BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-NCUA Vice Chairman Rodney Hood and Congressman Artur Davis (D-Ala.) addressed a group of more than 60 credit union leaders in Alabama late last month.

Davis kicked off the meeting, stating, "Credit unions should be thanked for helping the United States economy and our country's financial institutions become the strongest in the world. While we still have economic gaps among the people, you serve the middle of the spectrum, making the role of credit unions indispensable for large numbers of people who would not otherwise be served by traditional financial systems."

He stressed the importance of the movement and added that credit unions attract two types of people "with unique characteristics. One, those who have never had to ask for help before and two, those who have asked often and been denied. Credit unions understand the value of the human capital role. Don't ever lose sight of that."