Four credit unions with military ties have signed Bilateral Agreements with State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) to help ensure NC National Guard personnel have access to no-surcharge Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) worldwide. SECU signed agreements with Fort Bragg Federal Credit Union, Marine Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union and Pentagon Federal Credit Union that will allow Guardsmen to utilize more than 1,600 no-surcharge ATMs. Whether serving in Guam, Japan, or stateside in locations such as Quantico, Virginia or Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Guardsmen will save as much as $3 per ATM transaction with the elimination of the surcharge fee! The move is part of SECU’s ongoing effort to assist military personnel and thank them for their continuous efforts to serve our Country. Military members at all five credit unions will also have surcharge-free access to all of SECU’s Cash Points ATM network, with over 1,000 ATM locations in North Carolina.

"PenFed is very excited to partner with State Employees’ Credit Union to provide
extended surcharge-free ATM access to the military community in North Carolina," says Frank Pollack, President, PenFed. "Not only is this a beneficial service for our members based in North Carolina, but truly reflects our commitment and spirit as a credit union to provide attractive financial services with extended value."

Cutler Dawson, President/CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union, notes the added value of its 3.4 million members visiting SECU’s no-surcharge ATMs. Dawson comments, "NCSECU’s extensive ATM network in North Carolina is an important access point for Navy Federal members stationed at the numerous military locations in that state."

Craig Chamberlin, CEO of Marine Federal Credit Union, adds, "It is our pleasure to participate in this program and in a very small way, give back to those who continue to protect our freedoms."

Jim Blaine, President of State Employees’ Credit Union, comments, "Our Credit Union has always been impressed with the military-focused US credit unions and the benefits they offer to their members. These partnerships expand what SECU can do as a credit union to also enhance the benefits afforded to the 12,000 NC National Guard soldiers and airmen in North Carolina. With our State’s strong military presence, it’s great to see these credit unions coming together for the good of those who serve our Country."

1/29/2010

2/5/2010

MCG Letter

CSCU - Credit Cards

TLG Pledge Form

NW Chapter Directory

Bike Tour Short Loop

Bike Tour Middle Loop

Bike Tour Long Loop

CU House NL 4Q 2009

Rocky Mount based Freedom Credit Union is promoting its unique home equity credit line product by working together with a fellow Chamber member, Builder's Discount Center.


"We have a low, fixed rate home equity product," commented Clint Williams, Director of Membership Development, "but home equities are not the most exciting things to promote. Our CEO, Jeff Jones, suggested we be creative with our oversized lobby space in our Winstead Avenue branch – and that's what we've done. We normally have a local auto dealer of the month in the lobby with a car – this time we talked with Builder's Discount Center."


Builder's Discount Center is the only home-improvement retailer that is a member of the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce – and with the idea of generating a local-business partnership – they were a natural to get space in Freedom's lobby.


"We weren't sure what we would put in there," says Glenn Perry, President of Builder's Discount Center, "but after seeing their space – which is large – we got creative. Hopefully we've put something in there that helps visualize the many things you can accomplish with your home – which can be very affordable with Freedom's fixed rate home equity loans."


Chamber CEO, Eddie Baysden, was delighted to hear the news about the fellow members working together: "This is the kind of positive business we have developing in Rocky Mount. More and more partnerships like this are what Rocky Mount needs to see and hear about. Kudos."


Builder's Discount Center is an eleven-store operation, headquartered in Rocky Mount. BDC has been providing first quality building materials for more than 20 years and specializes in a drive-in, check-out and drive-out facilities for building and home improvement supplies. BDC is located on U.S. 301 next to Don's Body Shop.

Truliant Federal Credit Union has been priming the stage for a social media initiative for some time, but on Monday, February 1 that time has come. The credit union will actively be using a blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and flickr to start.

"This has been a long time coming for Truliant," said Ryan Shell, marketing communications supervisor for Truliant. "We’ve developed a plan and have some great tools in place, such as the new blog that will allow us to share financial tips, the latest Truliant news, promotional offers and success stories. Not to mention we will be proactively taking part in conversations on Facebook and Twitter."

