SEATAC, Wash. — Member credit unions of the Idaho Credit Union League and the Northwest Credit Union Association have voted to merge the trade groups.
The Idaho league had been operating since January of 2017 under a management partnership agreement with the NWCUA.
The merger will officially take effect Dec. 31, 2018, creating a trade association representing over 180 credit unions in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, and several associate member credit unions in Alaska and Hawaii.
“Northwest credit unions, ICUL and NWCUA have demonstrated what is possible in a three-state collaboration,” said Brooke Van Vleet, chair of the NWCUA board and president/CEO of St. Helens Community Credit Uniom. “Together, Northwest credit unions successfully advocated for significant updates to their state and federal Credit Union Acts this year. This merger is a positive step forward along the path we began 18 months ago.”
Meeting ‘Future Needs’
Kent Oram, icul board chair and president/CEO of Pocatello, Idaho-based Idaho Central Credit Union, added, “NWCUA will meet the future needs of Northwest credit unions and their members. Through this three-state, world-class trade association and collaboration with member credit unions, we will continue to advance the credit union movement.”
NWCUA President/CEO Troy Stang said the collaboration “excites a stronger voice regionally and nationally, empowering policy advancement, public awareness, and collective action at the federal level in all three state capitals and on Main Street in every Northwest community.”
Some 6.5 million people — more than 50% of the population — belong to a Northwest credit union.