Board Chooses Not to Renew Ed "Buck" Levins' Contract with Robins FCU

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. – The board of directors offered no explanation on its decision to not renew the contract of Edward “Buck” Levins for 2004, after serving 16 years with Robins Federal Credit Union as president/CEO. Levins, 62, continued to serve as CEO for the remainder of 2003, according to an official statement from the credit union. John Ruffin, RFCU’s current executive vice president was named interim CEO. “This change in no way will affect the stability and growth of our credit union now or in the future,” said Donald Hanson, RFCU’s Chairman in the statement. “Robins Federal Credit Union continues to show solid financial performance and will continue to operate in the members’ best interest.” Levins started his career at the credit union in 1961 and worked up the ranks to take the helm in 1987. Some consider the credit union, which serves more than 126,000 members and has $800 million in assets, a local icon in Middle Georgia. Under Levins’ tenure, membership has grown considerably to nearly every resident of Warner Robins, home to Robins Air Force Base, its main sponsor group. In 2003, Robins FCU pledged up to $500,000 to keep the base from closing under base realignment and closure or BRAC, a federal system for identifying military installations for closure or realignment in 2005. In 2000, the credit union converted from a multiple-group to a community charter opening up membership to 11 counties. That same year, it also launched its CUSO through a partnership with CUNA Mutual Group’s MEMBERS Financial Services. By far, Levins is known industrywide for his service as chairman of CUNA during the heady days of the CU Campaign for Consumer Choice, a grassroots effort that led to the passage of the historical CU Membership Access Act of 1998. In May 2003, Levins was also elected to the board of Cooperative Services Inc., a CUSO formed by Georgia CU Affiliates. No further information was available at press time on Levins’ future plans.