Truliant’s blog will be the hub of their social media activities and will feature expert content from various departments including: Deposit Services, Member Contact Center, Consumer & Real Estate Lending, Community Services, eServices, Financial Advisors at Truliances and Marketing.

"After reading some of the initial posts that have been put together, I think our members (and non-members) will appreciate the insight that this team will share on the blog," said Shell. "It’s going to be a fantastic financial resource that will help provide content to other channels such as Facebook and Twitter."

Truliant’s social media links:

Blog: blog.truliantfcu.org (will not be live until Monday)

Twitter: www.twitter.com/truliant

YouTube: www.youtube.com/truliantfcu

Facebook: www.facebook.com/truliantfcu

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/truliant

For more information about Truliant, please visit www.truliantfcu.org.

Through their sponsorship of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members recently helped honor ten outstanding State employees and a dedicated State agency. An Awards ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, NC was coordinated by the Office of State Personnel and attended by Governor Beverly Perdue. The Governor’s Awards for Excellence program was created in 1982 to honor State employees for outstanding achievements in the categories of Human Relations, Innovations, Outstanding State Government Service, Public Service and Safety and Heroism. The Award, sponsored by the SECU Foundation, is the highest honor a State employee can receive for dedicated service to North Carolina and its citizens.

2009 recipients include Lisa Edwards (Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Robin S. Greene (University of North Carolina General Administration), Mary Garner (Department of Health & Human Services), Versa Stevens (Department of Health & Human Services), Doug Hayes (Department of Crime Control & Public Safety), Kevin Hennelly (Department of Crime Control & Public Safety), Kirk Hensley (Department of Crime Control & Public Safety), Judy M. Jones (Employment Security Commission), Beth Smyre (Department of Transportation), Jonathan Sowers (Department of Insurance), and the Employment Security Commission for a Special Agency Award.

Leigh Brady, SECU Senior Vice President of Education Services, welcomed Governor’s Awards guests at the January 21st ceremony. Mrs. Brady commented, "SECU’s main objective is to improve the financial lives of its members and we operate with the philosophy of ‘People Helping People,’ much like the State employees of North Carolina. State employees serve their fellow citizens not only through their primary jobs, but outside of work, through many community service and charitable organizations. Our Credit Union’s member-owners, through their Foundation support of the Governor’s Awards, congratulate and salute their fellow State employees as winners!"

NC State Personnel Director Linda Coleman, also on hand to speak at the event, added, "The Governor’s Awards for Excellence offers us a rare opportunity to recognize the exceptional State employees who serve our citizens each and every day.  In addition to their daily work, their call to service continues in their communities where they reach out to those in need and touch the lives of those in our State and beyond our borders. It is an honor to pay tribute to those who serve us with such excellence. "

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is joining with other IRS partners to place special emphasis on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a valuable credit often overlooked by eligible taxpayers. The IRS estimates one in four qualifying taxpayers, typically those who earn less than $49,000, fail to claim the EITC. Over the last few months, SECU personnel have been educating members at various State agencies and school systems through delivery of educational materials and special presentations aimed at increasing EITC awareness. In fact, more than 70,000 fliers were distributed throughout the State by SECU employees in 226 branch locations. In addition, Credit Union member newsletters and SECU’s website included informative EITC articles, and SECU branches displayed promotional banners.

The Credit Union’s Earned Income Tax Credit educational efforts complement its ongoing participation in the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, providing free tax return preparation for qualifying North Carolinians. In the last two years, SECU has helped taxpayers claim $47 million in tax refunds and nearly $24 million in tax credits, such as the EITC. SECU’s VITA efforts continue for the current tax season and Credit Union personnel have seen a marked increase in just one week of filing!

Roger D. Burton, Territory Manager, IRS Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication, comments, "It is so important to make sure all North Carolinians who are eligible for the EITC take advantage of this financial benefit. We appreciate SECU’s efforts to educate thousands of North Carolinians on the EITC program and look forward to the continued success of our partnership with SECU throughout the remainder of the 2010 filing season."

Josh Kelly, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Tax Preparation Services, adds, "SECU personnel have done an outstanding job helping to bring awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit to State employees in North Carolina. As the tax season unfolds, we look forward to seeing the wonderful results of their efforts through increased refunds for eligible taxpayers. Those dollars in the pockets of our State’s citizens will help to give an economic boost to North Carolina’s economy!"

