It's difficult to realize that 20 years have passed since my telephone rang and Mike Welch, who was about to launch a new publication called Credit Union Times, asked if I would serve as a correspondent. By the way, for the benefit of any young readers, that phone call came in on a land line, not a cell phone.

Obviously, a lot has changed since then. From a personal viewpoint I've moved four times, met a lot of people, watched my hair turn gray and- I hope-become increasingly knowledgeable about the credit union industry.

During the same time the industry has changed-and I think mostly for the better. You know the list. The range of services credit unions offer continues to grow. The accelerating pace of new technology has altered our world, including financial services. The World Wide Web was first introduced to the public in 1991. Mobile phones were still in their infancy. A state-of-the-art computer then might find use as a doorstop today. Members have not only adopted new technology, they expect their financial institution to keep pace.