ALEXANDRIA, Va.-NCUA Board Member Deborah Matz saw her vision for the future of credit unions in action last week when she visited Alternatives Federal Credit Union. In reviewing the Ithaca, New York credit union's initiatives in partnering with government agencies and other sources, Matz said that is what she would like to see more of in the credit union community. She has spoke on the subject at many of her appearances around the country. Matz also met with representatives of the local NeighborWorks group that is working with the credit union to expand and improve member service. The regulator commented, "Partnering is a key element in increasing member service. The programs at Alternative Federal Credit Union are innovative and reach out to all segments of the community. There are many lessons that large and small credit unions could learn from a visit to Alternatives." Matz continued, "Credit unions have a wonderful story to tell on how they are serving members from all walks of life and this is another example of that story." Read more about Matz and fellow NCUA Board member JoAnn Johnson on pages 64-65.