TULSA, Okla. — A pair of credit union volunteers made an unsuccessful try Thursday to win seats on the board of the Oklahoma Credit Union League with one, the former Oklahoma City manager, complaining of the league leadership being shortsighted in failing to recognize volunteer contributions.
"I guess you call it a closed shop," declared Don Bown in describing what he said was CEO influence in picking new board members for three-year terms in an unusual five-way race. Bown, the chairman of Municipal Employees Credit Union of Oklahoma City, had been seeking a second term on the board but lost out in the secret ballot along with another volunteer, Frank Cory, director of Weokie CU of Oklahoma City.
Bown, who served as Oklahoma City manager in the 1990′s, said he was "shocked" the first time he got elected three years ago but was now "disappointed" at failing to win re-election.
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League officials maintained the defeat of Bown and Cory was not necessarily a slap at volunteer representation but a reflection of the candidate makeup with the two apparently splitting the volunteer vote. Moreover, league officials insisted they had gone out of their way to encourage volunteer candidates several years ago by changing arcane rules hindering recruitment of CU volunteers.
"The fact is CEOs simply interact with one another on a far more regular basis so it is natural they might get more votes," said one director on the league board.
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