February 25, 2025 — Marist University and Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU) have launched Marist Red Fox Financial, a student-powered credit union that combines experiential learning with valuable financial services for the Marist community. This initiative provides students with hands-on experience in financial management, marketing, human resources, and operations, while offering workshops, events, and seminars hosted by HVCU. The branch opens for business tomorrow at noon. 

Staffed by student “relationship advisors,” Monday through Friday between noon and 5:30 p.m., the credit union—located on the first floor of Marist University’s Dyson Center near the north entrance—operates as a student-powered organization. Many students working at the branch are members of the University’s Red Fox Financial Club and employees of HVCU. They will be gaining valuable hands-on experience by opening accounts, facilitating transactions through a cashless model, and collaborating with HVCU leaders on real-world financial projects, all while promoting financial literacy and leadership within the Marist community.

ATM now available outside Marist Red Fox Financial in the Dyson Center. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

“This partnership with Hudson Valley Credit Union is a testament to the power of experiential education,” said Dr. Will Lamb, Dean of the School of Management. “Marist Red Fox Financial is more than just a credit union—it is a student-led enterprise that fosters leadership, decision-making, and financial literacy. It offers our students a unique chance to apply their business and financial acumen in a hands-on environment while directly impacting the financial well-being of our campus community.”

HVCU will oversee banking operations, while the club will assist in managing the branch's day-to-day activities.

“Hudson Valley Credit Union is very proud to be part of the exciting things happening at Marist University,” said Rick Lionhood, HVCU’s Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer. “Our unique and innovative partnership to create Marist Red Fox Financial offers students valuable real-life financial services experience as well as skills to benefit them in their future careers. We look forward to serving the entire Marist community at the new Dyson Center location.”

Marist Red Fox Financial will be open to all members of the Marist community, offering a wide range of financial services. These include savings, checking, and money market accounts, as well as other account options. Additionally, loan and credit services, along with digital banking solutions, will be available. While the physical credit union branch is fully operated and managed by HVCU, it is open to all Marist University students, staff, faculty, and alumni. All of it will be powered by a group of Marist students and catered to the campus community.

Jackson Willis '25 and Layla Keen '25 inside the new Marist Red Fox Financial office in the Dyson Center last week. Photo by Anthony Proia/Marist University.

“Each committee chair on our board works with a subject matter expert at HVCU, who assigns them projects to complete,” said Jackson Willis '25, co-founder and president of the branch and a business administration major with a concentration in finance. “Beyond managing the branch’s day-to-day operations, one of our main goals is to promote experiential learning. We want students not only working at the branch but also engaging in club projects connected to it.”

“Our primary goal is to make this credit union accessible to the entire campus community while also creating a space where students can open accounts and, more importantly, understand the importance of financial literacy,” said Layla Keen '25, co-founder, Financial Literacy Chair, and a business finance major with minors in economics and psychology. “Ultimately, I hope this initiative helps students build a strong financial foundation and serves as a valuable resource for everyone on campus.”

This credit union will be the latest in unique experiential learning opportunities at Marist University. Last fall, Saxbys opened its first cafe in New York state inside Marist’s Dyson Center leveraging its Experiential Learning Platform (The Saxbys E.L.P.), a network of cafes designed for and run by students.

Interested in becoming a Relationship Advisor? Click here to apply.

For questions or more information about the Marist Red Fox Financial Club, please email: maristredfoxfinancialclub@marist.edu.