SAVANNAH, Ga. – On an autumn day in 1976, 27 credit unionpresidents met in Orlando fueled by frustration over the perceptionthat their needs were not being met at the former SoutheasternRegional Presidents Conference and the idea of a roundtableexchange served as outlet to be heard. That forum remains intact tothis day for the National Association of Credit Union Chairmen(NACUC), which held its Roundtable Forum Oct. 5-7 here. More than150 chairmen, directors and board secretaries attended as theremnants of Tropical Storm Tammy moved away from the area. The 29thannual Roundtable Forum included informal, very interactive andspirited discussions on strategic planning; community charters;fraud policies, and ethics and governance. Attendees alsoparticipated in an open topic forum where a number of timelyindustry issues were on the table including converting to mutualsavings banks; 457(f) plans; volunteers serving on state league andnational boards; and member business lending among others. Goingback to its early days, the association started as a forum foraddressing a multitude of products and service issues of the day,culminating with an annual roundtable gathering that promised anatmosphere where “everyone had equal say” and “egos were checked atthe door.” NACUC got its start on November 13, 1976 and in February1978, articles of incorporation were filed in Alabama establishingthe group to serve credit unions with $20 million or more in assetsas “regular members” and those below that threshold as “associatemembers.” The association was originally known as the NationalAssociation of Credit Union Presidents (NACUP) but in 1993, membersvoted to change to its current name. That same year, members votedto do away with the asset restriction and now credit unions fromall walks of life are welcomed. NACUC has grown from 27 members in1976 to more than nearly 200 members today. Its mission remainsclear: to provide credit union chairmen with “unique” educationalforums and networking opportunities designed to develop and improvetheir leadership skills and expertise. NACUC's Roundtable Forum hasbeen there from the beginning. It was previously known as the “IdeaExchange,” where members gathered once a year to problem-solve,exchange ideas and hone in on what worked and is working at theirrespective credit unions. According to NACUC, seven topics areselected to be discussed in a 10-person roundtable format. Eachparticipant rotates through the seven topics, seldom sharing thesame room with individuals present in previous sessions. Thisformat was adopted by Jake Watson, a volunteer from Maxwell-GunterFCU, who got the idea from a U.S. Air Force school. “We are astrong collective force and are better served with advice anddirection from our own members rather than from the `experts'outside the industry,” said Charles Smith, NACUC chairman andchairman of $180 million First New York Federal Credit Union. As oflate, NACUC has encouraged the idea of volunteers serving onnational boards. “There is a growing concern that volunteers arenot proportionally represented at the national level withdecision-making bodies,” Smith said. “We are partners in themovement and as such, deserve to have our collective voice heard.”Each June, members are also invited to attend a leadershipdevelopment seminar to pick up tips on effective team building;financial analysis; managing conflict; motivating others, and more.NACUC publishes a CEO salary survey each year; Exchange, aquarterly newsletter; and a membership directory that also listschairmen with special expertise in a number of areas. Theseindividuals have agreed to be part of the NACUC's Chairmen'sConsulting Network and encourage other NACUC members to call onthem for advice, information and assistance. NACUC will meet inHawaii next September for its 30th annual Roundtable Forum. -

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