An active member of the Jacksonville/Onslow Chamber of Commerce, Chuck was instrumental in the growth of the credit union. During Chuck’s tenure as EVP, Marine grew from eight branches to 20 and from 12 ATMs to 96. He was a true guardian of the consciousness of the credit union, placing the highest importance on the value of member services and offering the correct service to its members, primarily young military, and his community service.

Created in the mid 1960s, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine is given to NC residents in recognition of a proven record of service or some other special achievement (most often when a person retires). The recipient receives a certificate and the privilege of proposing, at any time, the North Carolina toast:

Here’s to the land of the long leaf pine,
The summer land where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great,
Here’s to "down home", the Old North State!

Past recipients include such famous Tar Heels as Maya Angelou, Billy Graham, Michael Jordan, Bob Timberlake and Rick Hendrick, along with state employees, prominent business executives and noted politicians, athletes, musicians, actors and advocates.

(Note: The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation has partnered with NCUF & WOCCU to help the people of Haiti through CUAid. For more information, please click here.)

Charlotte Metro Federal Credit Union announced today that it is donating $10,000 USD to Haiti earthquake relief efforts through the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) who is working with CU Aid to bring much needed help to the more than 490,000 members of credit unions in Haiti.

CU Aid, a disaster relief fund that works with credit unions, will direct the funds to be used immediately for critical needs such as food, water, clothing and temporary shelter for the thousands of credit union members affected by the earthquake.

"The credit union philosophy is based on people helping people," said Charlotte Metro’s president and CEO, Bob Bruns. "And this is a time when the people of Charlotte Metro have an opportunity to reach out to the people affected by this terrible disaster."

CU Aid (www.cuaid.coop) is an online disaster relief donation center operated by the National Credit Union Foundation that provides support for the critical, long-term and operational needs of credit unions involved in natural and manmade disasters around the world.

(Note: the following information is provided courtesy of CUNA.)

Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) designations were awarded to 27 individuals from 10 different states, bringing the total nationwide to 2,665. Fourteen of the 27 are State Employees' Credit Union staff.

CCUE, instituted in 1975, is the hallmark of professional credit union achievement. Designed for managers and those aspiring to credit union leadership, the program teaches advanced credit union management and operations techniques.

In addition, two other SECU staffers earned speciality designations from CUNA, including certified lending specialist and certified human resource specialist.

Certified Credit Union Executive Designations:

Amanda Beck, SECU
Scott Cabe, SECU
Christina Clarke, SECU
S. Dawn Davey, SECU
Jeanne Fannin, SECU
Allison Francis, SECU
Lyvonda Haynes, SECU
Cynthia Magliocca*, SECU
Alexis Odom, SECU
Roxanne Phillips, SECU
Stacy Rich, SECU
Michael Rowe, SECU
Lorrie Stables, SECU
Christie Thompson, SECU

Certified Lending Specialist Designation:

Amanda Beck, SECU

Certified Human Resource Specialist Designation:

Diane Gay, SECU

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is encouraging its members and all North Carolinians to stand up and be counted in the United States Census 2010. The Credit Union will be utilizing various media outlets in the coming months to educate members on the Census. With more than $400 billion allocated to states and communities each year based in part on Census data, it is crucial that all North Carolinians understand the benefits of participation to the State and its citizens. Partnering with the US Department of Commerce, SECU launched its educational campaign with an article in its January 2010 Grassroots newsletter, reaching more than one million members.

A Census is a count of everyone residing in the United States and is required by the US Constitution every 10 years. In 2010, every resident will receive a short questionnaire of just 10 questions, taking minimal time to complete. Census data determines the number of seats each state will have in the US House of Representatives and can help determine the allocation of federal funds for community services such as school lunch programs and senior centers, as well as new construction dollars for highways and hospitals.

Leigh Brady, Senior Vice President of Education Services, comments, "With benefits and services dollars at stake based upon citizen participation, SECU realizes the importance of educating its more than 1.5 million members on the value of completing the US Census 2010. Our Credit Union is pleased to partner with the US Department of Commerce to ‘get the word out’ on the Census and we look forward to the positive results for the State of North Carolina."

