Photo credit: Olympia Federal Savings


– Olympia Federal Savings (OFS) Ribbon Cutting was Friday, October 9th
“Unlike stockholder-based banks, which must deliver maximum profit and dividends, Olympia Federal Savings places added emphasis on community reinvestment as part of its charter. “As a mutual institution, we have the flexibility we need to help our community grow and we are able to take a long view of what’s best,” says Sandy Di Bernardo, Vice President and Marketing Director. Annually, the company is dedicated to donating at least 5% of their profits back to the community; however, she says, “We donate much more.”

“[new Yelm Branch Manager Jane] Walker, who has been a Yelm resident for 23 years, says there were two main reasons for the new branch. ‘We have several customers that live here in the Yelm area, and we also did a lot of research. Studies showed that this is a growing community,’ she says.”

“Energy efficiency is literally built in to the new branch, which is on its way to becoming LEED certified. LEED is a green building certification that recognizes best-in-class strategies and practices. The Yelm facility has solar panels, radiant floor heating, and a car charger in the front drive so that people with electric cars can plug in. The builders used locally sourced materials as much as possible, including the rocks for the interior, and the building has a shower for employees who want to ride their bikes to work or go for a run during their lunch break.

‘We should be able to give the electricity back to the grid on nice sunny days,’ says Walker,” quoting Heidi Smith, Thurston Talk.
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