Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has nominated Vickie Hurt to lead the Kansas Department of Credit Unions.
Hurt, who most recently served as co-president and CEO of Topeka-based Azura Credit Union, will succeed current Administrator Jerel Wright, who announced that he plans to retire, effective Nov. 28. Wright took over as KDCU administrator in September 2014, having previously served in the position from 1997 to 2005. In the interim, he served as AVP of consulting and compliance for the Kansas Credit Union Association, today known as the Heartland Credit Union Association.
The position is subject to approval by the state senate, and Hurt will appear before the Senate Confirmations Oversight Committee on Nov. 17.
“Given Vickie’s experience and qualifications, we don’t anticipate any concerns from the oversight committee,” representatives from the Heartland Association said via email.
Administrators serve four-year terms and the position is not term-limited. If confirmed, Hurt would serve the remainder of Wright’s term and then be eligible for reappointment by the governor.
Kelly signed a bill in 2019 modernizing Kansas credit union statutes. Soon after that, CUs successfully fought off a push by banks in the Sunflower State that would have required credit unions there to be taxed. Some observers have suggested state-chartered credit unions in many parts of the country could face new taxation threats in the year ahead as lawmakers attempt to plug budget holes created by pandemic-relief spending.
