Uncategorized Archives - CorePlus Credit Union

CorePlus Federal Credit Union and Scient Federal Credit Union Announce Key Leadership Promotions Ahead of Partnership of Equals

NORWICH, Conn. – CorePlus Federal Credit Union and Scient Federal Credit Union are pleased to announce several significant leadership promotions as the two organizations prepare for their upcoming Legal Day One merger of equals. These newly established executive roles highlight the talent, dedication, and vision of the leadership team, while ensuring the unified organization is positioned for long-term success.

The following leaders have assumed new roles:

Nick Breton, Chief Lending Officer
Meg Martellotta, Chief Growth Officer
Shalin Peck, Chief Operations Management Officer
Tracie Rodriguez, Chief Human Resources Officer

“These promotions reflect not only the accomplishments of these individuals but also our commitment to building a strong, integrated leadership team that will guide us into the future,” said CorePlus Credit Union President and CEO Raymond Currier. “Their leadership will be instrumental in creating a seamless transition for our members and employees while driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence,” added Scient Federal Credit Union President and CEO Chris Maynard.

Nick Breton, Chief Lending Officer

As Chief Lending Officer, Nick Breton will oversee all lending operations, ensuring regulatory compliance while driving growth and profitability. Breton will be responsible for developing and implementing lending strategies, policies, and procedures that align with the vision of the new credit union. His extensive experience and progressive leadership in lending uniquely position him to lead our Mortgage, Consumer, and Indirect Lending departments.

Meg Martellotta, Chief Growth Officer

As Chief Growth Officer, Meg Martellotta will lead the development of growth strategies designed to expand the credit union’s reach, enhance member services, and strengthen long-term sustainability. She will oversee multiple Credit Union departments, including Marketing, Wealth Management, Retail Operations (Branches and Call Center), and Community Development, ensuring that the organization remains focused on meeting the evolving needs of its members.

Shalin Peck, Chief Operations Management Officer

As Chief Operations Management Officer, Shalin Peck will drive operational excellence, streamline efficiencies, and ensure that daily operations align with the credit union’s long-term strategic goals. Peck will oversee the Facilities, Deposit Operations and Loan Operations departments, playing a key role in supporting a seamless transition for both credit unions and its members during and after the merger.

Tracie Rodriguez, Chief Human Resources Officer

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Tracie Rodriguez will guide the integration of talent, culture, and employee well-being throughout the merger process. Her responsibilities include aligning policies and benefits, fostering cultural cohesion, and ensuring the unified workforce thrives in the new environment.

These leadership appointments are strategically timed to support the forthcoming merger and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to establishing a unified, resilient organization positioned to deliver enduring value to both employees and members alike.

CorePlus Credit Union Named Top Workplace for 2025 by Hartford Courant

NORWICH, Conn. – CorePlus Credit Union is proud to announce that it has been recognized as a 2025 Top Workplace by the Hartford Courant. The award was presented during a ceremony held at the Hartford Marriott Downtown, celebrating outstanding employers across the Greater Hartford region. This prestigious recognition is based solely on feedback from employees, underscoring CorePlus Credit Union’s ongoing commitment to cultivating a supportive, inclusive, and rewarding workplace culture.

This marks the third time CorePlus has received the Top Workplace designation, having also been honored in 2022 and 2023. The recognition highlights the organization’s consistent focus on employee engagement, professional growth, and community-centered values.

“We are deeply honored to be named a Top Workplace again in 2025,” said Raymond J. Currier, President & CEO of CorePlus Credit Union. “This recognition is especially meaningful because it comes directly from our employees’ feedback. At CorePlus, we believe that when we invest in our people, we also strengthen our ability to serve our members and communities. Our employees are the heart of our success.”

The Top Workplaces program, conducted by Energage, LLC, surveys employees anonymously to measure key drivers of engaged cultures, including leadership, innovation, communication, and connection to mission.

“At CorePlus, our culture is built on collaboration and care; care for our members, for our communities, and for one another,” said Tracie Rodriguez, Vice President of People and Culture. “This award validates our ongoing efforts to create an environment where employees feel empowered, valued, and motivated to make a difference.”

As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, CorePlus Credit Union has served Eastern Connecticut since 1936 with a mission of providing affordable financial services while giving back to the communities it serves. The Top Workplace recognition further underscores CorePlus’ dedication not only to its members, but also to the employees who make its mission possible.

About CorePlus Credit Union
CorePlus Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative founded in 1936. Guided by the philosophy of “Not for profit, not for charity, but for service,” CorePlus is dedicated to community development and member well-being, with a mission to create financial wellness for all.

