Where Are The Volunteers Represented InCU Movement?

LAS VEGAS - (07/19/05) -- Just as outgoing NAFCU Chair DianeFurnas was preparing to adjourn an uneventful annual businessmeeting, one voting delegate brought up a sticky issue: the lack ofvolunteers in the national leadership of the credit union movement."Credit union volunteers are partners in this movement," saidMarlene Schwartz, a director at State Department FCU who had run,and lost, for the NAFCU board. "We, the volunteers, are what setscredit unions apart, yet we are not represented proportionately [inthe national leadership of the movement]." NAFCU is currently theonly major national trade association that has a volunteer on itsboard, but Schwartz was joined by several other directors whosuggested this isn't good enough and that neither NAFCU, CUNA norCUES has created an 'inclusive' environment for board members tocome to the helm of the movement's national leadership. Followingthe meeting, Schwartz said NAFCU's incoming chair, Summit FCU CEOMike Vadala, asked her to call him this week to discuss how NAFCUcan help ensure better representation of volunteers on itsboard.