LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University FCU awarded one lucky member new furniture, flooring, window treatments and lighting for her favorite room, plus $1,000 toward an MSUFCU Visa Gift Card, as part of its annual “Ideal Room Makeover” contest.

SUGAR LAND, Texas – Pioneer Muslim FCU said it has become one of the first credit unions to implement an advanced electronic statement solution from LKCS and Data Systems of Texas that includes check images.

HUNT VALLEY, Md. – Atlantic Financial FCU has named Matthew Piazza, its chief financial officer and a former credit union auditor, as president and CEO of the $100-million credit union.

PORTLAND, Mich. – Portland FCU today announced that Gary May, its president and CEO, will retire April 27, ending 42 years in the credit union movement, the past 32 as head of the $234-million credit union.

GLENDALE, Calif. – California CU said it has signed with cuautocoupon, Inc., to offer the company’s savings program for auto service, parts or accessories.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – Bethpage FCU has re-signed with CO-OP Financial Services to provide its members with CO-OP’s MemberPay online bill payment services.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Rivermark Community CU has hired Insuritas to open a turnkey insurance agency for its 65,000 members.

MADISON, Wis. – Summit CU announced an agreement to acquire Milwaukee’s Veterans’ Administration CU, a $15-million credit union with a single branch inside the Milwaukee VA Medical Center.

LENEXA, Kan. – CommunityAmerica CU has teamed with local non-profit Special Needs Planning Center to offer financial planning services that will help members with disabilities and other special needs make financial plans through CUSO Financial Services LP.

PLEASANTON, Calif. – After record earnings in 2012, $3.8-billion Patelco Credit Union is looking for a new CEO following the abrupt resignation of Ken Burns yesterday.

CLEVELAND – Another borrower in the massive St. Paul Croatian FCU fraud was sentenced to prison yesterday after confessing to helping the main figure in the fraud, Balkans crime figure Koljo Nikolovski, siphon more than $6 million in credit union funds to banks in Macedonia and Albania.

WASHINGTON – In an unusual ouster bid, attorneys general in nine states called on President Obama and Senate leaders today to fire Ed DeMarco, the director of the Federal Housing and Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, charging the Bush-appointee with being a major impediment to resolving the ongoing foreclosure crisis.

WICHITA, Kan. -- Central Star CU is inviting the community to “Get Naked...Checking”—as part of a new promotional campaign for its free checking accounts.

BROCKTON, Mass. – Members of HarborOne CU have approved the $1.9 billion credit union’s conversion to bank, the biggest credit union charter switch ever.

Dan Clark, a former credit union CEO who has been a well-known consultant to CUs for the past eight years, has died from complications following a heart attack.

As the dates near for the three state votes to create the potential Cornerstone Credit Union League-which would consolidate the associations for Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas-an online voter guide has been re-leased to advance the "business case" for the move.

FAIRBORN, Ohio-Wright-Patt Credit Union, which last year added 50 employees to deal with rapidly growing mortgage lending, plans to add another 68 jobs this year. Some of the increase in business for the credit union comes from myCUmortgage, a mortgage processing CUSO the credit union owns that serves other credit unions.

Having a strategy is just the first step in getting more value out of social media. Many CUs are also now realizing incentives are needed, as well.

Credit unions frequently talk of the cooperative principles, but it's the interaction with principals at other co-ops where the bigger challenge often lies.

A federal appeals court has scheduled oral arguments for May 8 in a key case that will help determine the success of billions of dollars in claims by NCUA against Wall Street banks for the sale of mortgage-backed securities to the failed corporate CUs.