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James Barr, 87, died on Feb. 7. He left behind a rich credit union legacy, including his time as NAFCU's first CEO from 1970-1978. Barr later served as EVP and director of governmental affairs at CUNA.
According to a statement posted by NAFCU, Barr was a key advocate in helping form the Federal Credit Union Act into legislation that allowed "credit unions to expand their offerings and become full-service financial institutions."
NAFCU President/CEO Dan Berger said of Barr's passing, "Through his leadership positions within the credit union industry, Jim was instrumental in helping achieve legislative and regulatory wins that shaped credit unions into what they are today. NAFCU is grateful to have had Jim's leadership at our start. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sara, and their family and friends."
James Barr According to Barr's obituary, he served in the credit union industry for years in a number of positions including vice president and general manager of the Credit Bureau of New Haven, Conn., and regional manager of the Associated Credit Bureaus, Inc. in Washington, D.C.
Barr's time in the credit union industry was mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, when "he was a major player in the legislative efforts to change the Federal Credit Union Act that enabled federal and state credit unions to evolve from financial institutions that offered very limited financial services, mainly savings and consumer loans, to the full-service financial institutions that credit unions have become today," according to his obituary.
Jim is survived by Sara Beck, his wife of 52 years, and his three sons.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
