PHOENIX — Gary L. Plank, the president/CEO of the Arizona CreditUnion System and a veteran in managing state leagues having servedthe industry 41 years, is retiring next June.

“There's always mixed feelings about leaving this job since it'sbeen a good run for me and for credit unions in my state,” saidPlank who also is chairman of the World Council of CreditUnions.

“Arizona CUs,” he said, “have matured from small cigar boxes tosophisticated financial institutions and now have 1.5 millionmembers.” Besides that, ACUS, one of the smaller leagues, retainssome of the largest CU assets in the country at $8 billion. Interms of seniority, Plank, who turned 65, Oct. 21, ranks onlybehind Gary B. Wolter of the Alabama League in having the mostyears in managing state leagues. Plank has long held top leadershipjobs in CUNA serving as chairman of World Affairs Committeerepresenting World Council and he was a member of CUNA's ExecutiveCommittee and CUNA's Board from 1993-1997. He also is a member ofthe CUNA Audit and Finance Committees.

He has served as chairman of U.S. Central Credit Union, theCredit Union Legislative Action Committee, and the AmericanAssociation of Credit Union Leagues.

His term on World Council will end in July 2007 “so for onemonth I will be retired,” said Plank.

He joined the 62-member Arizona Credit Union System as CEO inJanuary 1997 and previously held the same position at the MinnesotaLeague of Credit Unions from 1983 to 1996. Prior to that, he wassenior vice president and executive vice president with the IowaCredit Union League and also was managing director at the SouthDakota League.

Within World Council, he serves as a director of WOCCU'sWorldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, Inc. and the WOCCU ServicesGroup.

The ACUS Board has hired O'Rourke Career Connections ofBrisbane, Calif. to conduct a search for his replacement, saidLinda Dhaemers, ACUS chairman and president/CEO of Desert EnergyCredit Union of Tucson.

“Finding a replacement for someone like Gary who has that levelof experience and who has made many contributions to the industrywill not be easy,” said Dhaemers. “He will be greatly missed.”

Plank has been a national leader in fostering ties with LatinAmerican credit unions and on that front he was instrumental inestablishing an international partnership with Caja Libertad inMexico.

The agreement was signed in October 2003 on International CreditUnion Day and during International Credit Union day this year agroup from Caja Libertad visited the league.

Plank said his retirement and/or job plans are uncertain, but “Ido plan to spend a little time at Pinetop” a northern Arizonaresort town.