Hampel to face more CU critics in June

WASHINGTON – CUNA Chief Economist Bill Hampel, President of the Woodstock Institute Malcolm Bush, and Ed Jacob, CEO of NorthSide Community FCU in Chicago, IL will debate "Rhetoric or Reality: Are Credit Unions Serving Low-Income Communities?" as part of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions' upcoming annual conference. "The moderated session will allow panelists to debate the role credit unions play in serving all members of their communities," NFCDCU said in a statement. The Woodstock Institute is a member of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and Bush sits on National Community Reinvestment Coalition's Board of Directors. NCRC sued NCUA over how the agency rescinded the CAP regulation, and the Woodstock Institute released a report in February alleging fault with credit unions' performance serving low-income people in the Chicago area. Jacob served as a CRA compliance officer for a bank before taking Northside's helm. This is Round 2 so to speak for Hampel in taking on credit union critics. He debated the ABA's Keith Leggett at the California CU League's Annual Meeting. Other speakers at the Federation's 28th annual conference will include NCUA Board member Deborah Matz and CDFI Fund Director Tony Brown, along with other leading community development funders from across the U.S. The meeting is scheduled for June 13-15 in Indianapolis.