Southland Credit Union is a $1.3B+ credit union that serves more than 70,000 members in Orange and Los Angeles Counties with 11 locations. Operating as a not-for-profit financial cooperative, Southland is dedicated to providing their members with exceptional, comprehensive and innovative financial solutions, delivered with uniquely personal Southland service. For more information, visit SouthlandCU.org.
Financial Institution Background
Southland Credit Union had a strong foundation — deep community roots, a growing membership, and a commitment to providing the best possible service. As member expectations rapidly shifted toward digital-first engagement, Southland saw a chance to evolve their digital banking platform.
“We weren’t broken, but we knew we could do better,” said Chris Burns, EVP & CFO at Southland, “Our members wanted more control, more self-service options, and a better digital experience. We wanted a partner who could grow with us, not another vendor.”
Southland’s previous digital banking platform served its purpose, but as member expectations and behaviors evolved, the team recognized an opportunity to elevate their experience. They sought more flexibility to tailor the platform, stronger marketing capabilities to engage account holders, and expanded their suite of digital banking solutions — all with the goal of creating a seamless, modern digital experience.
What stood out to Southland was the opportunity to go beyond patchwork fixes. Instead, they saw a chance to:
When Southland launched their new digital banking platform with Alkami, the transformation was immediate and measurable.
We went from being hesitant to highlight our mobile app, to proudly featuring digital banking front and center on our homepage. It’s become a key differentiator.
–Michelle Rose, VP of Marketing
Alkami’s card management tools allowed Southland to reduce call volumes and empower account holders with self-directed controls —from freezing and unfreezing cards to managing alerts and security preferences. “It’s control and convenience in one place,” said Jose Loera, eServices Manager.
Other highly adopted features include:
Southland’s investment in digital banking set the foundation for growth by tapping into a platform built to scale. In 2024, Southland completed a merger with another credit union, onboarding 5,500 members and $75 million in assets – with no disruption or frustration. Chris Burns recounted, “that transition to our online banking platform was one of the smoothest ones we had, and we’ve gone through a number of other mergers in previous years. It really wasn’t a question of sticking with Alkami or selecting a new platform.”
Heading into 2026, Southland is preparing to capture even greater efficiencies from collections to support and marketing with new artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools by deploying Eltropy. By leveraging Eltropy’s AI and chat functionality, their goal is to improve member engagement and reduce operational overhead for teams. They also have expanded fraud monitoring and prevention through the use of BioCatch, and will tap into Alkami’s Software Development Kit (SDK) to further tailor the experience to their unique needs. Southland has a continued focus on doing more with less — delivering a best-in-class digital banking platform without growing headcount.
Alkami feels like an extension of our team. They don't just sell a platform or software, they help us solve real challenges. They keep us confident in our ability to stay competitive. With Alkami, we're ready for what's next.
–Jose Loera, eServices Manager
For Southland, Alkami’s Platform was the catalyst for digital transformation and an improved member experience. It gave them an opportunity to serve account holders better, work smarter, and grow confidently into the future.
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