Two Topeka, Kan., credit unions that will merge this month haveselected Quest as their new name, creating the state's fifthlargest CU with $225 million in assets.

In picking the moniker, management said it sought out a brandthat reflects “a search for a name that would bond the twoorganizations ?together and speak to their shared pursuit ofexcellent member and ?product service.”

In an unusual twist, Quest is operating with co-presidents/CEOs,Gary Colcher and Vickie Hurt.

Hurt is the current president of Credit Union 1 and Colcherleads Credit Unions United.

In a statement, Hurt said, “Both Gary and I have a long historyof leading financial institutions and credit union organizationsand we have a great mutual respect for one another and ourleadership skills.”

Their experience and job qualities, she said, complement eachother and will work together to make the consolidationsuccessful.

“We sincerely value what the other brings to the table,” saidHurt, noting that Credit Union 1 of Kansas has a history ofco-managers dating back from 1984 to 1994 when Gary Winkler and RayParks “worked in a successful dual management system.”

“In terms of how we manage, we simply share our opinions andexperiences,” she said. “We jointly make a decision, or like anypartnership, we compromise.”

Regarding the Quest branding, the CUs' merger statement said thenew name encourages members and staff “to discover thepossibilities.”

Based on interviews, survey and focus group research, “Wediscovered that everyone associated with our credit unions wants usto stay focused on the qualities that have made us successful,”Hurt said.

She also noted that the merging CUs are “healthy,well-capitalized and with strong membership bases, so theconsolidation wasn't required.”

The two CUs had received regulatory approval to combine inOctober 2009 with a membership vote in early November. Quest CUwill be serving members reaching from Topeka to communities ineastern Kansas. In addition to three branches and two servicecenters in Topeka, Quest has offices in Fort Riley, Pittsburg andShawnee.

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