"Getting more volunteers into elected leadership positions in NAFCU and other lobbying groups remains an issue since it was brought up three years ago in Las Vegas. In my view, we really haven't made that much progress, and what I've seen is mostly lip service in addressing the problem. This is an issue that is not going to go away. You notice that we used to have one NAFCU volunteer that was elected onto the board and now we have none."
--From Marlene Schwartz, chairman of State Department FCU, Alexandria, Va.
"We are banking on the fact that they will become gainfully employed again, they will remember the credit union during these times but most importantly, they will remember those that didn't help them."
--Ralph Ruiz, vice president of sales and technology at $300 million FAA First FCU, on a new program that assists members who have been laid off from their airline jobs.
"If he's close, we'll do better than most of prognosticators predict."
--National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.), telling a National Journal/CUNA briefing how the fate of congressional candidates are tied to that of GOP presidential nominee John McCain.
"In his inaugural address, John Kennedy said, 'Here on earth, God's work must be our own.' You here at Eastside Financial Center are doing God's work.''
--U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) praising the work of the center, which is a collaborative project of U.S. Federal Credit Union, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota that provides financial counseling and savings opportunities for low income residents in St. Paul.
