As the wind and rain approached, the $197 million CU's staffdecided to use the emergency notification system it has had forabout two years to send e-mails to 3,000 of the 15,000 members ithas throughout the Keys, letting them know the branches would beclosed but that all electronic services--ATM, online andphone--would remain up and running as long as possible.

The alert system is from DigitalMailer, a suburban Washingtonprovider of e-statement and alert services to about 125 creditunions.

Ron Daly, the company's founder and president, said the systemreplaces phone trees and paging systems with automatic e-mail andtext messages.

"In an emergency, traditional communication methods may not beaccessible or reliable," he said. "But with e-mail and text,members can access messages on their laptops or mobile phones. Itdoesn't negate the need for recording phone messages or posting Website notices, but it certainly enhances the effectiveness ofcommunications and gets the word out quickly."

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Enterprise Car Sales Will Make NCUF Donations to Mark CUAppreciation

ST. LOUIS -- As part of Enterprise Car Sales credit unionappreciation month, Enterprise will make a donation to the NationalCredit Union Foundation for every used vehicle purchased by creditunion members and employees during the month of September.

For each purchase Enterprise will donate $25 to the NCUF. Thisis the third consecutive year that Enterprise has made a donationto the NCUF during its credit union appreciation month. Also everyused vehicle that is purchased by a credit union employee will comewith a $350 prepaid gas card.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for credit union employees tobuy a great used vehicle at a great price, while helping to raisefunds to benefit the national Credit Union Foundation," said BrookeGilchrist, national marketing manager for Enterprise. "Credit UnionAppreciation Month is Enterprise's way of saying thank you to thethousands of credit union employees who provide excellent serviceto their members every day."

Enterprise has more than 120 makes and models of used vehiclesthat are priced below Kelley Blue Book, according to the company.Each vehicle undergoes a 109-point inspection by an ASE-certifiedtechnician and is backed by a seven-day return policy.

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UFCU Helps Scammed Homeowners

AUSTIN, Texas -- University Federal Credit Union came to the rescueof 11 local families who fell victim to a mortgage scam that keptownership in limbo. The $894 million SEG-based cooperativefinalized the fixed-rate loans Aug. 15.

The high-profile scheme caught the eye of Texas Attorney GeneralGreg Abbott, who successfully sued Robert L. Flores and a companyhe operated, Galindo Trust. Flores, which targeted native Spanishspeakers, some of whom lacked Social Security identification orother documents normally required for home loans.

Flores sold the victims homes he bought as a group from a healthcare organization, which financed his purchase. Flores then re-soldthe homes but did not tell the buyers of the pre-existing liens heowed. The homes were financed using a contract for deed, a devicethat allows the seller to collect a down payment and monthlypayments but not deliver ownership to the buyer until the contractis paid in full. Flores also collected for taxes and insurance butfailed to make the payments.

Permanent injunctions with civil penalties totaling $1.4 millionwere ordered against the defendants in May of last year.

UFCU got involved when employee Monica Mu??oz learned of thesituation and alerted the credit union. Though pending legal actiondelayed refinancing, Spanish-speaking mortgage lending officerYvonne Lopez-Noack met with the victims right away to discuss thesituation and calm their fears.

UFCU will now provide fixed-rate mortgages and a property deedto the homeowners and will escrow funds for taxes and insurance fortimely payment. Closing costs for the new mortgages can be added tothe loans to avoid any cash expense to the borrowers, and thecredit union's insurance CUSO will review homeowners' insurancepolicies.

The homeowners will pay only the balance actually remaining owedto the original lender on their individual homes followingforeclosures that were part of the Attorney General's legal actionagainst Flores and Galindo Trust.

"Part of a credit union's mission is to help people of modestmeans," Lopez-Noack said. "These people made a down payment andpaid their monthly installments in good faith, and they deserve toenjoy the benefits of homeownership. We're thrilled to be able toassist them as a public service."

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Pentegra Retirement Services Expands

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Three subsidiaries of Retirement System GroupInc. were recently acquired by Pentegra Retirement Services, aprovider of retirement products and services and a NAFCU preferredprovider.

Pentegra said it bought Retirement System Consultants Inc.,Retirement System Investors Inc. and RSG Insurance Agency for anundisclosed amount. RSGroup, the holding company, has agreed topurchase RSGroup Trust Co. and Retirement System Distributors Inc.,the remaining subsidiaries of RSGroup, pending regulatory approval,according to Pentegra.

Clients of RSGroup will continue to be serviced by theiraccustomed team. RSGroup operations and personnel will operate outof their New York and Shelton, Conn., locations and Pentegra'sWhite Plains, N.Y.-based headquarters.

In 2006, NAFCU added Pentegra to its list of preferred partners.The company offers a number of retirement plans and manages $4.5billion in defined compensation and defined benefit plans.

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Advocacy Added to CUNA Curriculum

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Aiming to create more activists forlegislative duty, the Southwest CUNA Management School addedsomething new this summer to its curriculum: "Advocacy Rocks."

The catchy title for the special class was employed to heighteninterest by CU leaders on the latest challenges and hot topicsconfronting the industry ranging from the Treasury Blueprint forregulatory consolidation to banker attacks.

"Given the increased political pressure on the credit unionmovement, the leadership at the SCMS wanted a class, different fromthe past, that would inspire industry leaders into credit unionactivists," said the Texas Credit Union League, which conducted theCUNA-run two-week school on the campus of Texas ChristianUniversity.

Leading Advocacy Rocks, which included role playing and hands-onexercises to meet and confront lawmakers, were James Phelps, theleague's grassroots director, and Winter Prosapio, communicationsdirector.

"This was an especially good class for me since it gave meexposure to an area that is normally at our shop reserved for theboard and the CEO," said Scott Slattery, assistant vice presidentfor the $1.3 billion Texas Dow Employees CU in Lake Jackson.

Slattery, who was recently promoted to regional vice presidentfor branch operations, said the class proved helpful, for example,in dealing with CURIA and understanding that CUs "can die due tofinancial reasons, but they can also die due to a failure tounderstand the legislative arena."

In addition to CURIA and the controversial Treasury Blueprint tomerge all financial services regulators, the curriculum alsofocused on proposed reforms on overdraft and interchange fees plussafety and soundness.

Jeanine McBee, director of SCMS, said Advocacy Rocks was aimedat installing a new passion for advocacy "in the next generation ofleaders."

The class is simply one-step toward making that happen, shesaid, adding that the Texas league staff felt the existingcurriculum in the CUNA Management School program based in Madisonneeded beefing up and should be brought down to middlemanagers.

Like other CUNA schools, the SCMS consists of a three-yearcourse study focused on enhancing credit union leadership skills.In addition to Texas, the TCU school had 50 students drawn fromOklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana and Missouri.

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United SA FCU Named SBA 'Rising Star'

SAN ANTONIO -- For its support of local small businesses, United SAFederal Credit Union said it has received a "Rising Star"recognition from the Small Business Administration's San Antoniodistrict office.

The $215 million credit union was approved to start offering SBAloans in May 2007 and in August 2007 received the agency's expresslender status. United SA FCU said it approved its first SBA loan inDecember 2007 and since then, the credit union has completed 16more loans totaling $759,200 to assist members who are current oraspiring business owners, according to the credit union.

"We are proud to be able to offer this financing option tomembers and potential members," said Steve Coomes, president/CEO ofUnited SA FCU. "Many in this community possess an entrepreneurialspirit, and we look forward to helping them realize theirdreams."

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