Kaufman joined Melrose Credit Union in 1984 and, in 1998, became CEO, treasurer and a member of the board. On July 5, 2016, Melrose CU’s board removed Kaufman from his position as CEO and, later that year, Kaufman was removed as a board member and secretary for the credit union. Kaufman’s grandfather is described as being “instrumental” in the founding of Melrose CU, and served as the credit union’s CEO and a member of its board until his death. Thereafter, Kaufman’s father became the CU’s CEO, treasurer and a member of the Melrose board. The CU is located in the Briarwood neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It currently has $1.2 billion in assets, down from $1.9 billion just two years ago. Melrose Credit Union was one of several NYC-area credit unions with heavy concentrations in taxi medallion lending that suffered significant delinquencies and losses in the wake of the rise of ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft. The credit union was placed into conservatorship early in 2017.