Five Inducted into New York Credit Union Hall of Fame

LATHAM, N.Y. – Five individuals from New York State who have had a significant impact on credit unions on the local, state and national level, and have given decades of their time and energy to the philosophy and success of the credit union movement, will be inducted in to the New York State Credit Union League Hall of Fame on June 12 during the League’s annual convention June 11-5 in Saratoga Springs. The five Hall of Fame inductees include: Anthony Bax, James Broome, Raymond Johnson, Joseph B. McManus, and Charles B. Pacco. Bax has been involved in the credit union movement for 41 years. He is credited with saving Niagara FCU from having to be merged in to another credit union in 1986 to avoid being liquidated. Bax convinced regulators to let the credit union try to remedy its problems. The credit union recruited new select employee groups, and the more than $9 million NFCU now has more than 2,250 members. Bax was also influential on the district and state level and served on NYSCUL’s Board. He has also won many national credit union awards. Broome first became active with the credit union movement in 1939 through Buffalo Typographical FCU. He eventually also served on the League Board from 1966-1988, and was elected to CUNA’s Board in 1977, served as NYSCUL Chairman from 1983-1985, and was an Empire Corporate FCU dirctor from 1985-1988. He also served on various CUNA committees. Johnson joined the credit union movement in 1959 as a volunteer at New York Metropolitan Area Postal CU. He was also instrumental in forming other credit unions in the state. He was one of the founding members of Empire Corporate FCU and also served on the CUNA Board. He helped organize the 1991 Credit Union March on Washington. McCamus, a retired WWII Lt. Colonel, joined GRS EFCU in 1966, and shortly after that he was appointed to the CU’s board. He served as GRS FCU’s president from 1983-2002. He served on several League Board and District committees, and he’s been actively involved with various other not-for-profit groups. Pacco helped form and then led Hudson River CU in 1954. He joined the NYSCUL Board in 1958 and became its chairman in 1975. He also was a member of the board of Excelsior CU and organized Glens Falls Central FCU. He has two daughters both of whom work at credit unions – Hudson River CU and Saratoga’s Community FCU.