WASHINGTON–Four league presidents shared their views here on what the merger of CUNA and NAFCU to create America’s Credit Unions means to them.
During a session titled “Celebrating the Credit Union System,” sharing their views were Gerry Singleton, president and CEO, Montana’s Credit Unions; Caroline Willard, president and CEO of the Cornerstone Credit Union League; Juan Fernandez Ceballos, president and CEO of the Louisiana CU League; Melia Heimbuck, president and CEO of the Credit Union Association of new Mexico, and Patty Corkery, president and CEO of the Michigan CU League
Singleton acted as panel moderator.
Here’s a look at what the panelists had to say.
Caroline Willard
I spent 11 years with Co-op and I took Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) (co-sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act) to task over his ill-conceived bill. I told him introducing an untested payments (system) was a really bad idea. I do think we need to poke and prod. We’re not going to change Roger Marshall’s mind. But we have circled the wagons around Roger Marshall and made him uncomfortable.
That’s part of our job as league presidents is to make them uncomfortable.
Juan Fernandez Ceballos
“I’m really, really excited about the two associations coming together for what that promises, for what that could mean, about speaking with one voice and being united.
I’ve been in credit unions for 20 years, and there are times we have not all been speaking with one voice when we go to the Hill, and that is critical.
Right now, some of our credit unions are struggling. I want to see a movement that leaves no credit union behind, one that comes together to provide the resources smaller credit unions need not just to survive, but to thrive and grow.
There has been a lot of consolidation, but as a movement we are not growing the way we should be. There are plenty of underserved communities that need the power credit unions provide.”
Melia Heimbuck
“What I love is that all of us will get to work together a little more closely. We are all in this together. When it comes to advocacy, state or federal, we have credit unions in this room that are participating with multiple of (our associations). America’s Credit Unions as one voice allows our states to work together more closely. Our credit unions get to work together. This gives us one direction to move in.”
Patty Corkery
“I’m especially excited about the collaboration piece. We’ve heard that before. We have individual state leagues and regional leagues and it’s all great, but if we’re in the business of leaving anyone behind that is not the business we want to be in.
It's March. The part of the echo chamber I grew up with (the meeting was themed “Echo Chamber”), and lot of the women will recognize this, is that there is not enough room at the table for all of us, and women became our competitors. That part of the echo chamber for women has proved to be bullshit. We are here to support one another.”
Corkery encouraged everyone in the audience to think of a woman who has made a difference in their lives or careers and to reach out to them and let them know about that difference that was made.”
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