“Your feedback will have a significant impact on the LSCU board’s final decision as it pertains to membership choice for our league,” LaPine said.

On Sept. 18, the CUNA board of directors voted to maintain the dual membership requirement despite a final recommendation by the CUNA System Structure and Governance Task Force to offer credit unions membership choice in CUNA and/or a league.

“Since then, credit unions have been voicing their thoughts on the CUNA board’s discussion,” LaPine wrote in his newsletter column. “I think it’s safe to say a significant portion of our industry is dismayed by the vote and the lack of clarity of why interdependence is defined by dual membership requirement.”

He also mentioned the Michigan Credit Union League board of directors’ decision to grant its credit unions membership choice in 2016.

“It should be noted that with this action, the MCUL did nothing to violate current CUNA or AACUL bylaws or established policy on the issue of membership choice,” LaPine wrote.

Several leagues, however, have publicly announced over the last two weeks support for CUNA’s decision to maintain dual membership.

For example, the Cornerstone Credit Union League, the nation’s largest trade association, announced last week that it supports CUNA’s decision to maintain the dual membership.

“There has been a lot of conversation around optionality and choice in the credit union system recently,” Cornerstone President/CEO Richard L. Ensweiler said. “Our team will continue to support CUNA’s leadership as it works with Cornerstone to affect greater effectiveness, efficiencies and communication among system partners, while maintaining the existing system structure.”

CEOs of the Maine Credit Union League, Credit Union Association of the Dakotas and Credit Union Association of New Mexico also said their organizations support CUNA’s decision to keep the dual membership.

LaPine said he respects the right of the CUNA board and all leagues to establish their own membership requirements.

Although LaPine, who also serves as a CUNA board member, personally does not believe in the dual membership, he voted in favor of maintaining it after discussing the issue with other league CEOs.

LaPine was elected earlier this year to the CUNA board of directors to represent league presidents in District 3, which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.

“In my personal opinion, I believe in dues optionality and I don’t think that is any surprise to my colleagues,” LaPine said. “Representing the league presidents in District 3, and I spoke with all of them before the CUNA board meeting, my vote reflected the majority of my constituents.”

LaPine also pointed out that the Southeastern league is in somewhat of a unique position regarding the dual membership issue.

Brad Green, president/CEO of the $672 million Listerhill Credit Union in Muscle Shoals, Ala., also serves on the CUNA board. Tom Dorety, president/CEO of the $6.5 billion Suncoast Credit Union in Tampa, Fla. and Caryl Greene, president/CEO of the $169 Members First Credit Union of Florida in Pensacola, served on the task force. Dorety served as the task force chair. In addition, Green and Greene are also on the Southeastern league’s board.

“Depending on the outcome of the survey, the board may decide to do additional outreach (town halls, webinar, etc.),” LaPine told CU Times. “However, I can’t speculate on that until we have the survey results in hand.”