As an image booster to the industry described by CEOs as “trulyexhilarating,” defense credit unions and their CEOs got some highvisibility in New York's Times Square by serving as the bellopeners for the NASDAQ stock exchange.

The Wednesday event, marked by hundreds of CEOs and staffersfrom defense CUs taking part and shown on huge jumbotron screens,coincided with the windup of the Defense Credit Union Council annual conference in New York.

“It's really heartening to know how we could get that kind ofexposure in a place where 9 million can receive and notice thecredit union message,” said Gordon Simmons, president/CEO of the $1.9 billion Service CU inPortsmouth, N.H., referring to New Yorkers on nearby streetswatching the broadcast images and hearing the remarks of CU leaderson the big screens.

The chairman of the DCUC, Frank Padak, told the crowds, “It is indeed an honor and aprivilege to stand before you and open today's NASDAQ on behalf ofthe Defense Credit Union Council and its member credit unions,whose daily support of the greatest Americans of all, our troopsand their families – is genuinely without equal.”

Padak, who also is president/CEO of the $755 million Scott CU inCollinsville, Ill, said the DCUC motto of “serving those who serveour country” represents part of the CU culture.

“We are proud to be an integral part of the Department ofDefense family and equally committed to promoting the morale,welfare, and financial readiness of our armed forces,” Padak saidduring the 10-minute NASDAQ ceremony.

Many of the CU executives and conference delegates attending theconference were invited to tour the NASDAQ facility with manyhearing the speech in a studio near the trading floor.

DCUC officials said the event had been planned four or fivemonths ahead “and there was always this possibility we might getbumped if a NASDAQ member wants to do the pre-opening ceremony,”Simmons said. “We were lucky we were able to get on.”

Conveniently, DCUC was holding its annual conference in theMarriott Marquis close by the NASDAQ offices on Broadway “making iteasy for delegates on the last day to walk over.”

The regular speech making was canned for the day to arrange forthe NASDAQ ceremony, the council said, adding it also recorded itslargest attendance ever – 450 – for the three-day conclave.