CUAO CEO Gene Poitras to Retire
BEAVERTON, Ore.-Long-time credit union veteran Gene Poitras, president of the Credit Union Association of Oregon, will retire Nov. 30. Poitras joined CUAO in 1975, and in February 1993 was named president of CUAO and its affiliates. During his career at the CUAO, he oversaw a number of significant events, including its name change from the Oregon Credit Union League, numerous legislative battles, two office relocations, and a rebranding.
NASCUS Promotes Six People
ARLINGTON, Va.-NASCUS has promoted six people. Brian Knight has been named senior VP-regulatory affairs, while Barbara Pogue has been named senior VP-corporate affairs and accreditation. Jenny Champagne has been named VP-regulatory development and education, while Isaida Woo has been promoted to VP-board and member relationship. In addition, O'Neal Isom Jr., has been named director-administrative services, and Kate Hartig has been named director of communications and public affairs.
NCUF Provides $25,000 Grant
HARRISBURG, Penn.-The Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation has received a $25,000 grant from the National Credit Union Foundation to provide oversight to a consortium of seven credit unions that will seek to recruit 8,000 Lancaster County Hispanics as members and to provide them with financial services in Spanish.
The CUs involved include Belco Community CU, Lancaster Red Rose CU, LANCO FCU, Mennonite Financial FCU, Our Family FCU, Teamsters Local #771 FCU, and Wheatland FCU.
Those funds, along with an earlier grant of $32,000 from the Pennsylvania Foundation, will be added to $345,000 pledged by the CUs for construction of branches, development of Internet banking systems, and hiring of Spanish-speaking tellers.
Coop Business Website Launched
WASHINGTON-A website offering education about co-ops, including CUs, has been launched by the National Cooperative Business Association. The site at www.go.coop outlines the range of cooperative businesses; for CUs, the graphic shows a dollar sign and "Where people are worth more than money," and clicks through to CUNA's consumer web page. The site includes a link to a 13-minute video in which various reps of co-ops talk about their business model; CUs are represented by Harriett May, CEO of GECU in El Paso, Texas.
