Tom Dorety
Suncoast Schools FCU
President/CEO
Tampa, Fla.

Without a doubt everyone has to put the needs of the credit union members first. But credit unions do that best when they cooperate and build a stronger credit union movement overall. I think shared branching is the epitome of that.

Carroll Beach
Chief Operating Officer
CO-OP Shared Branching
Arlington, Va.

I think we have to be careful to make sure that what we are doing is not just individual ego. But in general working to further cooperation between credit unions and to keep the members' perspective tops in our minds means we will always be working for the good of the member. Members aren't going to care about issues like credit union branding. Credit union members are going to care about where and how they can get the most access to their money and transactions.

Sarah Canepa Bang
CEO
Financial Service Center Cooperative
San Dimas, Calif.

I believe, in fact, if credit unions will do what is in the best interest of their members, that will be in the best interest of the credit union system. Keeping members first leads to working cooperatively, such as through development of shared branches and other products and services, benefiting all credit unions. Our purpose is to meet members' financial needs. In doing this, members, credit unions and the industry as a whole will benefit.

Alan Peppers
President/CEO
Westerra Credit Union
Denver

Even though no man or credit union is an island, the primary responsibility of a credit union has to be to its members and who have contributed and sacrificed and worked hard to help build it. When a credit union is going through troubled times, its primary responsibility is to keep itself afloat and to help its members.

Clifford Rosenthal
President/CEO
National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions
New York

Absolutely to the members, our primary responsibility is our members who have entrusted us with their money and livelihood based on their faith in our message. That being said, by keeping our mandate to serve our members first helps the credit union movement grow. The synergy among credit unions working together is all for the service and education of our members. It is important especially now since the economic fallout, which is what happens when companies put everything but the member or consumer first.

Steven Sobotta
Director of Marketing
Actors Federal Credit Union
New York

Members–because without our members there would not be an industry.

Deb McLean
Vice President Marketing/Business Development
Carolina Postal Credit Union
Charlotte, N.C.

A credit union's primary responsibility is to its members because they open the door to the credit union movement. As credit unions, we are dedicated to educating our members and passing along the credit union virtues so that our members spread a (hopefully!) positive message about us. This, in turn, benefits the movement as a whole.

Thom Beck
President/CEO
MCT Federal Credit Union
Rockville, Md.

I believe our credit union's duty is to its members first and foremost. Our members are the owners. So, as managers of the credit union it's our duty to follow through on our mission and deliver on our brand promise. By serving our members well we serve the whole industry well. Strong individual credit unions result in a strong credit union movement.

Our members are priority one however, this is not to say we should not support the movement at all. This support can be demonstrated in a variety of ways including donating resources to other credit unions and affiliated associations as well as participation in cooperative advertising programs. All of these efforts benefit the individual credit union, its members and the movement as a whole.

Lastly, as stewards of the financial services industry, I/we have an obligation to educate members and non members on financial literacy and timely consumer topics.

Pier Y. Alsup
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Anheuser-Busch Employees' Credit Union
American Eagle Credit Union
St. Louis

What would the movement be without its members? And what would our members be without the movement at large? I think we cannot separate the two.

Movement defined is 'a diffusely organized or heterogeneous group of people or organizations tending toward or favoring a generalized common goal.' This definition implies a social agenda or objective…something greater than ourselves…a cause worth fighting for.

Our common goal is the financial well-being of our members….we're 'for people, not for profit.' Our commitment to quality member service and exceptional value applies to the individual member but collectively, it creates the credit union movement. It is the sum of the parts equals the whole kind of thing.

The movement requires some serious advertising however. It appears to me that only the credit union insiders know about this movement and yet, we really are for people…we aren't just tossing out warm and fuzzy, feel-good lip-service about being for people not for profit.

Credit unions must explicitly relate this concept to its members, and I'm afraid that in light of the current economic conditions, and with more and more credit unions merging or converting to banks, this is message is not being heard.

It is precisely by co-existing in cooperation with each other (credit unions, members and the movement) by acknowledging who we really are that we find the synergy to further the cause and address the concerns that affect us.

William White
President/CEO
Synergy One Federal Credit Union
Manassas, Va.