Affinity Plus Named One of Minnesota’s Top Workplaces

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Affinity Plus Named One of Minnesota’s Top Workplaces

2025-06-17 04:05 Last Updated At：04:32

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 16, 2025--

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union (Affinity Plus) has been named one of the Top 200 Workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune for the eighth year in a row. Affinity Plus made the #6 ranking on the list of large companies as a Top Workplace, with a special Best Benefits award that honors organizations offering exceptional employee benefits.

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“Our employees have made it clear that Affinity Plus is more than just a workplace – it’s a community built on trust, purpose and people-first values,” said Dave Larson, President and CEO of Affinity Plus. “Every day, our team is committed to connecting with members and working with one another to build strong outcomes. That dedication is powerful – and it’s what makes Affinity Plus a top workplace year after year. I’m incredibly proud to see our culture continue to earn this recognition from the people who make it thrive.”

Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions measuring engagement, organizational health and satisfaction. The analysis included responses from over 124,000 employees at public, private and nonprofit organizations in Minnesota.

This list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience and its component themes, including employees feeling Respected & Supported, Enabled to Grow, and Empowered to Execute, to name a few.

To qualify for the Star Tribune Top Workplaces, a company must have more than 50 employees in Minnesota. Over 5,000 companies were invited to participate. Rankings were composite scores calculated purely on the basis of employee responses.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That's something to be proud of. In today's market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That's paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

About Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, financial cooperative that puts people first above profits. Members of Affinity Plus receive maximum value through competitive rates, minimal fees, and unique, member-centric products and programs. Established in 1930, Affinity Plus has 34 branches located throughout Minnesota and is owned by more than 280,000 members. Affinity Plus has more than $4.3 billion in assets. Additional information is available at www.affinityplus.org or by calling (800) 322-7228.

In Antarctica, photos show a remote area teeming with life amid growing risks from climate change

ANTARCTICA (AP) — The Southern Ocean is one of the most remote places on Earth, but that doesn't mean it is tranquil. Tumultuous waves that can swallow vessels ensure that the Antarctic Peninsula has a constant drone of ocean. While it can be loud, the view is serene — at first glance, it is only deep blue water and blinding white ice.

Several hundred meters (yards) off the coast emerges a small boat with a couple dozen tourists in bright red jackets. They are holding binoculars, hoping for a glimpse of the orcas, seals and penguins that call this tundra home.

They are in the Lemaire Channel, nicknamed the “Kodak Gap,” referring to the film and camera company, because of its picture-perfect cliffs and ice formations. This narrow strip of navigable water gives anybody who gets this far south a chance to see what is at stake as climate change, caused mainly by the burning of oil, gas and coal, leads to a steady rise in global average temperatures.

The Antarctic Peninsula stands out as one of the fastest warming places in the world. The ocean that surrounds it is also a major repository for carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to warming. It captures and stores roughly 40% of the CO2 emitted by humans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

On a recent day, Gentoo penguins, who sport slender, orange beaks and white spots above their eyes, appeared to be putting on a show. They took breaks from their dives into the icy water to nest on exposed rock. As the planet warms, they are migrating farther south. They prefer to colonize rock and fish in open water, allowing them to grow in population.

The Adelie penguins, however, don't have the same prognosis. The plump figures with short flippers and wide bright eyes are not able to adapt in the same way.

By 2100, 60% of Adelie penguin colonies around Antarctica could threatened by warming, according to one study. They rely on ice to rest and escape predators. If the water gets too warm, it will kill off their food sources. From 2002 to 2020, roughly 149 billion metric tons of Antarctic ice melted per year, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

For tourists, Antarctica is still a giant, glacial expanse that is home to only select species that can tolerate such harsh conditions. For example, in the Drake Passage, a dangerous strip of tumultuous ocean, tourists stand in wonder while watching orca whales swim in the narrow strip of water and Pintado petrels soar above.

The majestic views in Antarctica, however, will likely be starkly different in the decades ahead. The growing Gentoo penguin colonies, the shrinking pieces of floating ice and the increasing instances of exposed rock in the Antarctic Peninsula all underscore a changing landscape.

Associated Press writer Caleigh Wells contributed to this report from Cleveland.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.