No matter how you slice it, 7 17 Credit Union has grown steadily in recent years.
The Warren, Ohio–based institution reported $15.6 million in earnings in 2025, up slightly from $15.2 million the year before. The credit union also now serves more than 124,000 members through 12 branches across Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Portage, Summit, and central Stark counties.
With more than $2 billion in assets and over 300 employees, the credit union has expanded significantly since John Demmler took over as president and chief executive a little more than two years ago, when assets stood at roughly $1.6 billion.
As the organization grows, its leadership is placing increasing emphasis on digital banking capabilities, even as it continues to invest in physical branches and personal service.
In an interview with Tyfone, Demmler said the credit union is putting significant resources into mobile banking, digital payments and real-time payments, as well as family-focused banking services designed for both younger and older generations.
“The industry is rapidly shifting in this area and probably 95% of our ‘transactions’ of the business will be managed digitally in the next two years,” Demmler said.
Still, he said, technology will not replace the human side of banking that many credit union members continue to value.
“Sometimes, however, members want to talk to someone and at 7 17 we will be available in our branches, over the phone, or even over a video call from the member’s cell phone,” Demmler said. “We will be digital but we’ll still be personal, too.”
Demmler said the credit union’s approach is to use digital tools to handle routine transactions while freeing branch staff to focus on deeper financial conversations with members.
“We want our branch staff to have the time and resources to holistically look at members and help them with their personal financial pictures, and ultimately improve their lives,” he said.
Below is an edited version of the conversation.
Tyfone: 717 Credit Union recently surpassed $2 billion in assets. What were the key strategic decisions that helped drive that growth, and what does the next phase of expansion look like for the organization?
John Demmler: The strong growth in the past two years was the result of going back to the founding principles of the credit union: focusing on pocketbook issues that are designed to provide real savings for working families across the state. We revamped all of our products and services with an eye towards lowering or eliminating fees, providing low cost loan options, and paying more for deposits to help savers. Since the credit union is member-owned, we do not have non-“customer” shareholders that we are focused on. Therefore, unlike banks, we are not focused on "earnings-per-share,” but rather we focus on “value-per-member.” This simple idea is transformative. We have also really focused on getting our message out to the broader community. It turns out when you offer amazing products and then talk about them, people hear and want to be part of the 7 17 movement.
Tyfone: Your credit union has talked about a goal of reaching 200,000 members by 2030. What will be the biggest challenges in achieving that level of growth in Northeast Ohio?
Demmler: This is an ambitious goal to be sure, but with the market expansion into Stark, Summit, Portage, Geauga, Columbiana, and Ashtabula counties, we will be dramatically expanding our historical focus on just Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. Summit County alone has more of a population than Trumbull and Mahoning combined.
Tyfone: In a digital-first era, what role do physical branches still play in your long-term growth strategy?
Demmler: Banking is not about transactions, it’s about connections. While you can certainly conduct banking transactions at our branches, they are really designed as “launching pads” into a community. We will focus much more on building out business development, mortgage loan officers, commercial loan officers, wealth management and trust planning, and insurance. We will also use our branches for “coffee and connections,” financial seminars, and other community events. In fact, we will be putting our very first "7 17 Cafe” coffee shop in our Streetsboro branch location.
Tyfone: 717 has completed several mergers in recent years and is planning another with Geauga Credit Union. How do mergers fit into your long-term growth strategy, and what makes a potential partner the right cultural and strategic fit?
Demmler: Just 11 years ago there were 150 credit unions in Ohio and today there are less than 90 credit unions remaining. Each quarter a few more credit unions merge. Given the complexities of the industry, the significant investments that are required in technology, compliance, and member products and service creation, smaller credit unions are finding it difficult to remain independent. 7 17 is squarely focused on the credit union movement as a whole and when we merge with another institution, we do not just incorporate them into 7 17 and forget about everything that the merged credit union has worked on for decades. Rather, we are able to amplify the original mission of that credit union. You see this with our Youngstown City School Employees Credit Union merger from November 2023. 7 17 has never been as active in supporting the residents of the City of Youngstown as we are today after that merger.
Tyfone: Across the industry, many credit unions are struggling with membership growth and demographic shifts. What do you think credit unions need to do differently to attract younger members and remain relevant?
Demmler: Two things: Number one, start with Why—tell your story, your mission, give people a reason to look at the credit union in the first place; And two, create products and services that people want—they simply have to be significantly better than what banks and FinTechs offer.
Tyfone: The NCUA has been signaling interest in regulatory modernization and potential deregulation in certain areas. From your perspective as a CEO, where would regulatory relief make the biggest difference for credit unions?
Demmler: It is not regulatory relief that is the issue (even with the overreach from regulators a few years back). Rather, what is more important is that every player in the financial space—whether those are FinTechs, Cash Advance stores, StableCoin/BitCoin providers, or mortgage brokerage shops—are bound by the same rules of the game as they relate to providing products and services. If credit unions and banks are bogged down in regulation and FinTechs are not, then ultimately it will be much more difficult for credit unions and banks to compete effectively.
Tyfone: Competition from fintechs and large national banks continues to intensify. How should credit unions position themselves to compete in a world where consumers can open accounts in seconds on digital platforms?
Demmler: Two things—first, you have to get yourself to a point where you can open up an account, underwrite and process and fund a loan, all in under two minutes. That is what 7 17 Credit Union is focused on and hope to be at in the next two years. Second, what you offer has to be of good value. Credit unions are supposed to charge less on loan rates and give more on deposit rates than banks. The whole point of the model is to return greater value to members than a bank could. You also have to demonstrate that it matters where you bank. If credit unions focus on building stronger communities with the work that they do, members and the community will want to be part of that. We call it, “Banking with Purpose. Building Stronger Communities.”
Tyfone: The industry continues to see a steady wave of mergers and consolidation. Do you think consolidation is ultimately strengthening the credit union movement, or is there a risk of losing some of the local identity that credit unions were built on?
Demmler: Ultimately the industry will have to consolidate. I do not think there will be any credit unions (focused on growth) in ten years under $1 billion in assets. If you are not $5 billion-$10 billion in 10 years I think you will find it difficult to compete. The credit union movement’s mission of “people helping people” can still advance as long as credit unions amplify the original purpose of the smaller credit unions—demonstrate a community-focused mission and put forth products and services second to none.
Tyfone: Looking ahead five to ten years, what do you think will be the single biggest strategic challenge facing credit unions—and what should CEOs be preparing for today?
Demmler: Unquestionably it will be the digitalization of currency. Forget digital banking and digital payments—if you are not competing there today you’ve already lost. Digitalization of Currency—or creating a new fungible asset other than the U.S. Dollar—will transform the entire industry in the next few years. Put together a War Room to deal with this challenge and make sure that you understand how your credit union will operate and what your value proposition will be to members/prospective members. If you say “member service” is your differentiator, you’ve already lost.
Portland, Oregon-based Tyfone is a leading provider of consumer and commercial digital banking services for community financial institutions. At Tyfone, we believe that as credit unions of all sizes continue to merge and acquire, adopting digital banking technologies becomes crucial in maintaining operational continuity and offering an enhanced customer experience to the acquired users.
