Give Crear the Chance he Deserves

While I appreciate the interest Mike Welch showed in the new leadership at the World Council of Credit Unions in his June 8th column, I take issue with several points that were made with respect to new CEO Pete Crear, and the signal that his elevation sends about the organization. I am a longstanding supporter of WOCCU. I have also, over the years, seen areas where WOCCU could have done things differently and built more support around the world for credit unions. But to suggest that Pete Crear is somehow less well suited to be CEO simply because he worked closely with the organization while at CUNA, knows its strengths and weaknesses, and has a first-hand idea of where to take WOCCU over the next few years, is unfair and sells both Pete Crear and WOCCU short. The World Council is a valuable ambassador for the credit union movement across the globe. In that light, there’s ample evidence that Pete Crear’s longstanding involvement with WOCCU, and his breadth and depth of experience here in the U.S., makes him the right man for the job. Too bad that Mike Welch tried to turn Pete’s obvious assets into a liability. Dennis A. Cutter President Numerica Credit Union Spokane, Wash.