NORWICH, Conn — CorePlus Credit Union (CPCU), in partnership with UCFS Healthcare, continued its commitment to supporting local students by achieving record-high numbers in its annual Backpack and School Supply Drive. The 2025 initiative collected and distributed 603 backpacks filled with essential school supplies, significantly higher than in 2024 (401) and 2023 (114).

It’s a longstanding value at CPCU that all children deserve access to essential school supplies to be better prepared for class, more confident in their abilities, and more engaged in learning. Unfortunately, many families across Connecticut continue to face financial challenges that make it difficult to afford these essentials. This annual drive helps close that gap while easing the burden on teachers, who often purchase supplies for their students out of pocket.

Donations were accepted between June 23 and August 1, 2025, at all seven CorePlus branch locations across Eastern Connecticut, as well as at UCFS Healthcare sites. The distribution event took place on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at UCFS’s Edward & Mary Lord Family Health Center located at 47 Town Street in Norwich.

“The perennially growing success of this event is driven by the generosity of our Credit Union members, employees, sponsors, and community,” said CPCU Marketing Manager Eric Blackburn. “Every child deserves to start the school year with the tools they need to succeed. This year, the substantial impact of this event is a reflection of the power of community coming together for a shared purpose.”

Sponsorships from Scient Federal Credit Union, Champagne Motor Car Company, Troiano Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, and Gates GMC provided critical funding for backpacks and supplies. CorePlus Credit Union also matched the first 50 backpack donations, ensuring at least 100 local children would begin the school year fully equipped.

This year’s effort was made even more meaningful as CorePlus and Scient prepare to join forces through an upcoming merger, pending membership approval. CorePlus is grateful to Scient for their enthusiastic participation and shared commitment to serving our community. Members of both credit unions can look forward to an expanded product and service suite, a larger branch network, and the increased ability to provide ongoing support to our communities through monetary, volunteer, and educational efforts.

The August 6, 2025, distribution event was broadcast live on Full Power Radio (Jammin’ 107.7) and featured family-friendly activities, giveaways, and resources provided by numerous community organizations, including:

CorePlus Credit Union
UCFS Healthcare
Scient Federal Credit Union
Otis Library
Rose City Learning Center
Norwich Bully Busters
East Great Plains Volunteer Fire Company Inc.
Jewish Family Services of Greenwich
Read to Grow
Double Daggers Tattoo
Latinos for Educational Advocacy and Diversity (L.E.A.D.)
Uncas Health District
Wondr Nation
Norwich Public Schools
American Heart Association
Yantic Volunteer Fire Department
Norwich Police Department
Operation Lifesaver, Inc.

About CorePlus Credit Union

CorePlus Credit Union is a federally chartered, member owned, not for profit cooperative. We are a not for profit, not for charity, but for service credit union founded in 1936. With a strong emphasis on community development and member well-being, CorePlus Credit Union is dedicated to creating financial wellness for all. For more information, visit coreplus.org.

CorePlus Federal Credit Union is proud to join forces with Scient Federal Credit Union to create a stronger, more innovative financial institution. We’ll harness our combined $700 million in assets to offer enhanced products, more innovative technology, and an even deeper commitment to our members.

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NORWICH, CONN. — CorePlus Credit Union has named a new official to its Board of Directors, the institution’s governing body. Kenneth P. Levy of Mystic was appointed as a Director to fill the unexpired term of former Director Selma Ward.

Ken has been a director of procurement and contracts for over 35 years, working for multinational firms headquartered in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Europe. He has experience in the biopharma, insurance, logistics, defense contracting, and high-tech manufacturing areas. Since retiring from Genzyme Corporation, a Sanofi Company, Ken has been active with various multiple myeloma research and support organizations.

He has a BS in Physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is a Lifetime Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.). Ken is on the board of Waterford Country School and serves as their treasurer and the chairman of their finance committee. He is also president of the board of his condominium association. He had previously served as president of the Connecticut chapter of the Institute for Supply Management and as chairman of its Northeast Supply Management Group.

Ken and his wife, Joanne, have been active volunteers in the Mystic community, including 25 years with the Mystic Outdoor Arts Festival. Ken has also served on CorePlus Credit Union’s Supervisory Committee since 2016.

CorePlus is proud to have a devoted group of volunteer members serving on its Board. They meet on a regular basis and are committed to ensuring that CorePlus provides valuable products and services to the membership. As a not-for-profit cooperative financial institution, CorePlus Credit Union annually elects officials who volunteer their time and talent to serve the credit union on behalf of its membership. Board and Supervisory Committee members are nominated from the membership at large and voted on by the members at the Annual Meeting.

