KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Carl Barnes, former chairman of CUES and retired president/CEO of Knoxville TVA CU, died Oct. 26 from complications from cancer. He was 80 years old. Barnes, a native of Corinth, Miss., was hired at KTVACU as manager Dec. 4, 1961. That title was later changed to president/CEO, and he retired from that position Jan. 4, 1982. He served on the CUES Board from 1968-1970 and was chairman from 1969-1970. Barnes was heavily involved in th 1970′s with credit unions' fight to offer share draft services and was described by Tom Gaines, president/CEO of the Tennessee Credit Union League, as being "the driving force behind the formation of the State Credit Union Share Insurance Corp.", a credit-union owned private deposit insurance company that was one of only two in the country that was designed to be a multi-state provider. The company provided private share insurance to state-chartered credit unions in Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Indiana. In the early 1980s, State Credit Union Share Insurance Corp. changed its name to Mutual Guaranty Corp. "because it was shorter," quipped Gaines. Gaines met Barnes, who was chairman of State Credit Union Share Insurance Corp., when he interviewed and was hired for the position of CEO of the company. When the insurance company was formed, state-chartered credit unions weren't required to be insured. At the time, Gaines said credit unions in Tennessee were predominantly state chartered. "Carl was a very strong manager and had a strong personality. He was definitely a leading force for credit unions and the dual-chartering system in Tennessee," said Gaines. He added that, "We knew Carl was smart, so we always wanted his input. He was equally as forceful with people he agreed with as with those he disagreed with. Whenever a policy issue came up, Carl took the leadership position. He knew the state's regulators and carried credit unions' message to them." Funeral services for Barnes were held Oct. 29. Barnes is survived by his wife Elettye, a daughter, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. -

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