SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The credit union industry has lost one of its most innovative technology leaders.

The Golden 1 Credit Union Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Michael D. Grommesh, 52, passed away on Oct. 3. Described by the credit union as a “quiet thinker, self-proclaimed technocrat and an ardent supporter of the credit union industry,” Grommesh was recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. He joined the credit union in 1983. Grommesh was very active on the national scene, having served in various board positions with CUNA, the California Credit Union League and Western Payments Alliance. Grommesh played a key role in one of The Golden 1's most innovative initiatives–the creation of Credit Union Direct Lending in the early '90s. Today, CUDL is the largest indirect lending network for credit unions. “Mike was a well-respected and highly valued member of The Golden 1's management team for more than 23 years and leaves a legacy of an outstanding information technology department,” said CEO Teresa Halleck. “He took the credit union's data processing capability from its infancy to adulthood, growing from a few computers to more than 140 systems that facilitate more than 30 million transactions per year.”