Our guest speaker on Friday, September 18th was Jayden Gilmore who is a Community Relations Specialist at GESA Credit Union based in Renton and overseeing the Westside market. GESA has nine branches in Western Washington (Tacoma to Lake Stevens) with 46 across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and expanded to the westside in 2019 through acquisition. GESA emphasis is on community, sponsorships, grants, scholarships which is not sales focused but community support focused. GESA's name originates from General Electric Supervisory Association tied to Hanford in the Tri-Cities.
GESA positions itself as a locally focused, community-supportive credit union with growing presence and partnerships. GESA offers “affinity” credit cards for veterans, teachers, law enforcement firefighters, and healthcare workers. A portion of the transactions funds grants, non-profits apply in June/July with awards being announced in October. Examples of the supported organizations is Fire Seven Foundation, Lake Stevens Police Department and other local safety organizations. Additional support includes sponsorships for luncheons, galas, fundraisers and golf tournaments. The affinity card program channels everyday spending into targeted community grants for local hero causes.