Officials say they are still awaiting trademark approval but “early reports are promising”
KCJJ Staff
02/27/19
The University of Iowa Community Credit Union may soon be known as GreenState Credit Union.
The credit union posted the possible name change to its website under its FAQ on the subject on Wednesday after its Board of Directors unanimously chose that name last fall. According to the website, they applied for a trademark on GreenState but are still waiting for final approval, saying “early reports are promising.”
The credit union was forced to change its name by the state last year after lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds approved a bill banning credit unions from including the name of any public university in their name. Under that bill, UICCU had until April 30 to select a new name, with the Board and trademark attorneys sifting through “a few” possibilities.
Per the credit union’s website, GreenState was inspired by the “rolling valleys of farm ground to the trees that speckle” the state’s landscape. They add they didn’t want a name that was “geographically constraining” but would be applicable to the entire Midwest.
A new logo has also been created with a gray circle around a gray tree sprouting green, yellow, and orange leaves.
UICCU was formed in 1938 as the State University of Iowa Hospital Employees Credit Union. It changed its name when it expanded its service to all UI staff and students in 1966 and has been using the UICCU moniker since adding the word “community” in 1988 and opening its services to anyone.
At the time the bill was signed by Reynolds, credit union officials stressed their services will not change but estimated the name change to cost them $2.5 million.