BRUNSWICK, Maine – A former employee of Atlantic Regional FCU has agreed to repay the credit union $370,000 of the $520,000 she pleaded guilty to embezzling, as part of a settlement of a civil suit brought by the $250-million credit union.

MADISON, Wis. – University of Wisconsin CU is working with the city to get approval on a new branch at a building formerly used to house a Brennan’s Market.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Sioux Valley Community CU has named John Parks, the head of First Class CU, as president of the $22-million credit union.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Georgia Heritage FCU has named Dale Taratuta, its chief financial officer, as president of the $77-million credit union.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Piedmont Advantage CU last week announced 11 employees were let go and collections duties have been outsourced as part of a restructuring, but the addition of new positions will make the initiative job neutral.

WASHINGTON – Experienced credit union fundraisers were scratching their heads last week at the advent of a new Super PAC – a political action committee that is allowed to independently raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns – in the name of credit unions.

WASHINGTON – The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced Friday it is capping CEO pay at the two deeply troubled housing giants at just $500,000 and will eliminate bonuses for dozens of top executives.

DENVER – In one of the biggest field of membership bids, Denver Community CU has requested approval from state regulators to add more than 1 million people to its field of membership in Arapahoe and Adams counties, the fourth of the state’s biggest credit unions to expand into a growing enclave adjacent to Denver.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Space Coast CU, which has launched a new legal offensive against Wall Street banks over investments sold to Eastern Financial Florida CU, last week changed gears to defend itself against a suit claiming the failed credit union giant it acquired in 2009 sold faulty loan participations.

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Despite a new focus by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on overdraft policies, the majority of credit unions should not worry about their OD revenue streams, at least for 2012.

Social media was the vehicle, but branding was the purpose for a campaign Weber Marketing Group designed for $3-billion OnPoint Community Credit Union here.

MIAMI – In one of the most ambitious suits of its kind so far, Space Coast CU has filed suit against several of the biggest investment banks and the Wall Street rating agencies for the sale of $150 million of risky investments known as collateralized debt obligations—CDOs—to Eastern Financial Florida CU, the huge Florida credit union that failed in 2009 then was acquired by Space Coast. It was the biggest credit union failure ever, outside of the corporates.

LAWTON, Mich. – Barbara Sampsell, former CEO of Welch’s CU, is retiring from Consumers CU, which acquired the credit union in 2005, after a 40-year career in the credit union movement.

SACO, Maine – PeoplesChoice CU raised $11,7000 at its 9th annual Polar Bear Scramble on the state-of-the-art golf simulators at Fore Season Indoor Golf in Portland.

RICHLAND, Wash. – HAPO Community CU is donating $25,000 to Second Harvest Tri-Cities, a local food pantry.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Rivermark CU has begun offering its members mobile deposit from Vertifi, which allows members to deposit paper checks using their iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Android mobile devices.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The owners of Melanie Square, a 7-acre commercial property that is home to Rite Aid, a bowling alley and other businesses, on Wednesday filed for bankruptcy protection in Portland to while it renegotiates with its main lender, Farmers Insurance Group FCU.

ROCKFORD, Ill. – MembersAlliance CU is partnering with Energy Impact Illinois to launch a pilot low-rate Home Performance Residential Retrofit Rebate program.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fairwinds CU is offering fans of arena football’s Orlando Predators an opportunity to “Kick for Cash” and win $500 at an upcoming Predators game.