Maurice Smith, the president/CEO of the $1 billion Local Government Federal Credit Union of Raleigh is testing something different in his race for the 2011 CUNA Board of Directors–using the Internet to promote his candidacy.
In launching his own website, the North Carolina CU executive said he hopes "to build some name recognition and reach a wide audience." He said he is eager to serve his peers on the CUNA government board as a representative for large CUs, choosing to toss his hat in early in the election cycle.
Smith is running for the District 3/Class C seat (CUs with 77,000 members or more) currently held by Tom Dorety, president/CEO of $5.3 billion Suncoast Schools FCU of Tampa. Smith, believed to be the only candidate so far, is running for a three year term starting next February at the annual Government Affairs Conference in Washington.
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Under the CUNA election timetable, CEOs announce their candidacy between mid-August and October with voting winding up in December.
Smith, the current chairman of the North Carolina Credit Union League and whose site debuted two weeks ago, said industry survival rests on greater cooperation and commitment.
He also said he vigorously discourages mergers of small CUs into larger peers since this represents a collective threat to the industry. "When I get approached, I always say let's really explore how to make your credit union healthy again," said Smith.
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