Corporate governance

The 45 credit unions that earned a spot on our second annual ranking of the Best Credit Unions to Work For know how to have fun — and make a difference — at work.

While the group is adopting some changes in order to improve its advocacy efforts, the biggest and most controversial suggestion — that credit unions no longer be required to belong to both CUNA and their respective state leagues — was nixed.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama State Employees (ASE) Credit Union has named Jared Freeman as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Ned McHenry, who will retire on Sept. 30, after 26 years of service at the CU.

A CU-fueled collaboration has produced new insights into the keys to successful partnerships.

Filene Research Institute announced that 16 credit union executives have been accepted to its Filene i3 program, which was formed to “foster the development of new ideas and innovations” for CUs.

Credit unions flocked to the nation’s capital for the trade association’s annual pilgrimage to Washington, where executives have the chance to hear from politicians at the conference and then head to lawmakers’ offices to lobby on credit union issues.

Align Credit Union and First Choice Credit Union have merged, in a combination of two institutions in northeastern Massachusetts.

Centurion FCU is set to merge with Crane FCU here, doing business as Centurion, A Branch of Crane Credit Union.

Consumers CU here is set to absorb Palatine, Ill.-based Premier CU, creating an institution with nearly $870 million in assets spanning from northern Cook County, Ill. to the Wisconsin border in Lake County.

The federal regulator released its quarterly report showing which states are experiencing the fastest and slowest growth in a number of key areas from loans to deposits and more.

St. Cloud Federal Credit Union, a $116-million institution based in St. Cloud, Minn., said it has launched a new "brand package" which features a new logo and the slogan: "bank on a meaningful difference."

The League of Southeastern Credit Unions (LSCU), which represents CUs in Florida and Alabama, is preparing to roll out the latest round of ads in its cooperative image campaign, which has helped boost credit union membership in both states.

More than a year after CUNA declared that credit unions had surpassed the 100 million-member mark, NCUA today confirmed it, citing that membership at federally insured CUs rose to 101 million members in the quarter ending June 30.

CoVantage Credit Union in Antigo, Wis., has agreed to buy a branch from Baraboo Bancorp.

Great Lakes Credit Union on Wednesday said its Sept. 1 merger with McHenry County Federal Credit Union will result in the larger GLCU picking up two new branches in McHenry County.

While credit unions have always catered to a wide variety of employee and community groups, among the most unusual may be the Amish and Mennonites. Credit Union Journal spoke to three institutions in this marketplace to get a better picture of what it's like to work with these largely isolated faith-based communities.

Illinois Educators Credit Union in Springfield has named Jody Dabrowski its chief executive, succeeding the retiring Gene Taylor. Dabrowski was an assistant vice president of risk management at the $668 million-asset Community Choice Credit Union in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Time is running out to submit nominations to Credit Union Journal's 2015 Best Practices Awards program. Submissions are being accepted through Tuesday.

NCUA announced it has approved a charter for Redeemer Federal Credit Union, making it the fourth new federally chartered credit union of 2015.

MADISON, Wis. — CUNA on Wednesday announced the four recipients of the 2015 Community Credit Union of the Year Award.