Christine Mackey, Partnership Specialist with the US Department of Commerce, responds, "We appreciate the support of State Employees’ Credit Union in helping us promote the 2010 Census. The goal of the Census Bureau’s partnership program is to combine the strengths of various organizations, schools, media and businesses to ensure a complete and accurate 2010 Census. Through our partnership with SECU, we can help guarantee the Census message is delivered to every corner of North Carolina."

State Employees’ Credit Union members have provided $500,000 in funding from the SECU Foundation to benefit the NC Museum of History’s new Education Center. The new facility will be named the SECU Education Center in honor of the donation by Credit Union members. With the SECU Foundation’s support, the Museum will now be able to reach schools all across North Carolina, delivering educational programs and innovative learning experiences to thousands of students in a visible, state of the art learning center.

Supporting the Museum’s approaches to teaching and learning, the SECU Education Center will enhance the Museum’s permanent chronological presentation of North Carolina history through cutting-edge technology, two-way video conferencing and virtual field trips. Furthermore, this new technology will provide increased access to the Museum of History for students and teachers in rural areas of the State. With programs for all ages, the SECU Education Center will also allow the Museum to emphasize how lifelong learning will impact the future of North Carolina and the role of citizens in an increasingly global society.

NC Museum of History Director Ken Howard comments, "We are extremely pleased to partner with SECU members to complete the Museum’s new Education Center. The grant from the SECU Foundation will enable the Museum to install the technology necessary to record and broadcast educational programs, lectures, seminars and meetings for dissemination across the State. This technology will allow school groups that cannot visit the Museum in person to participate in the quality programming the Museum provides in the same way they could if they were at the Museum."

Shirley Bell, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, remarks, "SECU members welcome the opportunity to partner with the State’s museums to further show our support of the educational benefits the museums provide to students all across North Carolina. A primary focus for our Foundation is education and the NC Museum of History project certainly helps to provide a continued emphasis in this area."

Coastal Federal Credit Union announced today that it will close its physical branch network in the Charlotte area, effective February 26, 2010. That same day, Coastal will also close one underperforming location in the Cleveland (40/42) area of Johnston County.  The moves are part of the credit union's ongoing plan to focus on and expand its presence in the Triangle, where Coastal is headquartered and operates 15 branches.  

The four locations to be closed are:

• 1835 West W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte
• 1605 Galleria Blvd., Charlotte
• 970 Branchview Dr., Concord
• 5638 NC Highway 42 West, Garner (Cleveland area)

"Over the past 42 years, the Triangle has been central to our success, and is the key to our long-term, sustainable growth," said Coastal's President and CEO, Larry Wilson. "This is where we enjoy our strongest market share, solid brand recognition and best return on our investment. Rather than spread ourselves thin by continuing to support physical branch operations in two major markets, we're committing to focus on branch growth and expansion throughout the Triangle market. Our objective is to be the local leader in checking accounts, car loans and mortgages."
 
While the credit union has had a branch presence in both the Charlotte and Triangle markets, the majority of Coastal's membership and best-performing locations are within the Triangle.  The Charlotte branches have had to contend with a smaller membership base, minimal market share and limited branch network, while facing much stronger competition from banks and other credit unions.  The Cleveland branch has not met performance requirements after 5 years, and is being combined with Coastal's nearby White Oak branch.  

Moving forward, Coastal will build upon recent local success, primarily by taking advantage of its innovative Express Teller technology and a fresh branch strategy to fill in gaps in consumer banking coverage within the core Triangle market.

"Locally, we've had a number of major achievements already," said Wilson.

In early 2009, Coastal began upgrading branches to the new Express Teller system, which allows tellers in a centralized center in Raleigh to interact with members at branches remotely to conduct transactions.  So far, the credit union has upgraded 12 branches and added a brand-new location by installing a standalone Express Teller unit on-site at the Lenovo campus, along with a member services associate to open accounts and make loans.

"We actually ended up upgrading three more locations than we had planned to do by the end of 2009, and finished two months ahead of schedule," said Wilson.  "Because of the Express Teller system, we can now offer extended (7am-7pm) weekday and Saturday (9am-2pm) teller hours at 12 locations. We look forward to soon being able to provide that level of service at all of them."

