BEST COMPANY IN SONOMA COUNTY AND BEST PLACE TO WORK
R EDWOOD CREDIT UNION
RCU secured two top prizes this year: Best Company in Sonoma County and Best Place to Work.
R edwood Credit Union swept the field with multiple awards this year, while also celebrating a 75th anniversary—making its 2025 Best of the North Bay all that much sweeter. RCU took top prize for Best Company in Sonoma County and Best Place to Work. While President and CEO Brett Martinez took first place in the Business Community Leader category. The credit union also earned second-place Gold awards in the Business Bank and Company in Napa County categories. RCU’s Chief Operating Officer Mishel Kaufman says that credit unions are founded on the philosophy of people helping people. “For us, it’s not just a philosophy,” she says—it’s what the RCU team is passionate about. “Our members often tell us they love RCU, and while it might seem surprising for someone to say that about where they bank, we think they’re telling us that we’ve made a difference in their life,” says Kaufman Earning a Best Place to Work title is no small potatoes in NBb’s readers’ poll. Encompassing the tri-county area of Sonoma, Marin and Napa—RCU solidified its position on top. Kristen Mahlmann, RCU’s chief financial officer, says part of their “secret sauce” for good employee retention is in By Janet Perry
creating a fun environment where team members feel valued, engaged, challenged and supported. “We work hard, but we also celebrate—and celebrating together brings us closer,” Mahlmann says. “Plus, we like to have fun!” Senior Vice President of Business Services Steve Ward spoke to NorthBay biz regarding the credit union’s second place win in the business bank category. “What readers probably don’t know is we serve 19,000 local businesses and we’re growing over 10%,” Ward says. “We’re making inroads with all of the products we’ve built over the last few years to be part of conversations and earn the right to serve these businesses.” He says RCU’s status as a not for profit enables the credit union to offer a suite of products and services at a rate that “truly adds value to local businesses.” Despite it all, he considers RCU Business Services the best- kept secret in the North Bay. “Everyday people are surprised a credit union offers the suite of products and services that we do,” he says. “It’s fun to have that conversation.” v
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Best of the North Bay 2025
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