Directors Rollick Over CU Game Show

LAS VEGAS – They played “Credit Union Jeopardy” at the National Directors’ Convention and the hilarious event pitting three CU executives in a version closely matching the popular TV show nearly brought down the house. Complete with the syncopated music and lit up toteboards, the three “contestants” appearing on stage at the Venetian Hotel/Casino included Theresa Mann, CEO of FDIC FCU in Washington; Thomas Glatt, EVP/COO of Portland Teachers CU in Oregon and Patrick Adams, EVP of St. Louis Community CU. It was a tossup who had the funniest lines but some of the questions were downright easy, like “Who is the NCUA Director whose term just ended?” or “Name the wealthy Boson businessman who founded the National Credit Union National Extension Bureau and has an institution named after him?” The answer, of course, to the first is Debbie Matz and the second Edward Filene. Some of the five categories in the NDC version were also slightly different from the TV counterpart: “CU History, In the News, Famous Names, Las Vegas and Camel.” “I want to announce right now that I am not on steroids,” declared Adams, who turned out the big winner after accumulating the most fake dollars during the hour-long Q&A session moderated by NDC Chairman Dennis Sullivan whose Rockville, Md. staff prepared the questions. Glatt, who at one point was closing in on Adams, countered that he was doing well now in the contest because,”I’ve taken steroids and still do to this day.” The director audience also got into the fun egging on Adams, always a funnyman on the convention speaker circuit, to wager larger sums of his $4,000 in “winnings” for each question. Shunning the `go for it’ taunts, Adams turned to the audience and replied “Look, I want you to know I don’t like to gamble at the penny slots.” And Glatt mocked his Cajun background saying he was ready to wager his winnings “to let the good times roll” and “like a Louisiana governor” bet sums which he did not have and were not on his toteboard. Mann, of the FDIC FCU and a July newlywed who came in third, was kidded about the whereabouts of her husband who was on a safari in Africa. Maybe the marriage “can still work out,” joked Sullivan, the moderator. Mann, however, was the only one who answered the question right about which NCUA chairman proposed creating a Community Reinvestment Act for CUs. The answer: Norman D’Amours. One question that stumped all three: “Who is the Supreme Court justice who wrote the famous 1998 decision that briefly prevented credit unions from expanding.” The answer: Clarence Thomas. But it was Adams who raised his arms in self cheers and high fives who got the most correct answers including under “Camel”-”What was a significant concern as Y2K got closer.” Answer: “earnings.” And “Delinquencies bankruptcies and investment performance all fall under this?” The answer: asset-liability quality. And when Adams answered correctly to groans from Glatt and the audience, “Who is a frequent speaker who served as the last NCUA chairman?” “Dennis Dollar,” Glatt looked at Adams and fired back, “suck up” another remark that drew audience howls. The former NCUA chairman had two hours earlier given a featured speech to the 1,400 delegates in the hotel ballroom. One staffer with United Communications Group, sponsor of the directors convention, said “CU Jeopardy” was technically the most difficult to put on because of the flashing dollar signs and toteboards. “I sure hope the audience liked it,” he said “because it was a lot of work.” [email protected]