Floridacentral Credit Union serves over 50,000 members and over 1,000 Select Employee Groups with 12 branch locations. Although the look and feel of the credit union has evolved, their goal has been and always will be to create the best banking experience for our members.
Linh Dang,
President & CEO
Linh Dang is the President/CEO of Floridacentral Credit union located in Tampa Florida since November of 2022. Linh has worked at credit unions of all asset sizes from $19 million to $3 billion. Linh has made credit unions her career and passion spanning over 30 years.
Q&A with Linh Dang
You’ve been in the credit union industry for over three decades. How has the industry evolved over that time?
I have seen an expansion in our competitive landscape. We can no longer compare ourselves solely to other credit unions. Consumer expectations have been elevated by the convenience and services offered by big banks and fintechs, including BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later), CashApps, and P2P payments.
In the past, I believed credit unions accepted being late adopters of technology, focusing instead on providing ‘better service,’ often defined as face-to-face, personal interactions. Today, to attract new members, we must adapt to what each consumer defines as ‘great service.’ For some, that still means interacting with a warm, welcoming human being. For others, it means the ability to do everything online and leveraging technology and AI – all instantly and seamlessly – but still finding comfort in knowing that there is an option to personally interact.
What is the corporate culture like at Floridacentral Credit Union? How do you and your team live by your organization’s values?
I would describe our workplace culture as evolving from a traditional model to a more progressive one. Floridacentral has always embraced a member-first approach, exemplified by warm, person-to-person service. More recently, leadership has strengthened this foundation by emphasizing:
- Efficiency and innovation
- Individual responsibility and accountability
- Employee appreciation and recognition
- Transparency
- Open dialogue to foster a more informed and connected team
- Cross departmental collaboration to foster teamwork and operational efficiencies.
We are now seeing the results of this cultural shift reflected in our growth.
What are your top priorities for community involvement, personally and professionally?
Floridacentral has a broad footprint, and priorities vary across the communities we serve. We strive to respond to these unique local needs by empowering employees who live and work in those communities to help guide the causes we support.
Community involvement is also an opportunity for innovation. We embody the mantra ‘People Helping People’ by listening first and creating solutions tailored to individual needs, rather than relying on a predefined set of products and services. Our goal is to help people live their best Florida lives—recognizing that this looks different for everyone.
To support this, we invest in a diverse range of causes that benefit many groups across our communities. We support the BankOn coalition to reach out to our neighbors who are underserved or underbanked to lend a helping hand towards financial stability and empowerment. Through active Chamber involvement, we build business relationships that foster collaboration and shared success. We also champion local businesses by creating programs that highlight Tampa Bay businesses and reward members for spending locally.
What are the top three things that you believe make Tampa Bay one of the best places in the country for businesses like yours?
Tampa Bay has experienced steady growth due in large part to its supportive ecosystem. Financial and professional services are one of the fastest growing sectors with year-over-year employment gains. This growth has expanded our audience and created more opportunities to deliver financial solutions, including deposit accounts, auto loans, mortgages, and business services. With more people moving into the region, it is an opportunity for businesses like ours to attract new talent to contribute to our organization’s growing needs. And, thirdly, the region’s diverse, community- and family-oriented culture aligns naturally with the credit union model and the value we provide.
Why is investing in the Tampa Bay EDC important to you?
Floridacentral has been rooted in the Tampa Bay community for over 60 years, giving us a deep understanding of the area’s unique needs, challenges, and opportunities. We are deeply committed to the people and businesses that make this community thrive. The objectives of the Tampa Bay EDC closely align with our mission to help individuals live their best Florida lives. By fostering a stronger local economy, the EDC creates meaningful, everyday impacts for individuals and families – expanding opportunities, increasing income, and improving financial stability. As new businesses establish or relocate to the region, we also have the opportunity to support their growth through our business services.
