MADISON, Wis. – Former consultant Tom Decker this week joined the staff of the National Credit Union Foundation as national program director for the Credit Union Center for Social Impact Management.

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Ascend United (Au), a broker of credit union debt, is giving away one 100-gram bar of .999 pure gold to one lucky credit union employee who registers on its newly launched website Ascendunited.com during the three-week period between Jan. 24 and Feb. 14.

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – CUNA board member and President/CEO of Woodstone Credit Union Susan Streifel on Tuesday testified on behalf of credit unions and other proponents of legislation that would make the costs associated with data breaches such as the massive TJX debacle the responsibility of the data breacher.

WASHINGTON – One possible upside to the recent market turmoil: a shot at getting some or all of the CURIA provisions into an economic stimulus bill Congress hopes to pass in February.

PHOENIX – Desert Schools Federal Credit Union last week presented a check for $340,000 to the One Darn Cool School at Phoenix Children’s Hospital – a $90,000 increase over last year’s donation.

WATERLOO, Iowa – A former member service representative at Midwest Utilities CU last week pleaded guilty to embezzling $20,500.

CHICAGO – Chicago Patrolmen’s FCU said it completed the final module of the S.T.A.R. Resources’ Integro Leadership Training.

PORTLAND, Ore. – OnPoint Community CU announced it has completed the conversion of its data processing to XP Systems’ newest version, called XP2.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – First Education FCU yesterday announced it has chosen Secure Identity Theft Solution to provide its employees with identity theft protection as part of its benefits package.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Pentagon FCU yesterday said it has signed a five-year contract extension for credit and signature debit with PSCU Financial Services.

MEDFORD, N.Y. – Suffolk FCU yesterday said it has hired William O’Brien, chief operations officer at NuVision FCU, as its new president and CEO.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Meriwest CU yesterday said expected losses on subprime auto loans by its recent merger mate, Golden Bay FCU, caused it to record a net loss for 2007. The amount of the loss was not disclosed.

MECHANICSBURG, Penn. – Members of Members 1st FCU and non-members alike are used to seeing the visage of Bob Marquette on billboards along Pennsylvania Route 15 and in local ads, but now the president of the $1.4 billion credit union will take on a new role: super hero.

KEY WEST, Fla. – A consortium of credit unions is building a new payment card they say will be more secure than any card on the market and at the same time will be usable for any card brand.

KEY WEST, Fla. – The Illinois CU League has agreed to license the theme, brand and marketing materials of the Pennsylvania CU Association’s “iBelong” ad campaign.

KEY WEST, Fla. – Yesterday’s dramatic rate cut by the Federal Reserve surprised credit union executives who were gathered here to discuss tightening margins and other immediate issues during the Pennsylvania CU Association’s annual CEO Summit – and several of them vowed to cut their own savings rates in concert with the Fed.

PEWAUKEE, Wis. – The Wisconsin Bankers Association is calling a credit union lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) another example of credit unions seeking to avoid paying taxes. That has led to a statement from the Wisconsin Credit Union League that the banks are again “distorting the facts to promote their anti-consumer, tax-increase agenda.”

SAN DIEGO - An interactive ad based on North Island Financial CU’s “Island Paradise” theme is proving a popular diversion, allowing shoppers, theater-goers and others to view some of San Diego’s most popular sites at the touch of a finger.

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MILLVILLE, N.J. - A community group said it has applied to state financial regulators to start a community development credit union, one of at least four new CUs in the works.