DULUTH, Ga.–Mike Mercer, who served as president/CEO of Georgia Credit Union Affiliates for more than 30 years and who earned numerous recognitions during his career, including the highest honor one country presents, will retire as of Dec. 31. Mercer currently leads the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, into which the GCUA merged in September 2019.
During his career Mercer has served as board chair for CUNA and the American Association of Credit Union Leagues, and as CUNA noted in a statement, has been a champion for financial products and services that meet the needs of working-class members, such as used vehicle loans for low-credit score borrowers, small value personal loans, and saving programs, mortgages and accounts with few fees and minimum balance requirements.
Awards & Accomplishments
Mercer has been awarded the AACUL Eagle Award, AACUL Farley Leadership Award, Herb Wegner Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award (Mercer’s remarks in accepting the award can be found here), the National Cooperative Bank Stan Dreyer Spirit of Cooperation Award and the Georgia Lifetime Achievement Award. Mercer was also recently inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame.
He has also worked with credit union leaders to create Credit Union House, Cooperative Services, CSCU Shared Service Centers, Credit Union Loan Store, CU Partnerships, League InfoSight and CU PartnerLink.
‘Tireless Advocate’
“Credit unions and the Americans they serve would not be in the place they are today without tireless advocates like Mike Mercer. From his leadership through tough legislative battles to his example of how to bring the best of America’s credit unions to places in need across the globe, his goal has always been to champion the needs of credit union members in as many ways as possible,” said Jim Nussle, CUNA president/CEO, in a statement. “Mike leaves behind an inspiring legacy of service to not-for-profit financial cooperatives that sets an example of what can be accomplished through tireless dedication and belief in making people’s lives better, and CUNA, leagues and credit unions cannot thank him enough for his service.”
Secures Support from Speaker
In 1997, Mercer played an instrumental role in securing support for the Credit Union Membership Access Act from then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who represented Georgia.
“Mike has dedicated his career to helping credit unions succeed. In meeting that goal, he had a tremendous impact on the CUNA/league system. He has held just about every leadership role there is to hold and performed it with distinction. His peers have distinguished him with every award AACUL has to go along with his many other system accolades,” said Brad Miller, executive director of the American Association of Credit Union Leagues, in a statement. “In addition, Mike’s leadership during the recent merger of LSCU and the Georgia League has resulted in a strong, robust organization ready to help credit unions in Alabama, Florida and Georgia succeed in the years and decades to come.”
Presented with Poland’s Highest Honor
In addition to a legacy of service to the American credit union movement, Mercer is well known for having helped develop not-for-profit financial cooperatives around the globe, including after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 when he formed the Poland-Georgia Credit Union Partnership Program, allowing Polish credit unions to learn from their American counterparts.
Poland, which today has more than 2.5 credit union members, honored Mercer with the Knights Cross in 2007, the highest honor the Polish government can award a non-Polish citizen.