* The Feb. 12 edition of Credit Union Journal reported that Self-Help CU is the largest community development credit union in the nation, but GECU of El Paso is the largest at $1.2 billion.

LAS VEGAS - This may finally be the year video finally moves from fantasy to a deployed solution in interacting with members.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A former ATM technician at Central Virginia FCU who was convicted of looting the credit union's ATMs was banned from the credit union industry by NCUA. James Allenson, of Lynchburg, Va., was found guilty of grand larceny for stealing from the credit union's ATM last year. Also banned were; Larry Shoenbeck, former CEO of First Century FCU, for embezzling $14,250 from the Sioux Falls, S.D., credit union; Robert Williams, former manager of Philadelphia Postal Workers CU; and Donna Delauder, former financial card services rep at MacDill FCU.

WASHINGTON - The Treasury Department awarded $3.3 million in contracts to two companies who will train local officials to create community development financial institutions, particularly credit unions, for Native Americans, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians. The National Federation of Community Development CUs will participate in the series of training programs, the first of which will be how a credit union can help the native community. The programs are scheduled to start this summer.

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Navy FCU said it plans to hire more than 700 new employees over the next 18 months to man its new call center, which is slated for completion in October.

GLASTONBURY, Conn. - Open Solutions Inc. announced that Tampa, Fla.-based GTE Federal Credit Union successfully implemented Open Solutions' data processing platform, The Complete Credit Union Solution and other complementary products. With more than $2 billion in assets, 39 branches and approximately 250,000 members, GTE's footprint continues to expand, both through acquisitions and aggressive member growth. Open Solutions' DP platform is now the core technology for all of GTE's product and service delivery initiatives.

PORTLAND, Ore. - OnPoint Community CU put the wraps on a new marketing campaign; one that can be seen day or night enveloping the city's light rail commuter trains. The state's largest credit union has wrapped two commuter trains in a material called GlowSkin that illuminates parts of the credit union's animated messages: "Smart money starts with one good decision," and "Simply smarter banking at onpointcu.com."

MOORPARK, Calif. - LynxGate Solutions, a provider of the Fiserv Inc. product CAT ATM management suite announced that San Mateo Credit Union (SMCU) has selected LynxGate's Controller for Automated Tellers (CAT) solution. SMCU has more than $570 million in assets and a growing network of 18 ATMs. LynxGate's CAT solution will provide the credit union with advanced ATM management, monitoring and switch gateway capabilities.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Several area African-American parishes are planning to combine their credit unions into a single community development institution.

MADISON, Wis. - When credit unions think in terms of "what do members need" instead of "here's what we have to offer" innovative products, services and business models are born.

FEBRUARY

Hearings

PROVO, Utah - Reading feedback from members can be "a lot of fun," according to Brad Norton, vice president, marketing and business development at Utah Community CU (UCCU), which uses a web-based feedback management tool.

WICHITA, Kan. - As Credit Union Journal was going to press, it was still unknown whether the only community development credit union in Kansas had raised enough capital to stave off a forced merger or liquidation.

LAS VEGAS - In what may be a first in disaster recovery technology for credit unions, Clark County CU (CCCU) here is unveiling a new hot site, built and maintained entirely by staff members.

IOWA CITY - Members of University of Iowa Community CU are scrambling to get the CU's board of directors to call a meeting for a re-vote on the proposed name change to Optiva that is slated to take place March 1.

WASHINGTON - The Treasury Department awarded $3.3 million in contracts to two companies who will train local officials to create community development financial institutions, particularly credit unions, for Native Americans, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians. The National Federation of Community Development CUs will participate in the series of training programs, the first of which will be how a credit union can help the native community. The programs are scheduled to start this summer.

First Alliance Credit Union, Rochester, Minn., promoted Valerie Mathias to vice president of finance, Lisett Comai to marketing manager and Pamela Evans to branch manager/mortgage consultant.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - NCUA Chairwoman JoAnn Johnson has hired Peter Barrett, senior counsel at the House Financial Services Committee, as her new senior policy advisor and chief of staff. Barrett most recently served as counsel on the Republican staff of the financial services panel and played roles in writing major bills, like Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, Regulatory Relief, Deposit Insurance Reform and Internet Gambling Prohibition. "He's fair and knowledgeable and has a significant understanding about credit union issues," said John McKechnie, congressional liaison for NCUA, about Barrett.

LAS VEGAS - This may finally be the year video finally moves from fantasy to a deployed solution in interacting with members.