First Financial opens Bernalillo branch

On June 7, First Financial Credit Union celebrated its new branch in Bernalillo with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

“When we first started our other branch in Rio Rancho, it had quickly grown to 4000 members. But over the last seven to eight years, we’re running close to 9,000 members at that one location … and that allowed us to start looking for another location,” Chief Operating Officer Karen Ortiz said.

First Financial Credit Union President and CEO Ron Moorehead was given the honors of cutting the ribbon and welcomed all to their newest location.

“We are really happy to be here. It’s in Bernalillo, but it’s right in the back end of Rio Rancho. So, we encourage anybody who maybe isn’t completely satisfied with their financial relationship to, at least, think about us and we would love to help you,” Moorehead said.

One of the initiatives sponsored by First Financial Credit Union is the Stukent program, which is a financial literacy program aimed at training students by teaching them about budgeting, bills and learning about interest rates. The program will aid all of Albuquerque Public Schools, and Bernalillo as well, and curriculum will start in August 2024.

First Financial Credit Union provided more than $643,500 to fund the Stukent program.

“I have the privilege of working with a lot of our credit unions across the state, and statewide we have over a million credit union members. It is thrilling for me to be out here with one of our thriving credit unions, First Financial [Credit Union]. I cannot wait to see what they do in this area of Bernalillo,” said Melia Heimbuck, president and CEO of the Credit Union Association of New Mexico.