A Little On Why Blaine Won

2005 will go down in credit union history as the year that the bank conversion issue finally appeared on every credit union leaders' radar after the conversion of two billion dollar Texas credit unions. For years, leaders said there were so few conversions, it was not a big issue. In 2005, conversions were recognized as a threat the industry needed to deal with. Blaine made himself a part of the conversion issue by actively trying to educate members, the press, and government about the issue, all the while calling for stricter disclosure requirements. Blaine showed a passion for an issue that the credit union industry certainly must address. The industry needs more CEOs to be outspoken on conversions. 2005 was also a year that bankers got their acts together politically and their efforts to push for an examination of the credit union tax-exemption by the House Ways and Means Committee helped force NCUA's hands in requiring credit unions to document service to the underserved. SECU, though large, can be held up to just about any standard of measurement for serving the underserved. It is involved in the North Carolina community on so many levels, whether it's charitable work, serving the underserved or responding to the changing needs of members. Credit Union Times believes what Blaine stands for is critical at this juncture of credit unions' history and the credit union he runs exemplifies what credit unions are all about – not to mention he runs a very successful credit union. -pgentile@cutimes.com