ALBANY, N.Y. - Calling it the creation of a new "top-tiercorporate," Empire Corporate and Mid-States Corporate announcedthat their merger was finalized on June 30. The new Members UnitedCorporate has $9.5 billion in assets and serves 2,100 creditunions.

Joe Herbst, former CEO of Empire, will lead the new corporate asCEO. Herbst will relocate from Albany, N.Y. to Naperville, Ill.,the headquarters of Members United. Former Mid-States CEO DavePreter is now president of Members United. With any merger of thisscale, how the new board shakes out is always of interest. FormerEmpire CU CEOs make up eight of the 15 board seats.

The makeup is as follows: Terry R. Brahm, (chair) president/CEO,DHCU Community CU, Ill.; John T.Fenton, (vice chair) president/CEO,Affinity FCU, N.J.; Kyle Markland,(treasurer) president/CEO,Affinity Plus FCU, Minn.; Donald H. Briggs, (secretary)president/CEO, NorthEast Alliance CU, N.Y.; Bruce Beaudette,president/CEO, Sunmark FCU, N.Y.; Gail F. Bedell, president/CEO,WCTA FCU, N.Y.; Barbara Berghoff, president/CEO, Professional FCU,Ind.; Lloyd M. Fredendall, president/CEO, NorthStar CU, Ill.; GaryFurtado, president, Credit Union Central Falls, R.I.; Edward J.Gvazdinskas, president/CEO, Heartland CU, Ill.; Andrew L. Jaeger,president/CEO, Credit Union of New Jersey; Louis H. Jimenez, CEO,Montauk CU, N.Y.; Nancy Kasprzak-Whitmore, president/CEO, NiagaraCounty's CU, N.Y.; Ron Linstromberg, CEO, DeKalb Financial CU,Ind.; and Michael Phipps, president/CEO, Evansville Teachers FCU,Ind.