ODESSA, Texas -- A strong turn out from employees of the $115 million First Basin Credit Union and their families and friends enabled the CU to retain three board members who could have been replaced by candidates supported by members displeased with the credit union's attempt to convert to a mutual bank, according to local press accounts and members who attended the meeting.

The credit union declined to identify the board members who could have been replaced until the meeting began and, in the end, revealed that CEO Shem Culpepper, Board Chairman Annette Snowden and board member Julian Beseril would stand for reelection.

According to local media accounts, which members agreed with, roughly 500 people attended the meeting and 414 voted. Of those 414, each of three incumbents received more than 300 votes.

Danny Armstrong, one of the candidates from Save First Basin who is the husband of a vice president at another CU in the area, reported that many of the members were very surprised to discover that Shem Culpepper was on the board.

"We arrived expecting to vote on three board positions from a seven member board, with the other four sitting out because this was not their year," Armstrong explained. "I was floored when I found out that Culpepper is on the board. It turns out there were eight board members after all."