RALEIGH, N.C. – To ensure its local level volunteers remain connected State Employees' Credit Union has recently held a regional strategic planning session and dinner.

Approximately 125 SECU volunteers attended the outreach event including members of SECU's Board of Directors, Advisory Boards and Loan Review Committees.

This regional strategic planning session is just one of many SECU has planned across the State.

In preparation for the meeting, each attendee received a copy of SECU's 2005 Fiscal Year Review and a 2006 Strategic Plan Summary.

The meeting, led by SECU Board Chairman David King, provided an opportunity for attendees to discuss SECU's goals and accomplishments, and offered an open forum for suggestions and comments. During the session, SECU Foundation Chairman Dr. Jim Merrill also shared a report on Foundation funding and projects with the group.

“I found the planning session enjoyable, sincere and far too short. I was so interested in the meeting that time just seemed to fly,” said Fayetteville Advisory Board member Linda Scott. “The folks behind SECU are committed and very knowledgeable. When you can walk into a room and feel at home with total strangers, you know there is much commitment, concern and care for how you feel as a member. It was a wonderful experience.”

Many event attendees serve as Advisory Board members for one of SECU's nearly 200 branches throughout North Carolina. Each branch has approximately eight Advisory Board members and these local level volunteers' suggestions have helped launch a variety of products and services.

One recent example was the creation of a bridge loan to aid State Retirees whose benefit checks were delayed when last minute Legislative changes caused a dramatic increase in the number of employees who chose to retire.

Vicki Honeycutt, an Advisory Board member at SECU's Concord branch, alerted SECU employees and fellow board members to the issue during a local Advisory Board meeting in November 2005.

SECU's Board of Directors and staff responded quickly, and with assistance from the Retirement Systems Division of the N.C. Department of the State Treasurer, the loan program was implemented the same month.

“State Employees' Credit Union member volunteers are vital to the credit union's success. These regional planning sessions provide an excellent opportunity for SECU volunteers to address issues, share ideas and discuss how to better serve the credit union's 1.3 million member-owners,” said SECU President/CEO Jim Blaine. “If credit unions truly want to know what their members need, just give them an opportunity to tell you!”