Our History
Enriching People Every Day.®
First Florida Credit Union is headquartered in Jacksonville and operates 18 branches throughout the state, serving more than 62,000 members.
The organization's guiding mission is to support its members' financial aspirations by providing affordable financial products and services with outstanding member service.
Our Story
In May 1950, a few people with a combined $301 formed the Florida State Welfare Board Employees Credit Union. These charter members came together with one common goal: to establish a member-owned cooperative that would provide a safe place to grow their savings and a source for affordable financing. As assets grew and membership included a broader base of employees than the original name implied, the credit union underwent a name change– becoming Florida HRS Credit Union in 1972.
Over the next 10 years, changes and reorganizations within the state of Florida allowed more government employees access to the credit union. Membership reached 13,484 in 1980, and assets topped $10 million. In response, the credit union became the Government Employees Credit Union of Florida in March 1982.
During 1982 – 2000, the credit union benefited from three additional mergers and acquisitions as well as a bylaw amendment that expanded the field of membership to include all state and federal employees.
In 2003, three years after celebrating its 50th anniversary, Government Employees Credit Union expanded its field of membership to include all who lived or worked within the counties served in major metropolitan areas across the state and changed its name to First Florida Credit Union.
First Florida continued to grow through additional mergers in the years following:
- Seaboard Credit Union (2007)
- Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Credit Union (2009)
- State Employees Credit Union (2014)
- Florida Baptist Credit Union (2016)
- Jacksonville Postal & Professional Credit Union (2022)
Today, First Florida has over 62,000 members and assets of over $1.4 billion. Although the product offerings have changed and our operations are considerably more sophisticated, the continuity that makes for a successful organization remains. We have never wavered from our original founding principle of "people helping people."