Coastal reiterated previously announced plans to create additional branch coverage throughout the area. This will be achieved by opening several new branches locally between now and 2012, as well as replacing or upgrading existing branches in order to maximize their ability to provide extended hours of service.

Site work is already underway at a new location on Creedmoor Road in Raleigh, which will replace Coastal's Lynnwood branch later this year. Progress is also being made to upgrade a Durham branch by the end of 2010.

Members who use the Charlotte-area branches are being notified of service alternatives, including nearby Credit Union Service Centers and Coastal's robust Online Banking system. The credit union also participates in networks that give members nationwide access to 3,500 shared branches and 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs.  

"We already serve tens of thousands of members in all 50 states through a rich offering outside of a brick and mortar branch network," Wilson added.

Members from the Cleveland branch will be encouraged to begin using the credit union's White Oak location, which offers extended weekday and Saturday teller hours.

The SECU Foundation, which is funded solely by members of State Employees’ Credit Union, recently increased its educational scholarship funding by $4 million, bringing the cumulative total provided for North Carolina educational scholarships to $25 million since 2004. The additional funding will supply one $10,000 "People Helping People" Scholarship to each of the traditional public high schools in North Carolina. These four-year college scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors for study at one of the sixteen constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina system. As college costs continue to rise, the "People Helping People" Scholarship program offers SECU members a way to give back to their local communities and helps to ensure the ongoing success of North Carolina students.

The $10,000 scholarship amount makes it one the premier awards to be received by North Carolina high school seniors. Recipients are chosen by each individual high school’s scholarship selection committee, tasked with finding a deserving student who embodies the Credit Union "People Helping People" spirit. And, nearly 90% of the inaugural recipients from 2005 have completed their undergraduate degrees, an exceptionally high rate for standard scholarship programs!

Shirley Bell, Board of Directors Chairman of SECU Foundation, comments, "As North Carolina’s economy continues to struggle, many families have been faced with choosing basic necessities over assisting with educational expenses. Therefore, the availability of scholarships is more important than ever. SECU members are known for their generosity in local North Carolina communities and providing the ‘People Helping People’ Scholarships is another example of their giving spirit."

2005 SECU Foundation Scholarship recipient and current graduate student Steven Harriott, a 2009 graduate of NC State University, offers these remarks, "I was one of the first students to receive an SECU Foundation ‘People Helping People’ Scholarship and am grateful for the financial assistance provided to me and my family. Since this program is funded solely by Credit Union members, I certainly have a lot of people to thank. At SECU, members are really working together to help North Carolina students succeed!"

Ever made a minor error in balancing your checking account and had it result in numerous Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fees? It can happen to anyone and lead to embarrassment and unnecessary costs. In 2010, SECU wants to help its members avoid this embarrassment and has introduced SECU NSF Fee Free Days --- an enhancement to the Credit Union’s no cost Overdraft Protection Program. With more than 80% of SECU’s 800,000+ checking accountholders already opting in for no cost overdraft protection, the new benefit will provide some coverage for more than 150,000 members!

Currently, SECU has one of the lowest NSF fees in the financial industry, charging just $12 per item to cover handling costs and losses associated with returned checks. And while the fee is low, the Credit Union’s Board of Directors approved the NSF Fee Free Days Program to make SECU’s overdraft options even more consumer-friendly. With the program, SECU members can now conveniently have the $12 fees waived on two separate days during the year. Regardless of the number of items marked as NSF on either of the two days, SECU will return the items to the payee but waive the SECU member’s Credit Union fees, helping to ease the financial burden related to such items! Even more improvements in the Credit Union’s program are slated for later in the year, including the release of a new controlled spending account designed to be used in conjunction with a debit card, for members who would like to eliminate the possibilities of overdrafts entirely. SECU is also working on a program called "Another Chance" which will provide mobile alerts and an additional day for members to cover inadvertent overdrafts without fee, return or embarrassment. The "Another Chance" program is scheduled for introduction in Spring 2010.

