LYNCHBURG, Va. – Rick Pillow has been involved with AACUL since2000 when he succeeded Eugene Farley as president/CEO of theVirginia Credit Union League, and served on many of theassociation's committees and task forces. Now he's become chairmanof the association at a time when the credit union industry isfaced with critical challenges affecting its future and leagues'role in disseminating information and providing leadership iscrucial. Pillow was elected chairman of AACUL at the association'sannual meeting in Naples, Fla. He succeeds Paul Mercer,president/CEO, Ohio Credit Union League. Pillow first becomeinvolved with AACUL the year after the association changed its name– Association of Credit Union League Executives – and transitionedfrom what was previously an individual membership organizationcomprised of individual professionals from leagues, to its currentname and form as an association where leagues themselves are themembers and where the focus, he describes is “creating anenvironment conducive to leagues' success and enhancing theirposition as being vital to the credit union industry.” He's alsoseen the issues facing credit unions and leagues evolve as well.“The issues have always been changing, but when you're wrapped upin the leadership part you see the changes coming fast andfurious,” he says. Not surprising Pillow says the one issue thathas been on CUs' radar screen for “as long as I can remember,” buthas lately become more prominent are the banker attacks. “From myperspective, the bankers are more organized than they ever beenbefore. That means that we have to continue to do those thingswe're done in the past, like grassroots efforts and make sure theleagues work closely with CUNA to be sure we're doing everythingpossible to counteract the bankers' efforts,” he says. “This has tobe a full-time effort now, day in and day out. We can no longerafford for it to be a part-time effort by leagues where they canjust come to (CUNA's) GAC, meet with their legislators on CapitolHill, go home and think that's that,” he added. Pillow realizesthere are some leagues that have been more “out in the forefront”than others because of their size such as the California CreditUnion League, “but that doesn't mean all leagues aren't involved,”he said. “They understand they have to provide leadership andsupport to their credit unions in working with CUNA on the federallevel or with their state legislators. We give the opportunity forleagues to share with each other what they're doing so they cantake back what they learn and apply it to their own situation,”says Pillow. The AACUL Chairman continued to state that, “I'venever heard any small league say it's not their problem. When itcomes to advocacy, they understand they have got to be aggressive.AACUL has to make sure it communicates from the CUNA and leaguelevels what credit unions need to do.” Pillow said that's one ofthe key areas for AACUL – “to make sure we embrace CUNA initiativesand drive that down to the local levels.” In addition to the bankerattacks, Pillow said other key issues for AACUL are credit unionconversions to savings bank charters; Unrelated Business Income Taxand the impact on state chartered credit unions; and documentingcredit unions' service to people of modest means. On UBIT, Pillowsaid AACUL's executive board intends to see if there's anythingmore the association can do on the issue. “Unfortunately moreissues are becoming key, but less issues are moving back stage,”says Pillow. The AACUL chairman is aware of some criticism CUNA'staken that it's not proactive enough against banker attacks, butPillow defends the trade association. “There are things going onbehind the scene that CUNA is doing to be proactive that creditunions aren't aware of. Maybe it's our fault that sometimes wedon't let credit unions know well enough what CUNA is doing. I forone like to be proactive, and I think if you talk with leaguesaround the country they'll tell you they want to be too. Butthere's a strategy behind it. The stakes are very high for thecredit union system. You want to do the right thing at the righttime,” he comments. “The bankers are very well organized, and italways seems to be their strategy to divide us between the largeand small credit unions. We have to be careful that we're alwaysupfront with our argument that regardless of a credit union's assetsize our structure is all the same. If you tax one of us, youultimately wind up taxing all of us. It's critically important thatthe credit union system stays together with one voice on this,”Pillow emphasizes. Pillow also stresses that it's “vital” thatcredit unions partner together on initiatives. AACUL, he says, is avaluable part of the three-tier system that includes CUNA at thetop, then leagues, and then credit unions. “We want to help developa strong and vital league system with AACUL serving as the primarysource for cooperative strength and development among leagues. Ithelps credit unions better serve their members,” he says. “I'vealways thought of leagues as being where the rubber meets the road,for things to happen at the state level. The league has always beena substantial part of that,” he says. “AACUL has always activelyrepresented working in conjunction with CUNA and communicating onkey issues of our day in a proactive manner to represent creditunions,” says Pillow. “That's what we've done in the past, and Iwant to make sure that continues.” -

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