Our Story
Serving Our Members Since 1954. EPB Employees Credit Union has been helping members save, borrow, and build stronger financial futures for more than 70 years. Our story began in 1954 when a group of employees of the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga saw an opportunity to help their coworkers financially. On April 16, 1954, an application was signed to organize and incorporate a credit union. Just days later, the State of Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions granted charter #60619. At a meeting on April 30, 1954, nearly 80% of EPB's employees attended, and 431 employees became charter members of the new credit union. What began as a credit union created by EPB employees for EPB employees has continued to grow and evolve while remaining true to the principles on which it was founded: people helping people, personal service, and financial strength.
Growing Our Credit Union Family
In 2021, Tennessee American Water Federal Credit Union approached EPBECU for assistance as its Board considered the future of their credit union. Those conversations ultimately led to a merger, which was completed in December 2021. The merger welcomed Tennessee American Water employees, retirees, and their families into EPBECU and marked an important new chapter in our history. And yes, electricity and water mixed very well! In 2025, another opportunity to serve arose when BASF Chattanooga Federal Credit Union approached EPBECU while its Board considered the future of its credit union. Following discussions between the two organizations, members of BASF Chattanooga Federal Credit Union joined the EPBECU family through a merger completed in April 2026. Today, EPB Employees Credit Union proudly serves the employees, retirees, and families of EPB, Tennessee American Water, and BASF Chattanooga.
Local Then. Local Now.
A lot has changed since those first 431 members came together in 1954, but something important hasn't: EPBECU is still your credit union. Today, we serve more than 2,500 members and manage more than $42 million in assets, while continuing to provide the personal, friendly service that has defined EPBECU from the beginning. Our members have access to modern financial services including Online and Mobile Banking, competitive savings and loan products, convenient digital services, and access to thousands of surcharge-free ATMs nationwide. But technology hasn't changed who we are. We're still local. We're still member-owned. And we're still committed to knowing our members, serving their financial needs, and building a strong credit union for the generations that follow.
Our Mission
To be the primary financial institution for our members by providing personal, friendly, quality financial services at competitive rates while maintaining strong growth and sound financial operations.
Why Become a Member of a Credit Union?
Credit Unions have a customer base made up of members. Members actually own the credit union by purchasing “shares” of the “equity” in the credit union. To be a member of EPB Employees Credit Union, an individual must own at least six shares (with a par value of $5 each). To monitor a member’s ownership, a Primary Share Account is opened, and share ownership is measured by the funds that are on deposit. A minimum initial deposit of $30 (6 shares at $5 each) and a one-dollar processing fee are required for membership/ownership.
Once you become a member of EPB Employees Credit Union, you will always be a member as long as the credit union experiences no financial losses from your activity, and as long as you maintain the minimum balance ($30) in your Primary Share Account.
Board of Directors
Dale McLeod, President
Sandee Bingham, Vice President
Bryan Betty, Secretary
Tyler Hollister, Treasurer
Connally Million
Angela Love
Clint Stanfield
Staff
Brian Trotter, CEO
Brian Trotter has served as CEO of EPB Employees Credit Union since August 2014, bringing decades of credit union experience and a strong belief that banking should always be personal. Under Brian’s leadership, EPBECU has grown and modernized while remaining true to the personal service that has defined the credit union since 1954. During his tenure, EPBECU has expanded its membership,
embraced new technology and digital services, and welcomed the members and families of Tennessee American Water and BASF Chattanooga into the EPBECU family. Brian credits much of his work ethic to his father, Jerry, who taught him by example the value of hard work, commitment, and taking care of the people who depend on you. Those lessons continue to shape Brian’s approach to leadership today. For Brian, leading EPBECU is about more than numbers and financial products, it’s about people. He believes a credit union should know its members, serve them well, and be there for them through every stage of life. Outside the credit union, Brian’s greatest priorities are his faith and his family. He and his wife, Michele, are especially proud of their children and grandchildren, and Brian is always happy to talk Braves baseball, Tennessee football, or just about anything involving a Ford Bronco. His philosophy for EPBECU is simple: “We don’t have to be the biggest credit union, but we do want to be the healthiest, growing stronger, serving better, and building for our future.”
Shana Sapp, COO
As EPBECU’s Internal Accountant, Shana has her finger on the pulse of everything related to our members, technology, systems, and bookkeeping. She is the resident “go-to” for any EPBECU-related question. One of our favorite things about Shana is her love of family. When she isn’t working, you’ll find her spending time with her husband and their three children. Shana credits her parents for instilling in her the importance of family. She says, “My dad worked hard, provided well, but never put work or money before family. He had a successful engineering firm, and I think the key was that he always put family first, even for his employees. He always said he worked so he could enjoy watching my mom give it away.”
Sherry Hendricks, Loan Officer
Sherry joined EPBECU in the summer of 2021 and looks forward to serving you with the exceptional member service that has made her famous. Sherry joined the credit union family 20 years ago in Auburn, Alabama, and has embraced the motto “People Helping People” ever since. A native of Ringgold, GA, she is excited to be home, close to her children and parents. While she loves to shop, watch movies, and hit the beach, Sherry’s true dream is to travel the world.
Lori Dautrich, MSR
Lori joined EPBECU as a Member Service Representative in the spring of 2022. She has been working in the Credit Union industry for seven years and loves it. Lori says, “We are hometown people. We love what we do, and we’ll work hard for our members’ immediate and future needs. Helping people reach their goals is what we do best, and we do it with a smile!” In her spare time, Lori can be found out in nature capturing the beauty of trees, flowers, and animals through her favorite hobby, photography. Her lifelong dream is to be a photographer for National Geographic, but until then, we are lucky to have her on our team!
Paris Hardnett, MSR
We are excited to welcome Paris to the EPBECU family! She joined us this summer and is eager to serve our members with her trademark warm personality and infectious smile. While she briefly lived in Greenville, TN, to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree, Chattanooga has always been home. In her free time, Paris enjoys all things creative and cherishes moments spent with her family and friends. She takes great pride in being “Auntie” to six and a godmother to three. One of her biggest dreams is to open a business where people can gather to paint, express their creativity, and have a great time together.
"I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered; that's why I trust Him." ~ Paris
Rhonda Hampton, MSR/Bookkeeping
Rhonda is looking forward to assisting the great members of EPBECU and growing a great relationship with them. Rhonda is a Tennessee Vols fan who loves to craft, spend time spoiling her grandchildren, and travel to new places. Rhonda’s motto, “treat people the way you want to be treated.”
Jorden Willson, Teller/MSR
Jorden is excited to join EPB Credit Union and bring her passion for customer service and helping others to the team. With a background in customer service and administrative support, she looks forward to building meaningful relationships with our members. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and making lasting memories. "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." Maya Angelou