Sue Douglas, Senior Vice President of Operations at SECU, remarks, "As a member-owned financial cooperative, our success lies in the success of our members! Therefore, it is imperative we design products and services that are beneficial and representative of SECU as a trusted provider. All checking accountholders make minor errors periodically and need "forgiveness" options! While many in the industry are looking to increase fees in order to achieve a projected profit margin, SECU’s job continues to be the exact opposite --- look for ways to keep money where it belongs, in the pockets of members!"

"No Comment" was not an option for State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) when reporters started calling for on-camera interviews about SECU members becoming victims of card skimming. In fact, Credit Union personnel viewed it as an opportunity to provide good consumer education information to the community at large. So, SECU invited all four major Raleigh, North Carolina TV stations in to create consumer segments on how card skimming fraud occurs. Known for their transparency and open communication with members, SECU wanted to help get the word out to consumers about the growing problem of card "skimming" in North Carolina. SECU also stressed that card fraud victims are not held liable when fraud occurs on their account and provided safety tips on how to help prevent fraudulent activity.

The Credit Union’s Card Services and Security Administration departments coordinated the interviews with stations and local police officials and particularly appreciated the consumer-friendly reporting of WTVD ABC-11 and News 14 Carolina in the Raleigh-Durham area. The fraud alerts also featured security camera photos of suspects in the latest skimming incidents.

Leanne Phelps, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Card and Record Services department, comments, "State Employees’ Credit Union has always been very proactive in dealing with potential fraudulent activity on Credit Union issued cards. SECU continues to reissue cards whenever even a remote possibility exists that a card has been compromised. We always welcome the opportunity to help inform SECU members about fraud protection efforts at the Credit Union. Quite often informing members and enlisting their help has led to the arrest of those persons involved in the fraudulent activity. Members really don’t like it when folks "mess with" their Credit Union and their money!"

Cory Mathes, a Security Officer at SECU, adds, "As part of a cooperative, SECU member-owners all have a vested interest in protecting the assets of the Credit Union. Individual members are always fully protected, but fraud does impose an expensive, unnecessary cost on the membership as a whole. And, with the growing problem of fraud and compromised cards, it’s more important than ever that consumers are educated on the practice of "skimming" at gas pumps and other point-of-sale terminals. While others in the market may choose to decline requests for interviews relative to scams and fraud, SECU will always take the opportunity to ensure our members and all North Carolinians are better informed of such practices."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of 15 new advisory council members to nine of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to the board of directors regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

December’s appointees are:

Central Coast
Shirley Gabbert, Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, Financial Manager

Coastal Plain
Susan Baptist, City of Jacksonville, Recreation Program Supervisor
Audrey Bryant, Duplin County, Deputy Three

Foothills
Vontella Dabbs, Cleveland County, HR Analyst for Benefits and Payroll
Lisa Wassen, City of Shelby, Safety and Risk Management Coordinator

Northern Coast
Mike Eubank, Town of Kitty Hawk, Finance Officer

Northern Mountain
Terri Ford, Town of West Jefferson, Town Clerk/HR Director

Roanoke-Chowan
Brenda Allgood, Albemarle Hospital, Benefits Manager

Triangle
David Collins, Pittsboro Police Department, Chief of Police

Wake
Walter Martin, Knightdale, Retired

Western Mountain
Connie Baird, Macon County, Paramedic
Tracy Chastain, Town of Franklin, Sergeant Detective
Brian Leopard, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant
Steve Sears, Franklin, Retired
Michael Trammel, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) congratulates 35 winners of its School of Government (SOG) Scholarship Award and Essentials of Municipal Government Scholarship Program. The awards, which help LGFCU members strengthen their skills and enhance job performance, are applied to classes and seminars offered by the SOG at UNC-Chapel Hill, the largest university-based local government training, advisory and research organization in the United States.
 
"The credit union strongly supports the School of Government because of their instrumental role in strengthening the job skills of local government employees, which in turn improves the communities in which they serve," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith.
 
