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Access Credit Union’s people work in their communities

Dana Kinkhead’s job at Access Credit Union is a first in multiple ways. Kinkhead, a business administrator in Access’s business banking team, was the first employee in a newly-created department at the credit union. She’s also the first person on her team to work completely remotely.

Kinkhead, who also owns a farm with her husband, has always worked in rural branches. She first started at Access in 2013 in business banking, focused on agricultural lending. When a position opened up in the credit union’s branch in Lundar, a small town just south of her farm with half-day hours, she moved over. With two young kids and the farm to manage, the part-time hours were a better fit, she says.

When the Lundar branch closed and consolidated with the Eriksdale branch in September 2025, Kinkhead says Access found a way to give her the same worklife balance; even though her new team is based in the Winnipeg business banking office, she works from Eriksdale. The credit union also honoured her part-time hours in her new role.

“I really appreciated that when the time came to switch roles, they looked at me as a human being. It’s nice to feel seen as an employee and as a person,” says Kinkhead, who works with business banking members on tasks like account openings, payments, issuing cheques and changing assignors. “What used to lead to layoffs in some positions they’ve seen as opportunities with the advancement of technology and remote work.”

Access is the largest credit union in Manitoba, the result of a series of mergers among six other credit unions between 2021 and 2023. Darcy Jacobs, Access’s chief people and culture officer, says the financial institution has put a major focus on work-life balance and creating opportunities for hybrid or remote work.

“We’re geographically spread out across the province. Something we always wanted to do was to try to keep people working in the communities they are from,” he says. Jacobs himself is one of the beneficiaries of that philosophy: he’s based in Gimli, former location of the head office of Noventis Credit Union, which merged with Access in 2022.

“I come in and work in the Gimli branch most days, and the rest of our executive team is spread across the province,” he says.

The credit union’s multiple committees help to foster employees’ sense of connection to Access and each other, Jacobs says. The committees — which are co-led by management and employees — include diversity, equity and inclusion, financial literacy, health and wellness, workplace health and safety, A+ sales and service, employee awards and emerging leaders. More than 100 employees participate in at least one.

Jacobs is the co-management sponsor for the emerging leaders committee, which runs a structured mentorship program, hosts casual “mentors and matcha” chats, and is also involved in environmental initiatives.

Kinkhead is one of several Access employees who participates in Each One, Teach One workshops, an initiative by several credit unions to teach financial literacy skills to Canadians, including school children, seniors, first-time homebuyers and newcomers to Canada. She says that across committees and volunteer groups, as well as in the day-to-day, the culture feels very warm and welcoming.

“You get a new employee or switch departments and everybody is just happy to have you be part of the team,” she says. “I do go every now and then into the Winnipeg office, and I’m not somebody they see all the time, but everyone’s like, ‘Oh, it’s so great you’re here.’ Everyone’s happy to see you and willing to teach and share and help.”