DRIVERS FOR CONSUMER LENDERS IDENTIFIED

MADISON, Wis. - CUES has named the winners of three partial scholarships to its 2008 CEO Institute program. The winners are Boyd Gustke, chief lending officer with Connexus Credit Union in Wausau, Wis.; Callie Huff, chief marketing and education officer with Nations Heritage FCU in Attleboro, Mass.; and Thomas Vigueras, president/CEO with Health Associates FCU in Orange, Calif. This partial scholarship is for credit union executives who are active CUES members, full-time paid credit union staff members and committed to attending the entire three-year CEO Institute program.

TOLEDO, Ohio - Ohio’s credit unions are urging parents across the state to have “the talk” with their children. In this case, it’s about money and credit.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - CUNA is coordinating involvement by credit unions to build homes for injured Iraq war veterans in Minnesota and Colorado when the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention visit those respective states later this year. In Minnesota, Sgt. Marcus Kuboy, 30, will have a new place to call home this fall through a national organization called Homes for Our Troops, and the state’s credit unions are teaming up with that group and the Committee on Arrangements for the 2008 Republican National Convention for the initiative.

VIENNA, Va. - With the Virginia legislature contemplating legislation that would limit payday lending in the state, Navy Federal Credit Union has started running both print and radio ads critical of the payday lending industry and promoting credit unions in general. Newspaper ads use a 1950s-era photo of a father giving coins to his children and the headline, “Remember The First Time You Needed A Short=Term Loan? There’s Still Someone You Can Trust To Help You.” Text says credit unions are the answer, noting, “...You can get the money you need now without restoring to payday loan traps, where astronomical interest rates can put you in an unending cycle of debt.” (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WIESBADEN, Germany - A room at The Warrior Transition Unit at a U.S. military medical facility here has been given a makeover after a one-day shopping spree by employees of Andrews FCU’s on-base branch. The WTUs have been created in the wake of the outpouring of complaints related to treatment of soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, and were launched to help soldiers with injuries that will need care for six months or longer. After the credit union learned organizations were sponsoring rooms for soldiers, employees spent $1,700 in one day shopping for home furnishings, including bedding, picture frames, toiletries, rugs, desk supplies and snacks among other things to have the room ready for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

MADISON, Wis. - Paul Sarbanes, the former Democratic senator from Maryland and co-author of The Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act, better known as Sarbanes-Oxley, will keynote the World Council of Credit Unions’ (WOCCU’s) 2008 World Credit Union Conference. The annual event this year takes place in Hong Kong from July 13-16. Sarbanes, a supporter of credit unions while in Congress, told WOCCU he believes CUs remain “very important players in financial services,” and that while he expects tension will always remain in place between banks an credit unions, “Each of you has a role to play in the financial system and you should be able to exist together.” For info: www.woccu.org. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

INDIANAPOLIS - A stock market speculator who gained illegal access to dozens of initial public offerings for mutual savings banks–including five of former credit unions–was sentenced to 20 months behind bars for his role in the scheme.

TEMPE, Ariz. - A new group of credit union marketing professionals has graduated from Credit Union Marketing University (CUMU) Track One and Track Two programs hosted by LemmonTree Enterprises. “For more than five years, the Credit Union Marketing University has provided in-depth strategic marketing training and the student comments speak to the value of the program,” said Nicolette Lemmon. The next sessions of Track One: “Strategic Marketing Planning for Increasing Credit Union ROA.” will be held Sept. 22-26, 2008. Track 2 of Credit Union Marketing University (CUMU), entitled “Managing Marketing Performance and ROI to Enhance Credit Union Performance” is designed specifically for the alums of Track One, and will not be offered again until February 2009.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Arrowhead CU announced a new partnership with area energy providers to promote energy conservation at 16 of its area branches. The “Home Green Home” program will place interactive video kiosks that provide energy-saving tips and information which will be available for non-members and members alike. Partners in the project include: Southern California Gas Co., Southern California Edison and Intergy Corp. The $900-million credit union received an “Energy Star” in 2006 from the Environmental Protection Agency after it renovated a few of its branches to make them more energy efficient. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - In a report that presages bad news for credit unions, federal regulators said the nation’s savings and loans lost a record $5.2 billion in the fourth quarter as the housing market tanked. The massive loss by the thrifts was the first for the industry since the third quarter of 1996.

WASHINGTON - Among the provisions included in the Credit Union Regulatory Improvement Act are some designed to “fix” problems created by H.R. 1151, though some of them are not related to that landmark bill. The primary goals of CURIA are to:

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Water from Hurricane Katrina so flooded the offices of Jackson County Federal Employees FCU, the president of the tiny community development CU was forced to satisfy cash withdrawals from needy members from the back of her SUV behind the damaged building.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – Pennsylvania State Employees CU yesterday said members of Gannett Fleming Employees CU voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for the merger of the $3 million credit union into the state’s largest credit union.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Premier FCU yesterday said it has signed with Postilion and CU Business Capital LLC to deploy online member business services.

TAMPA, Fla. – Suncoast Schools FCU acquired 200 ATMs from Diebold, including 90 Opteva terminals with full deposit automation technology including bulk note acceptors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Community America CU, which last year had its worst year ever, yesterday announced the departure of Mike Patrick, its chief operating officer.

McLEAN, Va. – Mortgage rates continued to rise steeply this week, for the third week in a row, amid a lackluster mortgage market, according to Freddie Mac.

HOUSTON – Cardtronics Inc. yesterday reported a fourth quarter loss of $43.5 million, and a fiscal year loss of $63.4 million, most of it related to the company’s December initial public offering.

McLEAN, Va. – Freddie Mac yesterday announced its losses for the fourth quarter rose to $2.5 billion, from $1.2 billion in the third quarter, as the mortgage crisis continued to take hold of one of the biggest players in the market.