CHICAGO — After an 18-month hiatus, the state has a new credit union regulator, Chicago attorney Robert Meza, who said last week that payday lending and the role CUs play in serving unbanked consumer needs will be among his priorities.

"I just went to a meeting where I heard some interesting statistics from the FDIC on financial institutions reaching out to the unbanked, and so this is one area where I hope to work with the credit union community," said Meza, appointed Feb. 4 by Governor Rod Blagojevich, as director of the Division of Financial Institutions.

Meza, who succeeds a series of acting directors in recent years, told Credit Union Times he looks forward to working with the Illinois Credit Union League on pressing legislation though Springfield lawmakers are not expected to take up industry bills during the session devoted primarily to budget concerns.