Brent Lister, President & CEO, First Florida Credit Union

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Brent Lister, president and CEO of First Florida Credit Union, about the credit union’s digital expansion, fraud prevention, and the continued role of branch banking. “The trends we are seeing, and I think all financial institutions are seeing, include fewer routine transactions in branches. However, Gen Z, millennials, and other consumers still want to have a branch to go to if they have questions,” Lister said.

What have been the key milestones and strategic developments for First Florida Credit Union over the past two years?

We have really emphasized digital banking and digital access  in our business plan. . In 2024, we rolled out a seamless, self- service account opening experience that allows members to open accounts independently, without employee assistance.It is all automated and digitally processed, so somebody can go online at 3 a.m., open an account within 10 minutes, and have the account funded from another account immediately.

We have some parameters around limits, but we immediately fund that new member with credit for their future deposit through Plaid. We are using fintechs to do this, and we programmed it ourselves. That has helped create member growth opportunities for us, but it is also about ease and convenience for the consumer. That is what we are finding consumers want.

We have also rolled out an online loan application process for our credit card product. Somebody can go online at 3 a.m., apply for a credit card, get approved, go through income verification, and then we digitally issue the credit card. Within minutes of approval, members can use their newly issued credit card through their digital wallet to make online purchases. . We’re advancing our digital platform to deliver faster access to lending, account opening, and account management, meeting consumers where they increasingly choose to engage.

As financial institutions become more digital, what shifts have you noticed in financial products such as consumer lending, mortgages, and small-business financing?

Consumers want the convenience of quick and easy.  Amazon raised the bar, creating expectations that many companies now strive to meet.When you can order something in the morning and have it delivered the same day, the next day, or within three days, that creates an expectation for consumers across most industries.

There is a generational shift, and Gen Z and millennials may adapt to digital quicker than Generation X or baby boomers. However, those other generations are still expecting the same convenience. They may not have adopted it as fast, but they are there.

The trends we are seeing, and I think all financial institutions are seeing, include fewer routine transactions in branches. However, Gen Z, millennials, and other consumers still want to have a branch to go to if they have questions. They may not have an account problem, but they need service, and sometimes it is easier for them to stop by.

DocuSign has simplified the loan process, and during COVID, we adapted to online meetings through platforms like WebEx. Those tools are convenient if the consumer wants them, but consumers are still saying that if they close a loan, they are fine going into a branch. It’s not necessarily only having one channel; it’s having multiple channels.

How are fintechs and nontraditional financial platforms changing expectations for credit unions?

A good example is the checking account. With a checking account, you need to have a debit card. That was not the case 30 years ago, but now it is. Today, if you have a transactional account, you have to have Zelle, Venmo, or some platform within your mobile banking app, or the consumer feels the checking account is not complete. Peer-to-peer payments are now almost a necessity for all accounts, and that is a two- to three-year change.

We are also seeing more fintechs in money handling accounts, such as SoFi and Chime. We are not necessarily seeing a major movement of our members over to those platforms, but the relationship is more fragmented. That is something the traditional financial industry has to keep an eye on: nontraditional financial institutions, the market share they gain each year, and the products and services they offer.

A member may still see us as their primary financial institution, but they might use another service for one product and us for loans, or vice versa. That is a shift in the financial industry: consumers are more willing to split their financial relationship across multiple platforms.

What is one of the biggest challenges affecting the financial industry right now?

Fraud and scams are probably impacting our industry as much as anything. Consumers need to be aware that when we send a security code, they cannot give it to someone who calls saying they are part of our fraud department, Microsoft, or Facebook. Once a bad actor gets access to an account, they move money.

Fraud has been a major trend over the past 24 months, and the industry has to get its arms around it. Legislation may also have to address it. From a credit standpoint, if there is fraud on a credit card, the financial institution takes the hit, not the consumer. But when the consumer gives out their passcode, account information, and security code, at what point does the consumer have to take responsibility and accountability?

We continue to implement additional fraud parameters, but we do not want to restrict credit or account access for our members. It is a shame that tso much fraud is going on, and at the end of the day, everybody loses except the bad actors. We have to protect our members’ information, and our members have to realize that our fraud department is not going to call them and ask them for personal information because we already have it.

How is First Florida Credit Union educating members about fraud and scams?

Communication with members is consistent for us. Whether it is through Facebook, Instagram, email, mobile banking, online banking messages, digital newsletters, or printed newsletters, we always include information about fraud. I do a quarterly CEO update for our membership, and I always include something about fraud in my message.

We also educate our staff on elder abuse. A lot of times, elder abuse is not committed by a stranger. It can be a family member, neighbor, or close friend who takes advantage of someone once that person’s cognitive skills have diminished. We have recently had cases where there was nothing fraudulent about how the access was obtained, but someone used an elderly person’s debit card and account to steal money from them.

Artificial intelligence is another factor. AI can be used by fraudsters, but our fraud detection platforms also use AI to help prevent fraud. Fraudsters may be ahead of the digital curve, but hopefully, we have sped up our learning curve so we are not too far behind.

Looking ahead three to five years, how are you thinking about branch expansion, member experience, and financial literacy?

It is a common strategic conversation for us and part of our strategic planning. It is bricks and clicks. It is a balance.

I do not think we see ourselves as an all-digital institution with no branches. In the credit union space, some institutions have reduced the number of branches, but I think it is a balance. We may not be as aggressive on branch expansion. If we do expand, we have to ask what that branch looks like. We have already shrunk our branch size a little bit. There could be more automation through ITMs, ATMs, and other platforms that can handle routine transactions without requiring a full physical branch.

The workforce has also gone hybrid. Twenty years ago, almost no one other than maybe sales staff worked from home. Our work environment has changed, and how we do business has changed since COVID. We have to continue to evaluate the options and best scenarios.

In Florida, one solution does not necessarily fit the whole state. There are different demographics within the state, and if we expand beyond Florida, we have to evaluate delivery channels based on the environment we are working in and the skill sets of employees we can hire. Staffing continues to be a challenge.

We have slowed down on branch expansion and may retool some of that. I think continuous evaluation is key. The branch delivery channel may change, but it may not disappear entirely.

Is there anything else you would like to emphasize?

I would emphasize engagement with our staff and members, and our culture as an organization. We focus on being one of the best places to work and being rated highly as one of the best credit unions in Jacksonville. Those things are important to us, but it is about engaging with our staff and developing them.

Sometimes organizations focus on dollars and cents or the metrics of success, such as growth. But we cannot get away from understanding that our employees are important to us, and staff development and engagement are important. As a leader, emphasizing staff development and the opportunities around that is important.