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Credit Union Times (Aug. 24, 2020) - Members Cooperative Credit Union in Duluth, Minn., didn’t plan its technological overhaul around the COVID-19 pandemic, but it turns out the two went well together. While sudden lobby closures over transmission concerns might have been a headache for many, this credit union was ready to pivot. That’s because in 2019, it completed a futuristic branch transformation, allowing it to hold video banking sessions, have members use outside interactive teller machines day and night, and use biometric palm scanning technology to avoid surface contact and tighten security. The aim was to cultivate the same level of service and sense of trust whether members interacted with their branch via their smartphones or by walking through the door, according to Chief Information Officer and COO Janet Vold. Because although the credit union has long invested in technology, she noticed a gap between online and in-person experiences. The branch was traditional before the overhaul, according to Vold, who said it was more about “coming in and doing a task” than anything else. Members would walk in and line up to meet a teller in a room that didn’t feel as open, inviting or modern as it could have.