I disagree with Paul Gentile's idea of paying directors (CU Times, Aug. 8).
I have been a volunteer for over 34 years and have seen our credit union grow from $20 million to $600 million and never did I have the feeling that I should get paid for being a part of a great organization, movement, industry or whatever term you want to apply to credit unions in general.
The reason we've been successful is because we did not micromanage. We let our president/CEO and his senior staff run the credit union and they've done a great job in keeping the board and supervisory committee informed and carrying out the policies of the credit union.
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I know from my 34-plus years of experience that many credit union boards, especially at smaller credit unions, not only micromanage, they cause chaos and confusion when they do so. Imagine how much more they would hinder the operations if they got paid.
Many of those who micromanage are self-serving individuals and would be more concerned with their wallets than they would be concerned for the members they are supposed to serve. Other boards that do not micromanage may feel the need to do so because they might feel they need to earn their pay.
Ray Orlowski
Director Emeritus
Harborstone Credit Union
Tacoma, Wash.
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