passed, the credit union grew in scope and vision. In 1973, under the leadership of our second manager, Delores Smith FALLIS? , we recognized the unmet financial needs of newspaper workers, who produced a product on the paper made by millworkers.

We changed our name to Spokane Media Credit Union and expanded membership to embrace people working for local media, specifically The Spokesman Review, and television and radio.

This strategic expansion was a testament to our adaptability and commitment to meeting the needs of the broader media community.

Change to Federal Charter – 1986: Originally we were a state charter credit union but our third President/CEO, Debie Keesee, recognized the opportunity to qualify for tax exemption by changing to a Federal Charter designation. We made the change and added the “Federal” to our legal name. Thus: Spokane Media Federal Credit Union.

Expansion and Evolution – 2000-2007: The internet changed the world; and it would impact the media industry, too. Online opportunities, plus the rapid advancement of technology, which made high quality camera and film equipment more affordable, paved the way for “Mom-and-Pop” media shops to open and thrive.

This directly benefited traditional media by creating more affordable production of print and TV advertising, both turning into revenue for newspapers, television and radio stations. Similar to how we expanded from millworkers to newspaper employees, we extended our membership to local Film Production, Marketing, and Advertising companies which became an important part the media industry as a whole.

Adding Media Credit Union as a trade name – 2023: Sarah Dahmen, our fourth (and current) President/CEO, identified the need for a rebrand. As part of this effort, we wanted to acknowledge growing geographical footprint and the members we have outside the Spokane area.

While keeping our legal name Spokane Media Federal Credit Union for our NCUA Charter, we added a trade name, or “Doing Business As” (DBA), so our members and the general public could immediately identify us as the union that serves the Media.

Today – Since our founding, the media industry has constantly evolved, but the goal for our credit union remains the same. We uphold the universal credit union mantra of “People Helping People,” or more specifically for our membership – “Storytellers Helping Storytellers.”

We became a financial institution for media professionals so they could benefit from our not-for-profit financial cooperative during times of success and times of need.

Evolution and the Future – We are seeking input for our next field of membership expansion and your 2 cents is welcomed!

If you consider yourself a media professional, fill out this Survey to tell us who you are, what you do, and why you and/or your company should qualify for membership.

With the evolution of social media and online content creators in the creative economy, we want to make sure our credit union continues to adapt to serve the needs of new media workers.

We plan to remain a boutique credit union dedicated to media professionals, especially those underserved by other financial institutions. Please tell us YOUR story and how we can help.

From our modest beginning with a shoebox over 85 years ago to the thriving credit union we are today, we remain dedicated to members in the media profession and the stories they create.

We believe stories shape the world and make our community stronger. We also understand financial stability is the cornerstone of creativity and innovation.

It is our mission to honor our rich history.