WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – So many of the people appearing in the pages of Credit Union Times are known for just one thing – the role they play in the credit union industry. But what happens when they're not conducting credit union business? In our new section, Beyond the Job, Credit Union Times will attempt to concisely capture an aspect of the non-work side of credit union leaders. Whether it's mountain climbing or writing poetry, credit union people have all sorts of interesting hobbies outside the office. If you have something you would like included in Beyond the Job, contact the Credit Union Times reporter or editor you typically deal with or call Editor Paul Gentile at (561) 683-8515, ext. 10 or e-mail [email protected]. Please note, color photos, preferably of the person doing one of their off-work activities, should be submitted. * Table tennis is more than just a hobby for Bart Salazar, CFA, COO, MemberTrade Advisory Services, LLC, a wholly-owned investment subsidiary of Empire Corporate FCU. Salazar recently took second place at a national table tennis tournament in Las Vegas sponsored by the U.S. Association of Table Tennis. Salazar started playing table tennis when he was a teenager with his father. As often happens during college, the sport took a back seat to his studies. In the past fives years or so, he decided to get back into the sport as he missed its fast-paced action and intrepid challenges. Salazar competes in about half a dozen competitions a year. He is honing his table tennis skills by practicing about two to three times a week. The next U.S. Association of Table Tennis tournament he has his eyes on is in July in Florida. "When you are competing in table tennis, the next point is all you are thinking about-nothing else matters, that point is the end all," said Salazar. * How high can he go? Climbing is a passion for Shane Saunders, VP of Marketing for Point Mugu Federal Credit Union. Saunders rock climbs every Sunday, mostly at Joshua Tree National Monument in California. Saunders says the wonderful thing about climbing is it exercises the mind and the body. "There truly is nothing that can compare to relishing the view from the top of a rock formation, several hundred feet up, after pushing through fatigue, fear, problems, and doubt to get there," he said. Saunders follows a traditional, "leave no trace," climbing ethic by placing his own removable protection from the ground up. He's also started forays into mountaineering, with an ascent of Mount Hood, ascents in the Sierras, and an attempt on Rainier. Saunders is always looking for climbing partners. Any climbers heading out to Southern California should look him up. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]. * Although raised in the warm weather of Pasadena, California, Credit Union Times Ad Representative John Wiley likes to spend time on the ice, playing ice hockey that is. Having played street hockey for most of his life, Wiley recently, after some prodding from friends, joined an adult ice hockey team. He says he's not the best nor the worst on the team, but is versatile enough to play both offense and defense. "I love playing. It is a great workout and a lot of fun. Although we usually lose, we always have a great time," said Wiley. "Hockey is a sport I would recommend to anyone, but don't go for the fights, it really doesn't happen as much as you see on ESPN," he said. Hockey isn't his only sporting hobby. Wiley is also a former golf pro who still likes to hit the links. Much different than the fast-paced sport of ice hockey, Wiley said playing golf teaches you patience, motor skills and even how to get along with people. * Readers of Credit Union Times are accustomed to seeing the name of our overseas correspondent Donna-Lane Nelson with the headlines of international credit union-related stories about CUs in countries such as Australia, Poland, New Zealand, Ireland or England. But they'd probably be surprised to see her name on the jacket of a novel, "Chickpea Lover" and to learn that the book won first prize at the 1995 Florida Literary Festival. Nelson emphasizes that her first published book is not a cookbook. She describes "Chickpea Lover" as "a woman's story." The book tells the story of Liz Adams, a nursing professor, who is in an unhappy marriage. Through her friendship with the owner of a Middle Eastern food stand, she overcomes the challenges in her life and on the way learns about living up to others expectations. Nelson's short stories and poems have been published in seven countries, and her fiction has been read on BBC World Radio. In addition to "Chickpea Lover," she's written four other novels. A native of Massachusetts, Nelson said, "I knew from the time I was four that I wanted to be a writer. I tried to write orally by adding things whenever I spoke like, `the little girl said laughingly.' " She's currently working on her first mystery novel. Nelson divides her time between her homes in Argeles, France and Geneva, Switzerland. * Jim Oestmann spends all the time he can on the water, whether it's racing his 20-foot C-Skow, an inland lake racer, or lollygagging on his pontoon boat. Oestmann, a Credit Union Times advertising representative, races his C-Skow on Sunday afternoons in Browns Lake located in Burlington, Wisconsin. Winning isn't everything, says Oestmann – just getting out on the water helps him get away from it all and relax.