MOSS POINT, Miss. — The lessons have been painful, but in a candid look-back on the eve of the Katrina anniversary, the president/CEO of Singing River Federal Credit Union said last week his $130 million CU has made it through a challenging year in fine shape with surprisingly low delinquency ratios.

“I think it says a lot about the Mississippi work ethic that our delinquency rate has been at a low .15 when our peers are at .65,” said James Smith Jr., who also is chairman of the Mississippi Credit Union Association.

A year ago the headquarters building of Singing River had 20 inches of water in its lobby and within three days of the disaster all three CU offices were open disbursing funds.

On that score, the CU has been particularly proud noting in its July newsletter that “we dispersed up to $500 per member each day, compared with the typical $200 limit offered at other financial institutions in our area.”

Like other Katrina-hit Gulf Coast CUs, the staff at Singing River has worked tirelessly all year revising preparedness plans and that, said Smith, has meant the purchase of a new satellite back-up phone system, cellular air cards and rebuilding a safe deposit platform to protect against flooding.

From now on, “all safe deposit boxes and data processing equipment that were once at ground level have been lifted,” wrote Smith in the CU newsletter, “Currents.”

New generators were installed to provide ATM and teller backup as well as connections to laptop computers, he said.

Property losses were estimated at $500,000 reduced by insurance to a net $225,000, he said.

Singing River, he said, has begun a coordinated and carefully planned gradual preparedness schedule days ahead of any first hurricane threat. “This is something we never did before,” said Smith.

“In the event a hurricane crosses into the Gulf, we will enter a gradual preparedness program that will increase depending on threat levels,” wrote Smith.

In the newsletter, Smith wrote that “after months of work, all of our branches are now back to their original grandeur,” noting also the CU lost only two of is 42 employees, who either relocated or resigned. As MCUA chairman, he said he is proud of the work Mississippi CUs have done to restore viability and member service to high levels. “I am quite proud about the mentality” of fellow CU staffers adding “we've had none of that 'woe, pitiful me' stuff.” The Katrina anniversary will be marked “in reminiscing,” but it is hardly a celebration. For Singing River and other Gulf Coast CUs, their members have demonstrated a profound willingness “to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and move on.”

Instant Insights /

On Katrina Anniversary, Mississippi CEO Lauds 'Work Ethic'

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