CUNA President/CEO Dan Mica brought CUNA a certain level ofstature that the credit union community really hadn't seen before.And last week he announced that he will be stepping down as ofJanuary 2011.

As a former member of Congress, Mica gave CUNA access it neverhad before in a direct manner it didn't have before. He had and hasdeep and excellent connections. He has used those rigorously to notonly gain new authorities for credit unions and greaterunderstanding of their issues, but also to defend them.

Mica's polished air and smooth oratory skills made him a strongfront man for CUNA and the movement. From my perspective of workingwith him over the last nine years, when you asked him a question,he always had a ready answer, even as the cogs in his head wereturning two sentences ahead of what his mouth was saying. I may nothave always liked the answer, but it was there. Someone who canthink on their feet like that is a real asset.