Lucy Ito joined NASCUS asits new president/CEO Monday, the Arlington,-Va.-based organizationsaid.

Ito, the former EVP and COO for the California and Nevada CreditUnion Leagues, replaced Mary Martha Fortney, who retired from NASCUS after 22 years ofservice. She served the last 11 years as the association'spresident/CEO.

“I am so proud to have worked with such enthusiastic, dedicatedand dynamic leadership, members and management,” Fortney said in astatement. “Leaving NASCUS is bittersweet, but I am excited aboutwhat the future holds. I wish Lucy all the best in her future withNASCUS.”

Itoserved with the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues for thepast 10 years.

“I am looking forward to leading a great staff and to workingwith the NASCUS Board and Advisory Council to advance the interestsof consumers, safely and soundly, through a robust dual chartercredit union system,” Ito said.

Prior to joining the leagues in May 2004, she served as SVP atthe World Council of Credit Unions where she worked on technicalprograms and legislative and regulatory issues in Central andEastern Europe, Central Asia, Asia, and the Pacific.

Ito earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and Asianstudies from the University of California-Berkeley and a Master ofArts in linguistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Her post-graduate work included research as a Regents' Fellow atthe University of California-Santa Cruz.

She is also a graduate of the CUES Advanced Leadership Instituteat Harvard Business School.

“We believe that the future of NASCUS under Lucy's leadership isbright, and look forward to what she will bring to the association”Stephen Pleger, NASCUS board chair, said.