A "sense of urgency" drove the Mountain West Credit Union Association board's decision to explore a possible merger with the Northwest Credit Union Association that would create the industry's first six-state league serving more than 300 credit unions and their 12.3 million members.

"As credit unions, our business model gives us the gift of time. We cannot let that gift fool us into a myopic view of what we can become," MWCUA Board Chair Todd Marksberry and President/CEO of the $3.6 billion Canvas CU in Lone Tree, Colo., wrote in a letter sent to CEOs. "We are not chasing quarter-to-quarter results. We serve our members and their needs with a longer-term horizon. In 2022, just as we were formed in the 1930s, people across our country need credit unions. To best serve them, we must move with a purpose to advance our legislative needs, better serve our communities, and share our story to engage even more members. We must blast past owning less than 10% of the market."