PUBLISHER'S NOTEBOOK

Tom Davis, NACUSO’s president, speaks regularly on credit union sustainability through business networks and collaboration. After hearing Tom speak recently, I was a little taken aback when another attendee expressed his disappointment and feeling of sadness after the presentation. When asked why, his response, in paraphrase, was, “In a movement built on collaboration and meeting member needs, it is ironic to hear this presentation and realize it sounds like a fresh approach.”

What has happened to the credit union movement? Why are credit unions not sharing best practices with each other? Have the layoffs on Wall Street and the major banks led the industry to bottom line, profit and loss thinking as they hire available bankers to their management teams? Don’t get me wrong, we all manage to a P&L. But credit unions shouldn’t be doing that at the expense of member service. I stand on my conviction that every former banker joining a credit union should be required to become a Certified Credit Union Development Educator. This will provide the foundation and history many of you understand because of your tenure in the movement.