Nearly 90 credit union leaders from 14 states will spend the first days of the New Year at a Hawaiian resort to discuss old and new issues that will dominate industry-wide debates in 2016.
The Western States Summit Round Table will be held Jan. 6-9 at the Kaua'i Marriott Resort & Kalapaki Beach Club on Hawaii's fourth largest island, Kauai. There, CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle will answering the question of "what is the intention of leagues regarding choice of membership in CUNA?" according to a bullet point of Nussle's presentation outlined on the summit's agenda obtained by the CU Times.
Nussle also will be discussing choice versus interdependence, how membership changes will impact the credit union industry and answering the question "does it weaken us?" according to the document.
Larry Fazio, the NCUA's director of the office of examination and insurance, will answer the question of whether credit unions are destined to be regulated by one agency, the FDIC, according to a bullet point of Fazio's presentation from summit's agenda.
Other topics Fazio will be addressing include how to simplify the process of mergers with small credit unions, excessive regulatory powers, 5300 changes and MRB, BSAS and SARS.
According to Cvent's website, a Virginia-based event planning company, the Western States Summit Round Table is hosted by credit union leagues and sponsored by CO-OP Financial Services, CUNA Mutual Group and CU Direct Corporation.
"Mr. Nussle has encouraged all those in the movement to reach out to him personally with any questions or comments, and the Round Table presents another great opportunity for dialogue," CUNA Senior Media Relations Manager Vicki Christner said. "The ultimate aim is to position CUNA and our system for a stronger, interdependent and united future by delivering greater value, accountability and advocacy success."
NCUA Communications Specialist Ben Hardaway said he was unable to reach Fazio Thursday to confirm his participation in the summit and obtain his comments.
Bill Prichard, senior manager of public relations and corporate communications for CO-OP Financial, said he was unable to provide comment in time for CU Times' deadline.
League CEOs who are expected to attend the summit did not return email requests seeking comment.
Although Nussle also will also discuss strategies to go on regulatory offense, his focus on the issues of choice vs. interdependence was no surprise.
On Dec. 10, Nussle and the CUNA board of directors decided to revise its bylaws to end the dual membership requirement and to allow membership choice.
This momentous decision, however, followed an industry-wide firestorm sparked in September when the board rejected a CUNA Structure and Governance Task Force to give credit unions the choice to join CUNA, their league or both. What's more, a national CUNA survey determined the majority of credit unions favored membership choice.
The boards of five leagues including the Michigan Credit Union League, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, the Ohio Credit Union League, the New York Credit Union Association and the Carolinas Credit Union League voted to allow their credit union members to join their organizations without requiring them to join CUNA beginning in 2016.
Nonetheless, the boards of eight leagues including the Utah Credit Union Association, the Wisconsin Credit Union League, the Cornerstone Credit Union League, the Mountain West Credit Union Association, the Northwest Credit Union Association, the Maine Credit Union League, the Credit Union Association of New Mexico and the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas have publicly supported maintaining the dual membership requirement.
League CEOs on the list to attend the Hawaiian summit include Diana Dykstra, president/CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, Earl Scott, president/CEO of the Mountain West Credit Union Association, Pat Jury, president/CEO of the Iowa Credit Union League, Richard Ensweiler, president /CEO of the Cornerstone Credit Union League, Scott Simpson, president/CEO of the Utah Credit Union Association, Troy Stang, president/CEO of the Northwest Credit Union Association and Dennis Tanimoto, president/CEO of the Hawaii Credit Union League.
Paul Stull, president/CEO of the Credit Union Association of New Mexico and Kathy Thomson, president/CEO of the Idaho Credit Union League, were not on the attendee list.
The Hawaiian credit union conference will also conduct sessions on about 30 different topics including expediting the industry's consolidation, how are trade groups planning for the future with the loss of credit unions to mergers, competing against banks instead of other credit unions, member engagement practices and mobile payments.
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