Among his achievements over the years, Cottom has been credited for his work toward allowing CUs to expand beyond their original employer groups and was prominent in implementing share drafts by gaining access to the Federal Reserve System.

Succeeding Cottom as Weokie CEO is Brent Taylor, executive vice president who also serves as chairman of Southwest Corporate. Taylor has been with Weokie 16 years holding various management jobs.

Reflecting on those 37 years, what does Cottom say is his proudest accomplishment?

"I always wanted credit unions and mine, in particular, to be on the cutting edge of technology and just look how we've done on opening up home banking to our members," declared Cottom noting such innovations were well received.

It's important, he said, that CUs "stay ahead of our members" in trying to find new ways to save them money and make their financial life comfortable and convenient.

"Just think about how our members can get up in the middle of the night now and check the front and back of a check to see if it's cleared and do that 24 hours a day," observed Cottom in citing an example of CUs keeping current with member needs.

And those needs "and staying close to the members" have always remained paramount for Cottom, who started Weokie by signing up employees at Western Electric Co., with some of the CU's first meetings and dealings conducted in an Oklahoma City motel room. The name, "Weokie" was drawn from a block of company clubs all using the "We-Okie" name. The name stuck though at one time a marketing firm was called in to look at rebranding, but the board dropped the idea when it was decided Weokie was popular among employees and a good identifier even outside of metro Oklahoma City, officials said.

Like other CEOs, Cottom deplores the Wings/Continental events as unhealthy. "I think the cooperative spirit is defeated when one credit union gobbles up another to get their capital. I don't think we need to eat each other to grow."

And Cottom is unworried about bank attacks.

Recalling banker suits over share drafts, Cottom said those attacks have become simply part of doing business even though "the bankers really ought to give it up, a dead issue."

Those bankers "are not going to win this battle and so they should save their money," said Cottom. As for CUs, "remember we wear the white hats and we should always take the higher road." –[email protected]