It may be somewhat fitting that Bill Hampel is retiringfrom his distinguished CUNA career in the city of Las Vegas wheremillions flock hoping to get lucky, but very few leave it thatway.

After the longtime CUNA economist takes the stage for the lasttime to share his insights about how the economy will impact creditunions, he will leave the City of Lights as one of the luckyfew.

“It's been a long and incredibly lucky career,” Hampel reflected in a Monday phone interviewfrom the 2017 CUNA Economics and Investments Conference at CaesarsPalace. “Working for credit unions is a really a coolcombination because you are working for businesses, (and their)main motivation for their existence is to help people. Being ableto that for an entire career, I consider myself really fortunate tobe able to do that.”

Hampel's official retirement date is Tuesday.

He is one of the longest tenured executives of CUNA, havingjoined the association as an economist in 1978. Hampel was promotedto chief economist in 1985 and to senior vice president of researchand policy analysis in 1992. He transferred from CUNA's Madisonoffice in 1997 and since then has been a senior member of CUNA'sadvocacy team. From June to September 2014, Hampel also servedat CUNA's interim president/CEO.

Before joining CUNA, Hampel taught at the University of Montanafor two years.

“I thought I should go out into the real world for a few yearsand see what that was like and then perhaps go back to teachingsomewhere,” he said. “That is when I bumped into this job at CUNA,and that was 39 years ago.”

Mike Moebs, an economist and CEO of Moebs Services Inc. in Lake Forest, Ill., said he is probablythe only person in the credit union movement who knew Hampel beforehe had facial hair.

“Since the 1970's when we first met to today Bill has alwaysbeen the same good man,” Moebs said. “Dr.Hampel's economic knowledge can rival the best there is. I haveseen him answer some of the dumbest questions making the person whoasked always feel like a million bucks. We have not alwaysagreed, yet Bill could always get us to a common solution. Bill is a smart, gentle giant. His likes in financialservices are rare. I will miss him a lot and so will thecredit union movement.”

CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle said Hampel improved and shapedthe credit union industry in remarkable and innumerable ways.

“The credit union movement is stronger and more vibrant becauseof your service, Bill,” Nussle said. ”Thank you.”

While Hampel will have more time to relax and travel, he alsoplans to stay active in the credit union movement as a part-timeconsultant.