BISMARCK, N.D. – The new Mid-America Credit Union League, organized by the merged North and South Dakota leagues and set to become a legal entity Jan. 1, is joining an industry trend by becoming an "association." It will join a number of its league brethren in taking on the association moniker, seen as more understandable to lawmakers and the public. The decision to make the switch was agreed on by the new Mid-America board at a meeting last month in Spearfish, S.D. at which the hiring of five additional staff members was also approved. At the meeting, directors agreed to a series of structure changes, all of which are to be reviewed at a series of "town hall" meetings to be held across the two states in August. Anthony Richards, the new president/CEO of Mid-America, stressed the trade group, now headquartered in Bismarck, is "truly a member-driven organization" set in place by CU owners and directors. The additional full-time employees include: a lobbyist for each state, a shared assistant for marketing and education departments, a shared assistant for the card services and accounting departments, and a part-time assistant for the information technology department. Additionally, two current consultant positions will be redeveloped into compliance/HR jobs. Also renamed in the restructuring is Regional Service Corp., previously run by the North Dakota League and being renamed Mid-America Service Corp. Plans remain to sell the Sioux Falls headquarters building of the South Dakota league, which has been on the auction block for several years. A spokeswoman for the North Dakota league said the next Mid-America board meeting will be held in the next two months, "allowing for time to review and negotiate service contracts and to develop the 2007 budget." The first town hall meeting will be held Aug. 7 in Bismarck, followed by Minot Aug. 8; Grand Forks Aug. 9; Fargo Aug. 10; Rapid City Aug. 14; Sioux Falls Aug. 15 and Chamberlain Aug. 16. [email protected]