Volunteers

Ten years ago, the biggest challenge facing small CUs was the need to offer a wider range of services. Today, that concern isn’t on the radar for most small CUs, which make up 70% of the nation’s 8,000 credit unions. READ MORE

Address immigrants’ basic educational needs and the loans will follow. The federal government has asked the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) to help with a study about financial literacy programs that result in non-English speaking immigrants opening accounts rather than relying on “fringe” banking. That request dovetailed with... READ MORE

Urge lawmakers to keep CUs free from needless regulation. Later this month, the Credit Union National Association’s (CUNA) Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) promises to be a pivotal event. More than 4,000 credit union faithful will arrive in town ready to voice several key messages to Congress, including:... READ MORE

A ‘green’ builder who walks the talk. Who: Joni Walker What: Senior VP, Marketing, Missoula FCU Where: Missoula, Mont. How I got involved in my CU’s “green” branch project: I’ve been the “owner representative” of remodel/new construction projects for seven years. When it came time to design this particular branch,... READ MORE

Augustine Kang —known as the father of the Asian credit union movement—died in August. Those who knew him describe Kang as a “man of the world,” “humble giant,” “dear, compassionate man” and “a role model for our lives." By Chris Baker Augustine Kang was a credit union giant but a... READ MORE

William Brown Is your board actively seeking a variety of viewpoints? Focus Develop a board culture that promotes diversity. Encourage structures that reinforce diversity. Board focus: Boards that fail to recruit outside their social circles put themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Wherever crowds of people gather, you’ll find proof of... READ MORE

CUs have held 6% of industry assets for nearly  two decades. Why not more? Dick Radtke Focus CUs’ share of assets among federally insured financial institutions has stalled at 6% since 1992. Alternative capital, some say, could help CUs gain additional market share. Board focus: Is share of assets a... READ MORE

Daniel A. Mica How things get done in Washington—and who deserves the credit. This is a political story about how things get done in Washington—and who deserves the credit. It’s also a story about the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the leagues, and credit unions—and how the credit union movement’s... READ MORE

Steve Rodgers, editor in chief Large banks’ unconscionable practices set the competitive stage for CUs. It’s too bad we’re so focused on earnings because we’re missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That was the opinion of a credit union CEO I spoke with at the National Credit Union Roundtable last spring. He... READ MORE

Meetings can be important team-building, productive, idea-generating opportunities. Or they can be a soul-crushing waste of time. Achieving the former and avoiding the latter involves avoiding these 10 pitfalls, says Kimberly Douglas, president of Atlanta-based [FireFly Facilitation] (fireflyfacilitation.com) and author of “The Firefly Effect: Build Teams That Capture Creativity and... READ MORE