Several years ago my wife and I decided that it was time for me to change careers. While I enjoyed life as a businessman, I was always drawn to nonprofit work and working for the benefit of others. With this in mind I did some research, and it turned out that the credit union industry was a natural fit.

I was drawn to two main core concepts: the first, that our movement is about empowering people to be financially secure regardless of their socio-economic status, and the second, that this industry views itself as a movement. That indicates that this is an industry in which leaders would be willing to think beyond the conventional and also to fight for the best interests of the people that were entrusting them with their financial well-being. In other words, that this industry is, as all movements are, led by activists.

As many people may know, Commodore Perry Federal Credit Union has had a difference of opinion with the NCUA regarding a past examination. That issue has been mostly resolved, but a related and possibly more important issue to our industry has gone relatively unnoticed. As one credit union CEO stated, "Why would you question the NCUA when you cannot possibly hope to win?"