Business

Eglin Federal Credit Union opens new operations center in Fort Walton Beach

A four-story, 100,000-square-foot building designed to accommodate up to 400 employees with energy-efficient features and flexible workspaces for enhanced collaboration.

Jared Williams

Eglin Federal Credit Union celebrated the grand opening of its new Operations Center on Wednesday, completing a major milestone in the credit union’s growth and expansion project.

The four-story, 100,000-square-foot building in Fort Walton Beach includes an attached parking garage and can accommodate up to 400 employees. The facility features energy-efficient windows, geothermal wells, charging stations for electric vehicles, and flexible interior workspaces designed for employee comfort and efficiency.

“This Operations Center is a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence,” said Cathie Staton, Eglin FCU’s president and CEO. “We believe that a well-designed space can inspire creativity and productivity, and we are thrilled to offer our employees a dynamic and inviting atmosphere that reflects our corporate values.”

Eglin Federal Credit Union Celebrates Grand Opening of New Operations Center (Photo credit: John Magnoski)

The building houses a training center, an expanded call center with chat and text support, a Video Teller team, and departments including loan services, indirect lending, collections, Information Technology, Information Systems, mortgage services, and facilities management. The Operations Center can also serve as a disaster recovery site.

Board members, volunteers, team members and partners attended the celebratory gathering for the project’s completion. The bright and open workspaces include various collaboration spaces, balconies, and outdoor tables shaded from Florida sunshine to foster creativity, collaboration and communication among employees.

Staton recognized several contributors to the project, including the board of directors, volunteers, President Emeritus Jerry Williams, former COO Kenny Girot, and team members SVP/CTO Tim Farnsworth, SVP/CIO Rocky Magee, SVP/COO Kim Nauta, and Facilities Manager/Security Officer Alan Campbell. She also acknowledged the La Macchia Group for their work on the design and construction.

“We embrace the credit union philosophy of people helping people, and we believe that when you lead with values and do the right things, good things happen,” Staton said. “We are excited to continue to attract and retain new employees and members, while having room to grow and deliver five-star service.”

The new Operations Center, which serves as a workplace for credit union employees rather than a member-facing branch, supports Eglin FCU’s expansion of its field of membership into Walton, Santa Rosa, and Escambia counties in Florida and Alabama, and enhances digital services to meet increased demand for back-office support.