Hiring is a process that creates too much risk. It needs a bold makeover.

Scott Patterson has been promoted from executive vice president to president of Credit Union Student Choice, a CUSO that provides higher education financing services to about 250 credit unions.

Xtend Inc. now has its first Alaskan owner, the Michigan-based back-office operations CUSO said last week.

About half of polled New York credit union leaders are optimistic about their regional economy and more than 60% anticipate loan growth in 2014, according to a new economic survey from the Credit Union Association of New York in Albany.

The $34.6 million Ace Community Credit Union in Ames, Iowa, intends to merge into the $389 million Community Choice Credit Union in Johnston, Iowa.

The $57 million, 8,600-member Ascension Credit Union in Gonzales, La., plans to convert its core processing this year to the iPower platform from EPL Inc. of Birmingham, Ala., the CUSO and credit union said.

First Data's move to cut more than 500 jobs from its Denver location drew attention to the company and its relationship to the firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

On the front page of the April 6, 2011 edition of Credit Union Times was an article entitled Historic Development Stains CU's Balance Sheet. My name is Ben Heyward and I was president /CEO of First Financial Credit Union in Albuquerque, N.M., at the time of publication. I was the...