Arizona Financial, formerly Arizona Federal, is a $3.3-billion, not-for-profit, Arizona-based credit union providing consumer and small business banking services and expertise to more than 160,000 member/owners. Founded in Arizona in 1936, the credit union empowers members to take hold of their financial future through the delivery of leading-edge self-service tools and mobile apps, competitive rates on loans and deposits, robust home loan solutions, identity protection services, and SBA and commercial loans. Arizona Financial has a history of local community involvement and is the naming rights sponsor of the LiveNation downtown Theatre venue and exclusive credit union partner of the Phoenix Rising FC. The credit union has 20 locations in Arizona and is part of the CO-OP network that gives members nationwide account access at 5,000 credit union branches and 30,000 ATMs.
Arizona Financial is proud to announce Chad Forkenbrock as its new EVP and Chief Operating Officer. Forkenbrock has been a member of Arizona Financial since childhood and has worked with Arizona Financial for 20 years, starting his leadership journey as a branch manager who contributed to strategic discussions with insight from member interactions and observations. As the credit union expanded service offerings and membership, Forkenbrock continued to enhance the delivery of services and expertise throughout the branch network as the senior director of Retail Services, then took on the role of vice president of Lending, SVP of Lending and then SVP and chief risk officer before assuming his current role.
Forkenbrock’s COO role is a return to the retail space he enjoyed for many years, and he is eager to expand services in territories new to the Arizona Financial organization. Arizona Financial has expanded its reach and charter to serve the State of Arizona, enabled by the acquisitions of Pinnacle Bank in 2019 and Horizon Community Bank in 2022. Seeking to expand service locations and offerings to previously underserved areas, Forkenbrock’s goals include redesigning processes to meet member needs and creating more access to business and consumer credit through initiatives such as a first-time borrower program and the credit union’s SBA lending program. Ensuring relevancy in the services the credit union offers and that they are delivered effectively is more important than ever in today’s constantly changing financial services environment. Forkenbrock is confident the credit union has the right sales team and experts in place to make its offerings competitive and wants to enhance its product suite to address that.
Forkenbrock notes the support and mentorship he has received over the years as well as the current Arizona Financial leadership as part of his excitement for this next stage, saying Arizona Financial empowers employees to achieve their career goals. In this spirit, Forkenbrock is dedicated to mentoring others, foremost as the executive sponsor of the Young Professionals (YoPros) employee resource group.
Forkenbrock is one of 12 members of the Issuer Payments Council of Pulse, the debit processing wing for Discover that discusses trends and consumer needs to proactively address the evolution of the industry.
He resides in Mesa with his wife, Genevieve, and children Payton and Connor.
About
Banker of Excellence: Chad Forkenbrock
Position: Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Company Name: Arizona Financial Credit Union
Main Local Office Address: 4475 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, AZ 85008
Phone: (602) 683-1000
Website: arizonafinancial.org
Number of Offices in Arizona: 20
Year Established Locally: 1936
Headquartered: Phoenix
No. of Years with Firm: 20
Industry Expertise: Credit Risk, Consumer and Business Services, Lending, Retail Branch Management
