Kelley Jacobsen
Chief Operating Officer
13 years at Yolo Federal Credit Union. Started as marketing coordinator, now oversees operations. Over $400 million in assets. 22,000+ members. Serving four counties in Northern California.
The Challenge
Hawaii real estate is among the most expensive in the country. Hawaii State FCU's branches were running 3,000 to 4,000 square feet, and the credit union needed to operate in much smaller spaces. Aaron's team formed The Red Team with a single mission: figure out how to do it. Core integration with Fiserv was a requirement from day one, and they had six months from lease signing to go live.
The Solution
NextBranch reached out through a simple email at exactly the right time. Yolo chose the leasing model so they'd always stay current with the latest technology. Implementation followed a two-phase approach: first replace the fleet and enable video teller, then connect to the core after a planned core conversion. The process spanned about two years, and throughout both phases, there were very few issues.
The Results
- Seamless implementation across two phases
- NextBranch proactively monitors the fleet and resolves issues before Yolo even knows they exist
- Members have more self-service options than ever: loan payments, account access, mini statements, higher cash withdrawals
- Building a new Sacramento branch with no traditional teller line
- Staff entirely focused on relationship building
In Their Words
"We were immediately impressed not only with their technology, but also with the team at NextBranch. They were personable and very clear with what it is they could offer us. It really felt like from the very beginning that they had care and concern for us, and we felt supported by them. My favorite thing about NextBranch is most definitely the service from the team, from the very top to every other person we have worked with. It has been nothing short of just exceptional. Sometimes they were troubleshooting issues that weren't even really their issues to troubleshoot, but I knew that they were a part of our team."
