Pictured from left to right: Bob Bogart, Georgia United CFO; Debbie Smith, Georgia United CEO; Adam Durkin, NMCU vice chairman of the board; Melany Ward, former NMCU president; Tyler Maney, Amos, Maney & Payne, LCC CPA; Amanda Chosewood, North Main board treasurer; Debbie Beam, NMCU board member; Laura King, Georgia United president. Credit/Georgia United
While the credit unions are 60 miles apart from each other, the $2 billion Georgia United Credit Union in Duluth, Ga., and the $29.9 million North Main Credit Union in Cornelia, Ga., announced a majority of their members approved the merging of the two credit unions during a special meeting on June 29.
Officials with both credit unions announced plans to merge in April and said with the member approval, the regulatory merger went into effect on July 1. But the credit unions won't become officially merged until their data systems are integrated. According to Georgia United, that process is expected to be completed by Oct. 2.
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In a statement Thursday, Georgia United CEO Debbie Smith said, "We are excited to welcome these new communities and the employees of Fieldale Farms Corporation and the Johnson and Johnson company, Ethicon, Inc. We have received a lot of enthusiasm from North Main members over the past couple of months. We are committed to continuing to provide them exceptional service while enhancing their access to financial resources. With our closely aligned values and culture, this merger is a great fit for both our credit unions and the surrounding communities."
According to Georgia United, all North Main employees will become part of the Georgia United team.
North Main CEO Melany Ward said the timing of the merger announcement coincided with her decision to retire. "With my upcoming retirement, the timing of this merger was necessary to continue to effectively serve our members without disruption," Ward said. "Our members will soon enjoy the innovative and expanded product and services that Georgia United offers. Together we continue to make an impact in our community. It was important to me to ensure our members were going to be well taken of."
Once the merger has been completed, Georgia United will have more than 151,000 members and assets totaling more than $2.3 billion.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
