The "Optiva" branding controversy over credit union name selection turned out to be a prime topic for debate at CUNA's Marketing & Business Development Council conference here. (See related coverage on page 1-36).

Taking note of recent developments on conversions, former NCUA Chairman Dennis Dollar last week called on state and federal regulators and the industry leadership to work much harder at enhancing the value of the credit union charter.

Enthusiasm, passion for the job, and accounting/ financial experience count plenty for marketers expecting to move into the top CEO slot at credit unions, but the female challenge in overcoming the good ol' boy network remains formidable. Those were some of the conclusions expressed by three ex-marketers, now CEOs, giving...

Credit union folk may not be all that crazy about the "walk" but they are doing more than "talk" when it comes to fundraising for that Columbus-to-Cincinnati walkathon for Children's Miracle Network next week.

With South Carolina becoming the new battleground for payday lending, the South Carolina Credit Union League said last week it has conducted an update of its member CUs on alternative products and found a large number already offering them or making plans to do so.

Talk about faith in numbers and the local community, Bruce Foulke, president/CEO of American Heritage Federal Credit Union, is a true believer.

Once its serious loan problems became known, regulators wasted little time last month in putting this city's largest credit union, the $362 million Huron River Area Credit Union, into NCUA conservatorship, it was disclosed last week.

The media push by credit unions to reach a younger audience gets revved up this spring with an aggressive TV/radio/Internet campaign being led by the Colorado and Wyoming Credit Union Associations and targeted specifically to the 18-35 demographic.