CU Managers Tell TheirStories

BOSTON - (07/30/04) – Credit union lobbyists actuallyoutnumbered credit union executives at the Democratic NationalConvention by at least two-to-one, but a number of credit unionmanagers could be seen pressing the flesh here. “This is oneway to help get Congress to know who we are and what we do,”Diane Furnas, president of Southwest Airlines FCU, and chairman ofthe NAFCU Board, told The Credit Union Journal. Furnas came to theConvention with three other NAFCU directors. Rod Staatz, presidentof (Maryland) State Employees CU and chairman of the Maryland CULeague, flew up from Maryland for the day to attend a reception ofHouse Whip Steny Hoyer, of Maryland, to show credit union’ssupport for the Maryland lawmaker at a reception for theDemocrats’ House and Senate ‘Whips’ sponsored byCUNA. “I think it’s no secret that we’ve beentrying to build closer relationships with our congressionaldelegation,” said Mike Beall, president of the Marylandleague, who flew up with Staatz. Other credit union executives seenattending Convention events were: NAFCU directors John Milazzo,Campus FCU; Larry Wilson, Coastal FCU, and Mike Vadala, The SummitFCU; Gene Foley, Harvard University FCU; Sue Longson, Sonepco FCU;and Francois Henriquez, of U.S. Central CU.