How It All Began
In the early 1950s, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognized the need for a financial cooperative to serve Church employees. On August 4, 1955, the LDS Church Office Credit Union was officially founded.
Our first board members—Henry Tempest, Fern Dunn, Keith Carroll, LaRue Sneff, and Gordon B. Hinckley—set the foundation. In those early days, Keith Carroll ran the entire credit union out of his desk drawers.
By the end of the first year, 196 members had joined, planting the seed for the community we serve today.
Expanding to Serve More Members
Growth came steadily as needs expanded. In 1974, our first branch opened in Salt Lake City, extending services beyond headquarters. By the 1980s, we became Deseret First Credit Union and widened eligibility to all Church members. The 2000s brought new facilities to support rapid growth, including our first Operations Center in 2006. By 2018, we opened a new headquarters to house our growing team and better serve more than 50,000 members. Today, DFCU supports over 82,000 members across 13 branches from Logan to St. George—still true to the mission of strengthening families and communities through sound financial services.
Milestones That Shaped Us
Throughout our history, key moments have marked our progress and strengthened our cooperative:
1965
1965
First accounting machine introduced (records had been kept by hand).
1984
1984
Seagull-and-world logo adopted, symbolizing both heritage and vision.
1991
1991
Keith Carroll retired; Kris Mecham became CEO.
2007
2007
Launched the annual Deseret First Duel between BYU and the University of Utah.
2015
2015
Celebrated our 60th anniversary.
Each milestone reflects the same principle: growth without losing sight of who we serve.
Leadership Through the Years
Our progress has been guided by leaders committed to cooperative values and member service.
Keith Carroll
Founding CEO, 1955–1991
Kris Mecham
CEO, 1991–2010
Clint Gurney
President & CEO, 2010–2012
Shane London
President & CEO since 2012
Your Financial Partner With a Rich Heritage
For nearly 70 years, Deseret First has served with purpose: helping families plan, grow, and thrive. Today, with a full range of personal, business, and community banking services, we continue that mission with the same dedication that defined us at the very beginning.
Become a Member or Call: 801-456-7590
For nearly 70 years, Deseret First has served with purpose: helping families plan, grow, and thrive. Today, with a full range of personal, business, and community banking services, we continue that mission with the same dedication that defined us at the very beginning.