When David Brooks was a child, his father ran a credit union out of their home. Brooks is now president of Texas Bridge Credit Union in Corpus Christi. Photo by Carrie Robertson Meyer/Third Coast Photo
Finance is in the blood of Texas Bridge Credit Union President David Brooks, who has led the institution since 1994. His parents ran a credit union out of their home, which influenced his studies at Texas Tech University and his career working the ins and outs of credit unions.
Choosing to bank with a local credit union such as TXBCU rather than a large institution like Wells Fargo or Bank of America has many benefits, the main being that members receive a more personalized service, Brooks said.
“Credit unions have a completely different philosophy,” he explained. “You don’t just become a number. We get to know you.”
Brooks’ own philosophy for TXBCU, which opened in Corpus Christi in 1951, is to treat his customers the way he would like to be treated. While he admits the idiom is simple and oftentimes over used, he explained that, in personal finance, “when people come in, they want to be treated with dignity and respect. Their business is our most important business on our desks at that time.”
Community involvement is important to TXBCU. Since 2007, the credit union has awarded more than $96,500 in scholarships to local students — a significant investment for the small size of the institution.
“That money could have gone down through our bottom line, but we committed it to the future of our community,” Brooks said.
Education is important to TXBCU, which also offers the Kirby Kangaroo Club for kids — a youth savings program complete with an interactive website, games, coloring pages and more.
Brooks believes children should start to learn money-management skills as soon as they know the value of a dollar. He sees these as essential skills, such as the responsibility of earning money and knowing its value, setting up a checking account and developing credit.
“Financial literacy is no longer taught in schools,” said Mark Avelar, executive vice president of TXBCU. “The Kirby Kangaroo program allows us to engage with students at the elementary and middle school level. They have the opportunity to open checking and savings accounts, which allows them to earn points and prizes.”
Over the past 23 years at TXBCU, Brooks has seen members grow, begin their careers, start families, and retire. He has helped people in all aspects of their lives and finds great satisfaction in helping members achieve their goals.
“Everyone has dreams for their families, and their goals, they’re all a little different,” Brooks said. “One person might just need to pay their bills for the month. One might want to pay for their child’s education. One might want to buy a brand new car or their dream house. Each person is going to be different, and we listen to their needs and make that member contact.”
Over the years, members have given back and shown their appreciation for Brooks, Avelar and all the staff at TXBCU for helping them. They’ll reciprocate through the littlest tokens of gratitude, like a box of cookies or a heartfelt thank you.
“It’s still very personal to us and to them,” Avelar said. “We’re able to help them out and to reach their goals and dreams. And with Mr. Brooks as president, to still be involved on a personal and first-name basis is rare. Our customers know he’s visible and accessible.”
Membership with Texas Bridge Credit Union is open to all residents of Nueces County. The credit union has two locations: 3131 Holly Road and 2140 Gollihar Road. Visit txbcu.com for more information.