About CorePlus Credit Union

NORWICH, Conn. — Four interns successfully completed the CorePlus Credit Union Summer Internship Program on Friday, August 9th. The CPCU Summer Internship Program provides participants with valuable real world work experience in a financial institution. This year, CorePlus hosted Shelbie Desir and Iris Tang from Norwich Free Academy and Mercy Reynoso Germosen and Claudy Baron from New London High School.

Beginning on June 28th, CorePlus summer interns completed daily duties ranging from teller transactions to assisting in various consumer lending departments. They continuously developed skills including but not limited to customer service, cash handling, personal finance, sales, time management, organization, conflict resolution, basic lending, accounting, and quality control.

CorePlus has hosted students from two of the area’s largest high schools for 18 years. The program began in 2006 when the Director of Diversity at NFA and the CorePlus president at the time had a casual conversation about the lack of diversity in Norwich area financial institutions. They decided on the spot that an internship program could be the way to change that.

Since then, over 90 high school students have successfully completed the program. Four current CorePlus employees, including its CFO and one Branch Officer, are graduates of the internship program.

CorePlus staff strive to mimic their traditional new hire process as closely as possible for the program. Students are selected for the internship based upon their interview skills, complete a new hire orientation, and are reviewed using an abbreviated version of our performance appraisal. The interns are placed in branches and departments based on their interviews and areas of interest, and supervisors are encouraged to give them the same duties given to regular employees.

Mercy Reynoso Germosen stated, “My summer internship at CorePlus Credit Union was a great experience full of laughter, knowledge, and a welcoming environment from the very beginning — during our training with Kristen — to the end at the Groton branch with Briana, Brenda, and Melissa. As a recent high school graduate, I would recommend going for this internship — especially if you’re going into the finance field; if given the chance to, I would definitely do this internship again.”

Claudy Baron expressed a similar sentiment, stating, “I’m truly grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to participate in this program. This internship has refined several of my skills, and I feel it has made me better prepared for my future. I was able to work on my customer service and communication skills, my knowledge on finance has been broadened, and I had a great experience with my team, the members, and even the work I did.”

All CorePlus Summer Internship applicants must be at least 16 years old, have strong customer service skills, possess the ability to work with various technical platforms, and work well on teams and independently. Successful participants may be eligible for full or part-time employment with CorePlus following completion of the program.

About CorePlus Credit Union

NORWICH, CT — CorePlus Credit Union has started collecting backpacks and school supplies at its branch locations, with the goal of providing as many children as possible with the materials they need to thrive in the new school year.

CorePlus is again partnering with UCFS Healthcare on this effort. Supplies will be collected throughout the summer and distributed from 1-3 p.m. on August 7th at UCFS’s Edward & Mary Lord Family Health Center, located at 47 Town Street in Norwich.

In addition to public donations, CorePlus employees have given generously to this effort in previous years. This year, CorePlus and its employees plan to match the first 50 donations of new backpacks, ensuring that at least 100 children will receive assistance.

“A solid education starts with giving children the tools they need to be successful,” said Raymond Currier, President and CEO of CorePlus Credit Union. “Last year, through our partnership with UCFS, CorePlus employees and members provided 114 backpacks and supplies that were distributed to children in our community. The need is great and we’re hoping to help even more families this year. Please join us in this effort by dropping off a backpack and supplies at any of our branch locations.”

Drop boxes for donations, creatively decorated by CorePlus employees, will be set up at each CorePlus branch location starting on June 24th. Collection boxes will also be set up at UCFS
locations.

The backpack drive is seeking the following items:

New backpacks
Writing and drawing materials, including pens, pencils, highlighters, markers, crayons, colored pencils, large pink erasers, and eraser caps
Art supplies including loose leaf paper, glue sticks, liquid glue, blunt tip scissors, pencils, sharpeners, and rulers
Organizational materials including three-ring binders, pencil boxes, zippered pouches, and two-pocket folders
Spiral and composition notebooks

In addition to these in-kind donations, CorePlus will accept monetary donations toward the bulk purchase of backpacks and school supplies. Checks should be made payable to CorePlus Credit Union, with the note ATTN: Brittany Uphold or Eric Blackburn, and accompanied by a letter designating the amount and purpose of the funds. Monetary donations can be dropped off at any CorePlus branch location or mailed to CorePlus’s main office at 202 Salem Turnpike, Norwich, CT, 06360.

Children who have adequate school supplies are not only better prepared to participate in school activities and assignments, but also more confident in their own abilities and interested in learning. Unfortunately, for thousands of families in Connecticut struggling to afford basic needs, it can be difficult or impossible to purchase these school supplies. This annual drive helps families meet this need while also easing the burden on teachers, who often report that they spend their own funds on supplies for their students.

Donations will be accepted through August 5th. In the interim between this cutoff date and the giveaway, CorePlus employees work to fill the backpacks with supplies and to create separate ones for older and younger students.

