 
Can I Join? | Wauna History | Board Members
What Does "Wauna" Mean?
Welcome to Wauna Federal Credit Union. It's not every day you have the opportunity to participate in a not-for-profit, full service financial institution. Your membership will bring great benefits to you and your family.
Wauna is an American Indian name, probably Klickitat. It describes a mythological being that represents the Columbia River. Thus it became the name of an old Columbia River lumber mill town 10 miles west of our main office in Clatskanie, Oregon, where the Georgia Pacific Paper mill now exists and is still referred to as the Wauna Mill. The city of Clatskanie is named from the Tlats-Kani, a small tribe of Native Americans once inhabiting the region.
What's A Credit Union?
A Credit Union is a non-profit, financial cooperative designed to improve the fiscal health of its membership. A credit union offers many of the same services as a bank, but operates very differently. Wauna Federal Credit Union has no private stockholders because every member is an owner whether you have $5 or $50,000 in the Credit Union. Credit Unions are for everybody, but each credit union has a field of membership that it serves, and only those people in that field can be a member.
Wauna Federal Credit Union has a "community" charter, which means we can provide financial services to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Clatsop County and Columbia County, Oregon. Membership is also open to businesses and other legal entities, and family relations of current Wauna FCU members.
If you live, work, worship or attend school in any of these cities (or any city within our membership region), you're eligible:
Clatskanie, Astoria, Warrenton, Vernonia, Knappa, Svenson, Quincy, Mist, Westport, Brownsmead, Mayger, Rainier, Prescott, Goble, Deer Island, Columbia City, St. Helens, Scappoose, Gearhart, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Arch Cape, Warren, Hammond.
Call today and begin enjoying the many benefits credit union membership offers!
Wauna Federal Credit Union believes in the motto:
Not for Profit, Not for Charity, but for Service
That is why the Board and Staff at Wauna Federal Credit Union are "delivering personalized service with passion and integrity."
Can I Join?
Yes! You can join Wauna Federal Credit Union if you live or work in our membership area. Consult our membership section to see if you are eligible.
Wauna Statistics
ASSETS: $ 111,179,166
SHARES: $ 100,410,855
LOANS: $ 94,051,407
MEMBERS: 14118
POTENTIAL MEMBERS: 84,000
(Statistics as of March 31, 2008) |
Wauna History
Wauna Federal Credit Union was chartered on March 16,1967 by a group of men involved in the startup of one of the world’s largest paper mills located in Wauna, Oregon. These men had been credit union members where they were previously employed and believed in the movement.
In the beginning, the field of membership was limited to individuals who were employed by Crown Zellerbach Corporation at Wauna. The membership field was expanded several times to include family members, retired persons, and employees at another CZ plant nearby. The first credit union office was located in the Personnel Building of the mill. The mill later gave the credit union an old maintenance building. The maintenance building, after being remodeled, was used until an old restaurant was purchased in Westport, Oregon. The restaurant building was remodeled twice before a new building was built in 1976.
In 1975, the field of membership was expanded to a ”COMMUNITY CHARTER” which included a 50 mile span, from Rainier Hill in Columbia County to Astoria City limits in Clatsop County and from the Columbia River on the north to Highway 26 on the south. This expansion provided membership eligibility to ALL individuals who reside AND/OR work at a business located within these boundaries. This expansion also brought the need to open a branch in the Astoria area. This office was opened in 1975. The members in that area came from a different economic background which produced the need to restructure the credit union to meet all member needs.
On February 1, 1978, the small $500,000 Astoria Longshore Credit Union merged with WFCU. Because of the merger and the new branch opening, the Astoria Branch grew quickly. The population in Astoria was 11,000, compared to the 3,000 in Clatskanie on the other geographical end of the membership boundary.
In March of 2003, Wauna Federal Credit Union's field of membership was expanded to include anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Clatsop County and Columbia County, Oregon. If you live or work in Clatskanie, Astoria, Warrenton, Vernonia, Knappa, Svenson, Quincy, Mist, Westport, Brownsmead, Mayger, Rainier, Prescott, Goble, Deer Island, Columbia City, St. Helens, Scappoose, Gearhart, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Arch Cape, Warren, Hammond, or any city within our membership region, you're eligible!
In April 2003, the National Credit Union Administration approved the merger of Wauna Federal and Vernonia Federal with Wauna Federal designated as the continuing credit union. The Vernonia branch has grown to 1,214 in three years.
On June 1, 2003, Vernonia Federal Credit Union merged with Wauna Federal and the fourth WFCU branch facility located in Vernonia, Oregon was officially open for business.
On April 2, 2005, Wauna Federal Credit Union opened a branch in St Helens offering all of products and services to the east end of our field of membership with 56 new members. The St Helens branch has grown to 339 members in one year.
Membership is open to businesses and other legal entities. Also eligible are members of immediate families or households of current Wauna members.
Board Members
Volunteerism, what is it? The Webster Dictionary's definition of a volunteer is "to enter into any service of one's free will."
Volunteerism is the backbone of the United States. Some people say that volunteerism has died with the new generation. The Credit Union movement is one example that it is not dead.
Every year, dozens of WFCU members give their time to the credit union. They serve as directors of the board, committee members -- and much more. These people are not paid, they work for free. They care about the credit union and believe in it. Volunteers are a big reason why credit unions can offer so much for so little.
WFCU depends on these volunteers and appreciates the variety of expertise they bring to the movement.
WFCU's Board of Directors
Claude Weaver, Chairperson
Lester Kahr, 1st Vice Chairperson
Erlene Darby, 2nd Vice Chairperson
Randall Holce, Financial Officer
Don McDaniel, Secretary
Patricia Densmore, Director
Walter Beck, Director
Weisha Liu, Director
Douglas West, Director
WFCU's Supervisory Committee
Walter Beck, Chairperson
Laura Brewer , Secretary
Donna Garlock, Member
Wesley Ginther, Member
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© 2007
Wauna Federal Credit Union. 
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Insured by the NCUA 
Equal
Housing Lender