IOWA CITY, Iowa — Putting an end, at least for the time being,of the Optiva name change controversy, the chairman and twodirectors of the $544 million University of Iowa Community CreditUnion have been re-elected to the CU board surviving a dissidentchallenge at the annual meeting.

“It was a good turnout and we're happy with the support ourboard received,” said Jeff Disterhoft, the president/CEO who formonths has been at the center of a member dispute climaxing Feb 28in cancellation of a change in the CU's name to Optiva CU.

The cancellation came after members voted the brand switch downin a special membership meeting followed by the threats to defeatthe three board members up for re-election at the annual meetingMarch 21.

Re-elected were Eldean Borg, chairman, and directors CharlesMason and Fred Mims, each receiving 650-plus votes compared to thedissident, write-in candidate, Caroline Dieterle. She received 69votes. Her backers included members of Sink Optiva, a group whichbitterly criticized the CU management on blogs and in e-mailsalleging the CU had acted unfairly in voting procedures and wasquietly planning to convert the CU to a mutual savings bank, apoint strongly denied by Disterhoft.

Despite the backing for the director slate during the annualmeeting, the Iowa City CU could still face a future name change.That's because the University of Iowa administration had suggestedin February prior to a much-publicized member vote rejecting Optivathat it “may want to revisit” the issue of the CU retaining theuniversity name in light of its market expansion. The CU operatesin 14 eastern Iowa counties.

Disterhoft cited a Feb. 26 letter on Optiva from the Universityof Iowa General Counsel Marcus Mills. The Mills letter contains“not a demand but you will have to draw your own conclusions,” saidDisterhoft.

A university spokesman the university “has long maintained verygood relations with the credit union” noting the CU received thewinning bid in January to open a branch in the student union and tooffer CU-linked ID/ATM debit cards. The new student union branch isset to open in April. –[email protected]