Gesa commits upward of $75K to Spokane wildfire support

Gesa Credit Union has donated $25,000 and is committing an additional $50,000 to support those affected by the August wildfires that devastated Spokane’s Westside and Northside areas.  

The initial donations went to four local fire agencies as well as other community partners which provided support in the affected neighborhoods, according to a release.  

The additional $50,000 will be from a dollar-for-dollar match for anyone making contributions to the Gesa Community Foundation, with all those proceeds going toward relief and recovery efforts in Spokane.  

Donations can be made online or in person at any of Gesa’s 46 branch locations. The credit union has nine locations in the Tri-Cities.

Banner Bank closes on purchase of western WA bank

Walla Walla-based Banner Bank has officially brought another Washington state financial institution under its wing.  

Banner Corporation recently closed on its purchase of Pacific Financial Corporation, the holding company of Aberdeen-based Bank of the Pacific, in an all-stock transaction. The acquisition means Banner now has about $18 billion in assets.  

“We are pleased to announce the completion of the merger, which expands our presence and density in attractive Western Washington and Western Oregon markets,” said Mark Grescovich, Banner president and CEO, in a statement. “Bank of the Pacific is a highly respected, financially strong community bank with exceptional core deposits making this combination a complementary fit both strategically and culturally.”  

Bank of the Pacific has 18 branches, most of them concentrated on or near the Washington coast, with some around Bellingham and a few in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It has assets of $1.29 billion compared to Banner’s $16.34 billion.   

Banner operates 135 bank branches across four Western states, with four branches in the Tri-Cities.

Idaho-based bank plans new Richland building

An Idaho-based bank with a branch in Richland is planning a building of its own not far away.  

Bankcda is looking to build a new 3,200-square-foot bank and drive-thru with attached 4,000-square-foot vanilla shell suites, according to information in Richland’s permit portal. The project is set for 3680 Keene Road in Richland, an empty parcel on the southwest corner of Queensgate Drive and Keene Road. It’s close to bankcda’s current branch location, which opened at 1950 Keene Road, Suite F100, in late summer of 2025.  

At the time the branch opened, the bank indicated it was looking for a more permanent location in the future.   

Regarding plans for the new building, bankcda confirmed that the bank doesn’t yet own the land, but is under contract and waiting for site improvements before breaking ground – potentially by the end of 2025.  

The bank was founded in 2001 and has six branches, including the Richland location.

STCU provides more than $500,000 for fire response  

Since the Aug. 1 wildfires devastated portions of north Spokane and surrounding areas, STCU members, employees and others have responded generously to the credit union’s appeal for support for fire victims.

The result, when combined with direct contributions from STCU and its foundation, is more than $500,000 in community support. The effort is ongoing. STCU continues to look for ways to support the community while encouraging others to do the same. The credit union has made similar efforts following other devastating fires.

In less than two weeks since STCU sent out its first appeal, more than 380 people have made donations ranging from $5 to $50,000 to STCU’s Here for Good Foundation.  

STCU had pledged to match the first $100,000 in donations, bringing the combined total to $325,117, as of Aug. 19. That money goes to Innovia Foundation’s Spokane Complex Wildfire Response Fund, which provides direct support to community organizations involved in fire relief and recovery efforts.

More than 300 people have donated $100,000 to the STCU Help2NW account, a collaboration between STCU and KREM 2 News, which support the American Red Cross to help in fire impacted areas across the state.

WaFd Bank to merge with Florida-based financial institution

Seattle-based WaFd Bank is about to expand its footprint and get a new name. 

The 109-year-old bank’s parent, which maintains a branch in Kennewick, will merge with the parent company of Jacksonville, Florida-based EverBank N.A., according to a release. 

Under the merger’s terms, EverBank Financial Corp will merge into WaFd, Inc. However, the new publicly-traded company will use the name EverBank Financial Corporation and rebrand its branches as EverBank N.A. 

The banks are awaiting regulatory approval of the merger, which is expected to be completed in early 2027. 

“This opportunity to partner with EverBank is an elegant fit, and it allows us to carry forward the ethos of WaFd and deliver improved returns for our shareholders,” said Brent Beardall, WaFd’s CEO and vice chairman, in a statement. “Both banks bring exceptional credit quality and strong capital to the partnership. We complement one another in several key strategic priorities. Collectively, I have no doubt that we are stronger together.” 

Bank officials anticipate the merger will improve profitability while also allowing both banks to continue their transition to commercial banking and away from residential and consumer banking. It will also allow WaFd to further advance its goal of providing wealth management services.