LENEXA, Mo. – After four months of discussion, CU Direct, based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and U.S. Central are in what could be the final stages of talks that the CUSO is optimistic will culminate with a signing of an agreement between CU Direct and U.S. Central for the CUSO to lease 250 square feet of space in the U.S. Central building in Lenexa, Kan. U.S. Central Interim CEO David Dickens says there's the potential for expansion of that space in the future. CUDL's Tim Edwards, a west central regional director will head the operation there which will serve seven neighboring states (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri). "We need to have a place to bring CUs in for training and give credit union account reps in those areas a home base. We'll eventually have seven or eight people there besides Tim," said CU Direct President/CEO Tony Boutelle. If the lease contract is signed, the space will become the tenth regional office for CU Direct. The other nine are in: Portland, Ore.; Los Angeles and Sacramento, Calif.; Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; Boston, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; and Salt Lake City, Utah. CU Direct has corporate offices in Rancho Cucamonga and Sacramento, Calif. According to Dickens, no date has been set yet for the signing of the contract.