NAFCU Volunteers Vie Again in Election

WASHINGTON -The two NAFCU volunteers outspoken last July about getting the trade group to elect more of their peers into leadership jobs, have tossed their hats into running for the NAFCU Board again. The two, Robert Scott, vice chair of Pentagon Federal Credit Union, and Marlene Schwartz, chair of State Department FCU, both of Alexandria, Va. are candidates for three at-large seats to be elected in May. The duo was unsuccessful in winning 2005 board seats but is counting on renewed national attention on volunteer participation in drawing more votes, traditionally going to CEOs. The volunteers’ opposition includes CEOs: John Tippets, president, American Airlines FCU, Dallas; Cutler Dawson, president, Navy FCU, Merrifield, Va.; Ed Templeton, president, SRP FCU, North Augusta, S.C. and Millard Ratcliff, president, ABNB FCU, Chesapeake, Va. For one, Tippets, the American CEO, told Credit Union Times he welcomes the volunteer competition adding in reference to Scott and Schwartz, “they are good candidates and would make great contributions to NAFCU.” Scott of Pentagon maintains the movement’s future growth depends on volunteer involvement. Too many volunteers are taken for granted, said Scott, with CUs wanting volunteers “to attend the conferences, use the training materials and utilize other services that bring in funds” and yet ” they do not allow those same volunteers to be part of the decision making process.” Over the past year, he said, several organizations have announced creation of new committees to demonstrate interest in volunteer involvement and yet “ one must wonder why this has occurred only since the lack of volunteers at the higher level has been more widely publicized.” Donald Mahan, chair of NAFCU’s Nominating Committee and president/CEO of Centris FCU in Omaha, said the committee is pleased to have volunteers as candidates again in 2006. “NAFCU has had other volunteers on its board and they brought a valuable perspective to NAFCU,” said Mahan. “The important thing to NAFCU is that credit union volunteers and managers have an equal opportunity to seek election – it is then up to each candidate to campaign for office and work to get elected by our membership.” Of the 11 members on the NAFCU Board two are volunteers – David H. Gilbert, chairman of Aberdeen Proving Ground FCU in Maryland and Brian McDonnell, treasurer of Navy FCU and its former CEO, whose term ends this year. The deadline for return of mail ballots is May 25 with election results to be announced July 15, the last day of NAFCU’s annual conference in Toronto July 12-15. [email protected]