LYNCHBURG, Va. – Rick Pillow has been involved with AACUL since 2000 when he succeeded Eugene Farley as president/CEO of the Virginia Credit Union League, and served on many of the association's committees and task forces. Now he's become chairman of the association at a time when the credit union industry is faced with critical challenges affecting its future and leagues' role in disseminating information and providing leadership is crucial. Pillow was elected chairman of AACUL at the association's annual meeting in Naples, Fla. He succeeds Paul Mercer, president/CEO, Ohio Credit Union League. Pillow first become involved with AACUL the year after the association changed its name – Association of Credit Union League Executives – and transitioned from what was previously an individual membership organization comprised of individual professionals from leagues, to its current name and form as an association where leagues themselves are the members and where the focus, he describes is “creating an environment conducive to leagues' success and enhancing their position as being vital to the credit union industry.” He's also seen the issues facing credit unions and leagues evolve as well. “The issues have always been changing, but when you're wrapped up in the leadership part you see the changes coming fast and furious,” he says. Not surprising Pillow says the one issue that has been on CUs' radar screen for “as long as I can remember,” but has lately become more prominent are the banker attacks. “From my perspective, the bankers are more organized than they ever been before. That means that we have to continue to do those things we're done in the past, like grassroots efforts and make sure the leagues work closely with CUNA to be sure we're doing everything possible to counteract the bankers' efforts,” he says. “This has to be a full-time effort now, day in and day out. We can no longer afford for it to be a part-time effort by leagues where they can just come to (CUNA's) GAC, meet with their legislators on Capitol Hill, go home and think that's that,” he added. Pillow realizes there are some leagues that have been more “out in the forefront” than others because of their size such as the California Credit Union League, “but that doesn't mean all leagues aren't involved,” he said. “They understand they have to provide leadership and support to their credit unions in working with CUNA on the federal level or with their state legislators. We give the opportunity for leagues to share with each other what they're doing so they can take back what they learn and apply it to their own situation,” says Pillow. The AACUL Chairman continued to state that, “I've never heard any small league say it's not their problem. When it comes to advocacy, they understand they have got to be aggressive. AACUL has to make sure it communicates from the CUNA and league levels what credit unions need to do.” Pillow said that's one of the key areas for AACUL – “to make sure we embrace CUNA initiatives and drive that down to the local levels.” In addition to the banker attacks, Pillow said other key issues for AACUL are credit union conversions to savings bank charters; Unrelated Business Income Tax and the impact on state chartered credit unions; and documenting credit unions' service to people of modest means. On UBIT, Pillow said AACUL's executive board intends to see if there's anything more the association can do on the issue. “Unfortunately more issues are becoming key, but less issues are moving back stage,” says Pillow. The AACUL chairman is aware of some criticism CUNA's taken that it's not proactive enough against banker attacks, but Pillow defends the trade association. “There are things going on behind the scene that CUNA is doing to be proactive that credit unions aren't aware of. Maybe it's our fault that sometimes we don't let credit unions know well enough what CUNA is doing. I for one like to be proactive, and I think if you talk with leagues around the country they'll tell you they want to be too. But there's a strategy behind it. The stakes are very high for the credit union system. You want to do the right thing at the right time,” he comments. “The bankers are very well organized, and it always seems to be their strategy to divide us between the large and small credit unions. We have to be careful that we're always upfront with our argument that regardless of a credit union's asset size our structure is all the same. If you tax one of us, you ultimately wind up taxing all of us. It's critically important that the credit union system stays together with one voice on this,” Pillow emphasizes. Pillow also stresses that it's “vital” that credit unions partner together on initiatives. AACUL, he says, is a valuable part of the three-tier system that includes CUNA at the top, then leagues, and then credit unions. “We want to help develop a strong and vital league system with AACUL serving as the primary source for cooperative strength and development among leagues. It helps credit unions better serve their members,” he says. “I've always thought of leagues as being where the rubber meets the road, for things to happen at the state level. The league has always been a substantial part of that,” he says. “AACUL has always actively represented working in conjunction with CUNA and communicating on key issues of our day in a proactive manner to represent credit unions,” says Pillow. “That's what we've done in the past, and I want to make sure that continues.” -

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