ALEXANDRIA, Va. - NCUA's Region III office approved a very large community expansion for Coastline Federal Credit Union in Jacksonville, Fla. in May.

The field of membership covers Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, or St. Johns Counties, and, despite a population of over 1.2 million, the matter did not come before the NCUA Board because the board had approved the same community in November 2005 for JAX Federal Credit Union. The $131 million Coastline already has 792,200 members, accord- ing to NCUA.

In total, NCUA approved three community expansions adding 1.8 million potential members in May and five community charters totaling 1.4 million potential members. Of the community charters, the largest was for Shelby County Employees Federal Credit Union in Memphis, Tenn., which converted to cover an area of nearly one million potential members.

Multiple common bond credit unions are still adopting underserved areas even with the regulatory changes and remaining uncertainty in the courts, but at a much slower clip. Six credit unions adopted eight underserved areas for a total of 399,977 potential members in May 2006. However, this was nothing compared to May 2005-before the American Bankers Association lawsuit-when 25 areas were adopted by 21 credit unions adding nearly four million potential members.

Southeast Financial out of Nashville adopted three underserved areas in Mississippi and Tennessee for over 60,000 potential members.

A small credit union, $876,439 United Workers Credit Union, converted from state to federal charter in May in spite of the recent FOM changes. Additionally, $14 million Community Credit Union in Huntington, Ind. converted from American Share Insurance to a federal credit union with federal insurance. Mid-Town Community Development Federal Credit Union was also approved to a new federal charter in Houston, Texas.

NCUA also approved $122 million Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union in Denver for a TIP charter covering law enforcement in 18 counties.

May was no exception for the steady merger activity among credit unions with 30 mergers taking place, including 22 merged credit unions under $10 million in assets. There were a couple of larger institutions that merged as well in May: $156 million Unified Peabody of Massachusetts said it lacked growth and so merged with $383 million RTN Waltham; and $303 million Kemba Financial took in $131 million Core One, both of Columbus, Ohio, for expanded services. [email protected]