WESTBURY, N.Y.-This year will bring greater reliance on electronic services and security tools as credit unions strive to meet the business needs of 2009 - including making banking easy for beleaguered members, welcoming disgruntled bank customers and fighting fraud - according to an exclusive Credit Union Journal roundtable with the Executive Committee of the CUNA Technology Council (CTC).

Coastal FCU, Raleigh, N.C., named Richard Mullen vice president, mortgage solutions and Jim Pack vice president, retail sales and service.

WASHINGTON-CUNA proposed a corporate aid plan to NCUA that would provide additional guarantees of corporate deposits beyond the current $250,000 per account provided by the National CU Insurance Fund.

WASHINGTON-The House has delayed until this week a vote on a bill to set aside billions of dollars for distressed homeowners and give access to cash infusions under the Troubled Asset Relief Program to CUs.

For 2009, we believe the best lending growth opportunities lie in:

In my 36 years at CUNA Mutual, I have been afforded the opportunity to travel around the world representing our organization in many countries. I have often stated to my co-workers in Madison that I wish they could experience what I have seen firsthand; the "people-helping-people" philosophy and practice in our movement.

While working for the Bethpage Federal Credit Union in New York in 1980 part of my duties included business and new member development. In addition to branch operations management I would traverse the nation speaking with employees of the giant aerospace concern Grumman and their affiliates.

I appreciate the story "Accounting Rulemakers Ease On Fair Value Standards To Aid Corporates (CU Journal Online, Jan. 7) about the new guidance from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). I'd like to clarify a few points.

FEBRUARY

WASHINGTON-Efforts to allow distressed homeowners to restructure their mortgages in bankruptcy court were gaining momentum last week after the nation's largest bank, Citicorp, agreed to support a bill moving through the Senate.

The only conference dedicated solely to credit union growth strategies has released its agenda for your review. Credit Union Journal's Grow Show, April 27-29 in San Diego, features dozens of presenters on just one topic: growth. Lending. Membership. Savings. And More. For details: www.sourcemediaconferences.com/CUBP09.

Some other notes following a year-end clearance sale of items remaining in the Reporter's Notebook:

Collections Firm Signs McCoy FCU

The El Paso Times talked to local residents about their efforts to get mortgages from local lenders, with local institutions indicating they have plenty of funds available. Among those included in the story was El Paso Employees FCU CEO Ray Ponteri, who discussed its health among problems elsewhere. "The credit union is doing fine and we are not suffering any losses, we are making loans and I don't see anything changing that," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

WASHINGTON-As the nation remembers African-American Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and swears in its first African-American president, Credit Union Journal asked the African American Credit Union Coalition to reflect on the contributions people of color have made to the credit union movement.

MANCHESTER, N.H.-A unique, internally created loan program is creating a symbiotic relationship between independent auto dealers and one credit union here with all sides, especially car-buyers, coming out as winners.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA is reviewing several options to resolve the spiraling losses among the corporate credit unions, including a takeover of the most troubled corporates or bringing as many as eight of the corporates under strict supervisory agreements, according to several sources.

LANCASTER, Penn. – Barb Fortney, president and CEO of LANCO FCU for the past 25 years, is retiring Jan. 21 and will be succeeded by the credit union’s executive vice president Barry Ashenfelder.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Pittsford FCU said it is paying its 25,000 members a special dividend totaling $500,000.

ANDOVER, Mass. – Andover FCU has opened a student-run branch in the local technical high school, the Greater Lawrence Technical School.