We are excited to honor Summit Federal Credit Union on Hudson Ave in Irondequoit. We reached out and spoke to Tina Longwell, Sr. Business Relations Account Executive here in Rochester, please check out this Q&A:
How many years has Summit been in business? The Summit was founded 1941 as the Rochester Telephone Federal Credit Union. We have been in business for 83 years.
What type of business/services does Summit offer? We believe life can be a little extra exciting for everyone. By offering more ways to save, expert banking advice, and our signature neighborly support, we pride ourselves on giving our members the tools to achieve their financial goals – big or small. At The Summit, your goals are our goals. Wherever you want to go in life, we’re with you – Elevating the ordinary™ every step of the way. We strive to offer a wide range of financial products and services to meet our members needs. Checking accounts, savings and loan products just to name a few.
How did Summit come about? The Summit Federal Credit Union was founded in 1941 as the Rochester Telephone Federal Credit Union by Rochester Telephone employees who wanted access to affordable banking services. In 1957 we moved into our first headquarters on the 11th floor of the Sibley Building in Downtown Rochester. By 1983 our membership had grown beyond this original member group, and we became The Summit Federal Credit Union. With over $1.3 billion in assets, The Summit has over 230 employees and provides a full range of affordable financial products and services to over 93,000 active members mainly in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Seneca Falls and Cortland.
Why choose Irondequoit for your business’ home: We have had a branch in Irondequoit for over 36 years. The first Irondequoit branch opened in 1988 and was located on Waring Rd. In 1993, it was moved to the plaza on Hudson Ave and Titus Avenue. In 2009, we built our current branch in the Wegmans Plaza, directly in front of our previous branch, to give our members greater access to a modern facility.
How many employees does your business employ? Are any local Irondequoit natives? We employ over 230 people. Several of our staff are Irondequoit natives and residents.
What do you want potential customers to know about your business? The credit union philosophy is “People Helping People.” In addition to offering great products and exceptional service, we support the communities that we serve through the donation of our time and talents as well as resources. We believe that financial wellbeing and financial success go hand-in-hand and we are regularly out in schools working with young people and at community and senior centers helping adults navigate today’s financial landscape. One of our most successful recent initiatives has been a free seminar for seniors about fraud and scams, giving them the tools that they need to avoid becoming statistics.
What community service has your business been involved in? What organizations do you support/donate to? The Summit is dedicated to the rich diversity of the communities that we serve. You will regularly see our staff out and about in the community supporting other not-for-profit organizations that share our mission and values. We support nearly 150 organizations and events annually throughout the regions that we serve, with a large focus on families and youth. In 2023, we raised and donated over $180,000 to organizations throughout our footprint and collectively spent 1,064 hours volunteering and participating in community events.
In Irondequoit, we sponsor The Market at I-Square, events with The Town of Irondequoit, and are a sponsor of The Seneca Park Zoo. In the Greater Rochester area, we support organizations such as the YWCA, Mary Cariola, Villa of Hope, the Center for Youth, Trillium Health, Rochester Regional Health’s Mobile Mammography Unit, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester, and many, many more.
Are there any events you are hosting you wish to tell our community about? We are the title sponsor of Sean Kenney’s Animal Super Powers made with Lego™ bricks opening in September at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, a sponsor of the Seneca Park Zoo’s “Spooktacular” event in October, and the title sponsor of Sweet Creations Exhibition at the George Eastman Museum opening in November.
Summit Federal Credit Union is located at 2121 Hudson Ave. Check them out online and follow them on facebook.