ABILENE, Texas – Communities of Abilene FCU on Saturday donated $32,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters, the largest single donation the organization has received.

MILWAUKIE, Ore. – Cutting Edge FCU has signed a comprehensive cards processing deal with Fifth Third Processing Solutions.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – City County CU announced yesterday it named Lloyd Gill, its executive vice president and chief operating officer, as CEO of the $175 million credit union.

DOVER, Del. – Del-One, Delaware’s second-largest credit union, said yesterday it hired Dion Williams, an experienced credit union executive, as president and CEO of the $272 million institution.

TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa Teachers CU announced that Leslie Rector, who built the credit union to almost $1 billion in assets, is retiring later this year.

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco FCU has installed a new ATM at San Francisco International Airport for the convenience of airport employees.

MADISON, Wis. – CUNA Mutual Group announced it will be offering discounts on home and auto insurance for credit union members through the Michigan CU League’s Invest In America program.

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions on Monday said Ginger Larson, former director of its Office of CUs, was reappointed to head the division that regulates all but three of the state’s 220 credit unions.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – New York’s largest credit union, ESL FCU, paid its members a year-end bonus last week of $7.25 million, the 15th consecutive payout for the $3.8 billion credit union.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Lawmakers will be asked this afternoon to support a bill that would allow credit unions and banks to offer prized-based savings contests, similar to the one staged by Michigan credit unions last year that awarded $100,000 to one saver.

FORTH WORTH, Texas – American Airlines FCU said this afternoon it paid its members a $10 million bonus dividend, one of the biggest credit union payouts ever. The announcement from the Texas credit union giant comes as New York’s biggest credit union, Rochester-based ESL FCU said it distributed $7.25 million year-end bonus to members on Friday. The Texas-size payout by American Airlines FCU rewarded both savers and borrowers. The savings portion was calculated on share dividends earned Jan. 1 through Nov. 30, and was paid at an annual rate of 4.72%. The additional portion was calculated at an annual rate of 4.72% of interest paid Jan. 1–Nov. 30, on those applicable loans. To recognize the most active and loyal members, an additional $50 bonus was distributed to members who participated in three or more of the eight major account categories. “We’re proud of the fact that we are once again able to reward our member-owners with this bonus dividend as an appreciation of their business,” said Angie Owens, president of the $5 billion credit union. American’s payout is up from last year’s $9.6 million member bonus.

GRANITE CITY, Ill.-GCS FCU is making a big splash with its 70th anniversary celebration, but won't be breaking the credit union's marketing budget in the process.

CU LOBBY MOURNS THE LOSS OF 2 KEY BACKERS IN SENATE

Corporate America CU last Friday subpoenaed the records of the corporate credit unions run by the ousted directors of U.S. Central FCU as part of its suit challenging the ill-fated $450 million capital offering by U.S. Central in December of 2008 that was wiped out by losses only weeks later.

Juxtaposed, U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo's 4Q reports suggested the banks most likely to grow business loans fastest are those simply most willing to offer more favorable rates.

NCUA Reduces Operating Fee Scale For 2011

DEER PARK, Texas-Shell FCU is reporting that its year-long "Operation Erase My Debt" helped drive a 9.88% increase in net loans during 2010.

SEATTLE-Starbucks Corp.'s Grande-sized mobile payments trial has gone Venti. The Seattle coffee chain last week said it has expanded its smartphone payment system to include about 6,800 company-operated stores after piloting the technology for more than a year.

DALLAS-Credit unions have shown in recent months that mortgage lending is a potential area for growth, but Angela Calvert warns CUs to tread carefully.

MADISON, Wis.-In 2011, credit unions will need to prudently take more lending risks and price that risk appropriately.