Members, Not the CEO, Should Drive CU-to-Bank Charter Conversions

Every time I see the news that another credit union is seeking to change its charter from a credit union to a bank, I always wonder is this change due to a groundswell from the members or at the urging of the CEO. Pretty dumb question isn’t it. Has there ever been a credit union change of charter that started as a member driven groundswell to convert to a bank? Do members call the CEO and demand that the credit union convert to a bank or they will leave to join a bank? Are there no other banks in Texas so that the credit union is driven to fill a niche for their members by converting to a bank? Do the members march on the credit union holding signs saying, “Convert now to a Bank?” Do they hold sit-ins at the credit union, refusing to move until the credit union converts to a bank? Probably not. If this CEO wants to run a bank he should go apply for a bank CEO job and not hijack the members’ equity built up over years to convert to a bank. Does the name Columbia Community Credit Union ring a bell to this CEO? The members took back their credit union from a greedy board and a greedy CEO. It can happen again. If a CEO truly cares for his members and feels that they cannot serve them any longer as a credit union, they should step aside. I guarantee that a line of at least 100 credit union executives would form with a vision of how to succeed as a credit union. No CEO is larger than the credit union movement. As one of my favorite sayings goes, “The graveyards are full of men who thought they were necessary.” Ed Daley CEO San Diego Firefighters FCU California