Throughout 2007, the Credit Union Journal, in conjunction with ENCORE Card Services, are profiling the credit unions of each U.S. state and D.C. Rather than appear in alphabetical order, the states are being featured in the order they became states. For info: visit www.encore-ecs.coop.

Three More CUs for Harland

CYBERSPACE - Perhaps nothing better illustrates the extraordinary evolution in consumer attitudes toward debt than the Internet.

An open letter to credit union leaders:

Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union, Anchorage, promoted Elvie pineda to City Hall branch manager.

WASHINGTON - Attempts by credit unions to convert to bank charters have raised a new question: can members in otherwise good standing be expelled for participating in anti-conversion efforts or even questioning the conversion plan itself?

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it has awarded the National CU Foundation a $415,000 grant to fund pilot Individual Development Accounts programs at three pilot credit union organizations. The organizations will provide volunteer income tax assistance and advise low-income families applying for Earned Income Tax Credits, which will be used to open savings accounts earmarked for mortgage down payments, the foundation announced yesterday.

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. - Visterra CU will rebate 25% of a real estate agent's commission to members who buy or sell a home through its new Home Fortunes program being offered in conjunction with the $440-million CU's own mortgage financing.

WASHINGTON - The CU lobby had hoped to have its regulatory relief bill-known as CURIA-introduced before CUNA's Government Affairs Conference, but lobbyists were still haggling last week over a single number.

FAIRBORN, Ohio - Wright-Patt CU's Stretch Pay Program is an example of one credit union that understands the trifecta strategy (see story, page 25). Doug Fecher, CEO of the $1.1-billion WPCU, noted that credit unions, including his, were turning down applicants for small loans and that members were using payday lenders. The credit union formed a CUSO that offers a payday loan alternative, "Stretch Pay Program," in 2001.

WASHINGTON - Most Americans agree that there is an ethical reason for reducing poverty in the United States. But for credit unions, the issue goes deeper, with critics, Congress, bankers, consumers and different camps within credit unions themselves all weighing in on just what is the CU role in serving people of "modest means."

* The Hilton Washington has 1,119 sleeping rooms. GAC attendees occupy and estimated 95% of them each year.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Barry Jolette is a guy that walks the talk, a world-class human being who's smart, passionate, focused, respected and fair-the kind of credit union leader that rises high above the rest.

SANTA FE, N.M. - More than 50 credit union representatives from cities across New Mexico met here to raise awareness of CUs and get an update on legislation affecting credit unions on state and national levels, organizers said.

PLANO, Texas - Based in a state that shares a border with Mexico, Southwest Corporate FCU is attuned to the opportunities to be had in the burgeoning Hispanic marketplace throughout the U.S.

IOWA CITY - A group of members of University of Iowa Community CU won a reprieve when its petition demanding a revote on a planned name change was accepted by the board of directors.

PLANO, Texas - Based in a state that shares a border with Mexico, Southwest Corporate FCU is attuned to the opportunities to be had in the burgeoning Hispanic marketplace throughout the U.S.

SEATTLE - Was ist los? Que pasa? Fuze Digital Solutions can answer those questions. The company announced its Fuze Suite v6.2 now supports Spanish, French and German, and will add languages requiring Unicode, Chinese and Japanese, in the near future.

KENSINGTON, Md. - In an unusual peremptory challenge, the chairman of Lafayette FCU told members a petition drive waged by members angry over the credit union's ill-fated conversion to savings bank is riddled with falsehoods and inaccuracies and should be dismissed.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Pacific Service Credit Union's Home Loan Payment Relief program funded $2.4 million in mortgage loans for qualifying first-time homebuyers in 2006.