The distribution of backpacks and supplies on August 7th takes place during Community Health Center Week and is held in conjunction with family-friendly events at the Edward & Mary Lord Family Health Center. In addition to the backpack giveaway, CorePlus will also have an ice cream freezer on the premises to provide visitors with a sweet treat.

Additional partners at the event will provide information, giveaways, activities, and other useful information. These include UCFS Healthcare and the Uncas Health District.

About CorePlus Credit Union

NORWICH, CT — CorePlus Credit Union has installed two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its East Lyme branch, providing a convenient and environmentally friendly service to all visitors.

The Level 2 charging stations, each capable of serving one battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, will be open to the public and free to all CorePlus Credit Union members.

“We are the first financial institution in Southeastern Connecticut to install EV charging stations,” said Ray Currier, President and CEO of CorePlus Credit Union. “These stations represent CorePlus Credit Union’s commitment to lowering the carbon footprint and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Connecticut. CorePlus is looking into the possibility of installing EV charging stations at additional locations as well.”

Connecticut has experienced strong growth in EV ownership in recent years, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). There were 44,313 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered in the state at the end of 2023, compared to just 4,878 at the end of 2016.

Connecticut has more than 360 public EV charging stations. DEEP has been encouraging the installation of EV charging stations at homes, workplaces, and transportation hubs to help grow Connecticut’s charging infrastructure.

About CorePlus Credit Union

CorePlus Credit Union (CPCU) is proud to announce the launch of a newly designed, modern, and responsive website focusing on an enhanced user experience. This exciting evolution reflects CPCU’s commitment to providing our members with the most user-friendly and convenient online banking experience possible while advancing our mutual goal to become the premier digital credit union in eastern Connecticut.

“At CorePlus, we are constantly striving to improve how we serve our members. This new website represents a significant step forward in fulfilling that commitment. We listened to our members’ needs and built a website that is intuitive, responsive, and tailored to create a superior digital banking experience.”
– CPCU President and CEO, Ray Currier.

The new CPCU website features a clean and modern design, making it easy for members to navigate and find the information they need quickly and easily. The website has been optimized for all devices, ensuring a seamless experience — from desktop computers and tablets to smartphones.

The design of the new website recognizes the growing trend of mobile banking and the understanding that more and more of our members are accessing their finances on their tablets and smartphones. That’s why CPCU made sure this new website is perfectly responsive and easy to use on any mobile device.

Beyond an enhanced mobile experience, the new website better tells the CPCU story — detailing who we are, where we came from, what we stand for, and how CPCU strives to make a difference in the lives of our members and the communities we serve.

Experience the future of digital banking with CorePlus Credit Union. Visit www.coreplus.org and discover a banking experience that is truly seamless, convenient, and member-focused.

NORWICH, CT — The employees and members of CorePlus Credit Union have brightened the holidays of more than 70 children in eastern Connecticut by participants purchasing new toys and clothing through The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Tag program.

This is the third consecutive year that CorePlus has participated in the program. The credit union set a goal of fulfilling the requested donations on 75 tags, an increase from the 55 children supported in 2022.

“We’ve been overjoyed to see the community’s response every time we put up our Angel Tree, and this has been our best year yet,” said Meg Martellotta, Vice President of Operations at CorePlus Credit Union. “We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from CorePlus Credit Union’s members and employees, who have contributed in creating an enjoyable Christmas morning for our Norwich neighbors.”

Businesses, schools, and other organizations participate in the Angel Tree Tag program by setting up a tree and requesting as many tags as they think they can support. The tags — featuring the first name, age, and gender of a child, as well as requested gifts — are used to decorate the tree.

Participants remove a tag to purchase the requested gifts, which are returned to the participating organization with the tag attached. The Salvation Army then picks up all donations to distribute to families in the community.

In addition to helping individuals in need have a more enjoyable holiday, the Angel Tree Tag program helps defray the cost of purchasing Christmas gifts that would normally be part of The Salvation Army’s holiday expenses. This frees up more funding for The Salvation Army to support other emergency needs such as providing food, clothing, shelter, and assistance with rent or fuel.

CorePlus received 50 tags on November 15th, and another 25 on November 21st. The credit union has been encouraging its members to participate in the program through radio, social media, and newsletter messaging.

Debbie White, Social Ministries Director at The Salvation Army Southern New England Division stated, “The Salvation Army Norwich Service Center thanks community partners such as CorePlus Credit Union for their active role in volunteering at the Red Kettle this holiday season and for adopting 75 children for Angel Tree. Thank you, CorePlus Credit Union, for making this holiday season a little brighter for our families in the Norwich community.”

About CorePlus Credit Union