MADISON, Wis. – CUNA Council membership has recently hit an all-time high of 2,800 members. "I think the growth has a lot to do with in part stronger programs but also greater visibility," said CUNA Council Executive Director David Rohn. "Our conferences have hit record numbers and that helps drive some of the visibility and recognition. The word is getting out that this particular resource helps its members not only handle day-to-day functions but also helps further their professional development." There are six CUNA Councils- Marketing and Business Development; HR Training and Development; CFO; Technology; Lending and Operations, Sales and Service with a total budget of some $2 million per year. Each council has its own Web site, list-serv, newsletter and white papers, in addition to hosting at least one annual conference, which provides formal educational sessions and opportunities for networking and brainstorming with peers. The councils have also been busy developing their Washington congressional relations while increasing their political involvement on a state level. In general annual council dues are split by asset size; $295 for credit unions with over $100 million in assets and $255 for those under $100 million. Discounts are also available for multiple members from a single credit union and half-year memberships effective in July are also available. Rohn says the councils are 100% self-sustaining and all the income generated from dues, conferences and sales of research and educational materials goes back into councils. Although there has been an overall increase across all six councils the most marked increases were found in the areas of Marketing/Business Development, Lending, and Technology. After a dip related to the events of 9/11 and the economy to an all time low of 511 members in 2001 the Marketing/Business Development Council is now 631 strong in 2004 up from 550 last year. The Lending Council went up to 466 from 329 in 2001 and the Technology Council has steadily been increasing from a low of 287 in 2001 to 368 in 2004. Looking ahead Rohn says the councils plan to keep growing and looking for ways to add more value to membership in terms of resources and programs. "We also recognize that these Council members are future leaders in the industry and we hope to tap into their expertise to support credit union legislative and regulatory efforts," said Rohn. [email protected]