Using Invitation Checking System®, Ouachita Valley Federal Credit Union turned everyday member interactions into new checking relationships through a more consistent, employee-led approach to growth.
For more than 70 years, Ouachita Valley Federal Credit Union (OVFCU) has served members across Northeast Louisiana while growing into one of the region’s largest credit unions, with more than 30,000 members. OVFCU has long understood that sustainable growth depends on delivering strong member experiences that turn satisfied members into advocates for the credit union.
In 2025, OVFCU partnered with CSI’s Velocity Solutions to implement the Invitation Checking® System and strengthen new member acquisition. The new program allowed the credit union to equip employees with the training, tools, and support to identify new growth opportunities.
Turning Member Conversations into Account Growth
The Invitation Checking System provided OVFCU with a proven framework that combines strategy, targeted marketing, training, performance tracking, and ongoing guidance. But turning that foundation into above-target results required disciplined execution. Jimmy Barfield, Member Experience Manager at OVFCU, helped drive that execution by keeping employees engaged and showing how growth-focused conversations could fit naturally within the credit union’s member-first culture.
Barfield made leading by example a visible part of the program. By spending time in the branches, greeting members, and introducing the initiative himself, he gave employees a firsthand look at how to recognize opportunities and connect them to meaningful member conversations.
“A key part of the approach is leading by example. I’m in the branches every day, so I have the opportunity to greet members in the lobby, ask how they’re doing, and introduce them to our referral program.”
Jimmy Barfield
Member Experience Manager
That hands-on approach extended to coaching and ongoing employee development. Barfield helped employees build confidence discussing the Invitation Checking System and identifying better opportunities as they arose. By sharing those wins, employees gained practical examples they could apply in their own roles, while reinforcing a culture where everyone had a part to play in the credit union’s growth.
The Clear Link Between Leadership and Results
That culture of shared ownership showed up directly in the numbers. During the first four months of the program, OVFCU achieved 134% of its monthly acquisition goal. When Barfield took medical leave during the winter, that average fell to 84%. After his return, the team rebounded to average 156% of its monthly target, a 58% increase that made the connection between his leadership and the program’s performance impossible to ignore.
The dip wasn’t a sign that the framework had failed; nothing about the Invitation Checking System itself changed while Barfield was out. What was missing was the daily reinforcement he provided: the branch visits, the real-time coaching, and the recognition that kept referral conversations top of mind for employees. His return didn’t mean reintroducing the program; it meant employees once again had someone modeling the behavior and holding them accountable to it every day.
That swing made clear how much of the program’s success depended on consistent engagement of leadership with the Invitation Checking System solution. Establishing that connection helped Barfield to think beyond his own day-to-day involvement. He began building that same ownership of the deposit growth initiative into his team.
“People try to control everything, but I want to empower you to own it and use your influence. I have tellers who have been with our company for maybe four months who are program champions right now. People get caught up in tenure and how long somebody’s been here. I look at their ability. I want people who know how to get the job done.”
Jimmy Barfield
Member Experience Manager
Empowering Employees to Lead
By following the Invitation Checking System’s recommendations to empower employees to lead strategy and growth from within their branches, OVFCU created a network of referral champions who celebrate successes, reinforce expectations, and keep referral conversations active every day.
While Barfield continued to provide coaching and track performance, responsibility for sustaining the program became shared across the organization. Managers and staff alike feel a sense of ownership and pride in the credit union’s deposit increase and overall performance.
Building on a Successful Year of Referral Growth
One year after implementing the Invitation Checking System, OVFCU has exceeded its program goal, achieving 111% of its target to date. Accounts acquired through the program are active and profitable, with a first-year close rate of just 1.92%.
With a successful first year behind them, Barfield and his team are now focused on building that momentum.
The results demonstrate the value of pairing the Invitation Checking System’s proven growth strategy with the ongoing support and guidance needed to execute it effectively. At OVFCU, Jimmy Barfield’s hands-on leadership helped translate that framework into above-target results by reinforcing the program’s approach, empowering employees, and keeping referral conversations active across the organization.