As this is my last official deadline as editor/publisher of Credit Union Times, I want to fill in the details on some housekeeping issues as this publication moves forward and continues to be the top publication serving credit unions.

- Filling Shoes. The search is on for a new editor to take over for me on the editorial side. Management is casting a wide net to find a top-notch editor with the knowledge and expertise to keep the Credit Union Times' editorial product the best in the business. This is a major role to fill, so management is doing an exhaustive search.

In the mean time, the publication won't miss a beat as Senior Washington Reporter Sarah Snell Cooke takes over as interim editor during the search for a permanent editor. Sarah has been on the editorial team for seven years, and is a highly respected credit union journalist. Her primary beat is Washington, D.C. where she consistently delivers comprehensive reporting on the political hotbed that is D.C. She is a true professional and I have complete confidence she will get the job done.

On the publishing side, the search is also on for a full-time publisher to assume the publishing duties. During the search, John Whelan, vice president and executive group publisher for Highline Media, the parent company of Credit Union Times, will serve as interim publisher. Good luck John.

- Non-Interest Income Conference. Our dynamic Non-Interest Income conference scheduled for Dec. 13-14 in Orlando, Florida looks to be a blockbuster. Attendees are growing every week and the impressive lineup of speakers will certainly deliver a must-attend event. I have been excited about this event for months. I believe credit unions must develop solid streams of non-interest income to offset some of the economic pressures they face in their traditional product lines. I was originally scheduled to moderate, but Sarah will step in and facilitate.

Interestingly, our keynote speaker is Wescom CEO Darren Williams who is a newsmaker this week. (See story, page 1.) Wescom's tech CUSO, WesCom Resources Group, is acquiring Pennsylvania State Employees tech CUSO eCU Technologies. The two CUSOs represent a bit of evolution. Each was born out of the credit union's tech expertise. Wescom and PSECU are leaders in technology innovation and they decided to share that expertise by creating technology CUSOs that could bring their innovations to other credit unions.

Williams is just one of the great speakers scheduled for Non-Interest Income. Just a few of the others include CSCU President Bob Hackney, Credit Union of Colorado CEO Terry Leis, Michigan State University FCU CEO Patrick McPharlin, Member Business Lending CEO Kent Moon and a host of others. For more information visit http://www.cutimes.com/events/noninterest.

- Awards Time. Credit Union Times is set to begin accepting awards for its third annual awards program. The CUT Awards are unlike any other in that winners are not announced until the evening of the awards presentation, held in conjunction with CUNA's GAC.

Six awards will be given out. They are for the following categories:

Individual Awards

- CEO of the Year

-Volunteer of the Year

-Information Technology Executive of the Year

-Marketing Executive of the Year

Institution Awards

-Outstanding Political Action

-Outstanding Service to the Underserved

Visit the Credit Union Times Web site for more information and to download an entry form. Good luck!

- Vendor Calendar. On another programming note, the annual vendor calendar will be published in our first issue of 2008. Now is the time for vendors to submit their meeting and event information so they are included in this valuable resource.

Submissions can be made via the Credit Union Times Web site. Your calendar submissions should include: who is holding the event, when and where it is taking place, and contact information for more details. There is no charge for submission. The calendar will be published in the Jan. 9 issue. It will also be posted on the Credit Union Times' Web site, which is updated throughout the year. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 28.

- That's All Folks. That's it for me for page 14. It's truly been a pleasure filling this column space each week. I technically wrote my farewell column two weeks ago when news of my appointment to the president/CEO position at the New Jersey Credit Union League broke so I won't belabor the point. I would love to comment on some of the latest news events, as I think there have been some interesting new developments, but I will leave that to my successor. Until one is named, this column will rotate with industry leaders.

I believe that page 14 is a sacred space so to speak. It is the one area where this publication can show true opinion and provide subjective insight and analysis of credit union events. As always, it is one person's opinion, not that of the publication.

I will miss working with this terrific staff and wish them well as I said in my farewell column in the Nov. 21 issue. I do want to thank some gone but not forgotten staff members who were with Credit Union Times in the early, formative days but have moved on to new, successful careers. It was with these folks that Credit Union Times really took shape and grew into what it is today. Thanks to former advertising manager Laurie Sorrentino, former production manager Mike Reinhardt, former editor Elaine Barr, former circulation manager Tina Spence, former controller Kathleen Naas and of course to former publisher and founder Mike Welch. I'll never forget the early days!

–EDITOR'S NOTE: My new contact information at NJCUL is [email protected], 609-448-2426, ext. 106.