The SOG Award recipients are:
Pamela Blake, Stanly County, $300
Timothy Connolly, Onslow Water and Sewer Authority, $1,800
Adrian Cox, Town of Mt. Pleasant, $300
Melody Graham, Village of Marvin, $325
Mary Jo Gollnitz, Village of Marvin, $325
Brian Helms, Montgomery County, $1,800
Donna Hosch, City of Oxford, $500
Jeanne Johnston, City of Lexington, $480
Paula Kirby, Town of Granite Falls, $ 235
Kelly McKee, Town of Dillsboro, 325
Al Newman, City of Charlotte, $1,800
Nancy Nixon, Nash County, $480
Nedra Norton, Lee County, $1,800
Robin O’Neal, Edgecombe County, $575
Susan Sain, Lincoln County, $500
Lisa Warren, Edgecombe County, $300
 
The Essentials Scholarships recipients are:
(Note: All scholarships are in the amount of $300.)
Alvin Adams, Town of Andrews
Troy Barnhardt, Town of Mt. Pleasant
Jim Bristol, Town of Andrews
John Brown, Town of Andrews
Mickey Buck, Town of Bayboro
Gregory Carr, Town of Greenevers
Lonnie Davis Jr., City of Henderson
Mary Evans, City of Henderson
Tony Farrior, Town of Greenevers
Heidi Hogan, Town of Littleton
Terri Holt, Town of Robbins
Lawrence Gatewood, Town of Wadesboro
Gary "Dean" Isenhour, Town of Rhodhiss
Scott Pauley, Town of Maggie Valley
James Reid, Town of Andrews
Terry Smith, Town of Hope Mills
Travis Summit, Town of Cleveland
Robert Usrey Jr., Town of Wadesboro
Sheila Young, Town of Holden Beach
 
The next application deadline for the SOG Scholarship Award is April 1, 2010; the deadline for the Essentials Scholarship will be announced in 2010. For more information, or to apply, contact the Education Services staff at 877.367.5428 or visit www.lgfcu.org.

SECU members have once again exemplified their "People Helping People" giving spirit through their Foundation’s support of Hospice of Wake County. A $500,000 check was presented to Hospice of Wake County at a December 17, 2009 Hospice Volunteer Appreciation event. The grant will be used to construct SECU Healing Gardens, a peaceful, reflective area to benefit patients and their families. On hand for the check presentation were SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman Shirley Bell, as well as McKinley Wooten, Vice Chairman of SECU’s Board of Directors.

The grant was first announced in October 2008 and is a matching gift to Hospice of Wake County "Building Partners in Caring" capital campaign. The newly completed Hospice and Palliative Care Center is scheduled for public dedication on January 9, 2010 and will serve five North Carolina counties.

Shirley Bell, Chairman of SECU Foundation Board of Directors, comments, "This new Hospice of Wake County center will give families a free-standing facility where compassionate, tender end-of-life care for patients and support for their loved ones will be administered. The new facility is a great complement to the longstanding care already being provided through Hospice of Wake County. Hospice shares the Credit Union’s philosophy of ‘People Helping People,’ which makes it a perfect fit for SECU members’ support."

Michael D. Blanchard, Vice President of Development for Hospice of Wake County, adds, "We are so pleased to be able to share the fruition of a 30-year dream with members of our community. The building of this facility and the surrounding campus has been a labor of love, one we undertook to ensure no patient would ever be turned away from service, just because of their living conditions. In fact, we will serve about 600 patients each year in the hospice home, in addition to the 5,000 we serve in their own homes. We truly appreciate the generosity of SECU members in making SECU Healing Gardens a great addition to the Wake County hospice campus."

In the midst of trying economic times and when State resources have been depleted in North Carolina, State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) employees and members have once again demonstrated their philosophy of "People Helping People," with contributions benefiting more than 900 non-profits of the 2009 State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC). SECU employees donated over $66,000 to this year’s Campaign, and SECU members, via their Foundation, provided $200,000 in funding for the SECC Resource Guide Listing, helping to offset administrative costs of the campaign in order to assure more funds reach the North Carolinians who need it most. The Campaign provides an opportunity for active and retired employees of the State of North Carolina to donate to charitable organizations ranging from charities that assist seniors, to organizations finding new treatments for diseases, to programs that nurture North Carolina’s children.

In a year when overall giving to the Campaign was down by 20%, SECU employees increased their giving by 15%, surpassing their 2008 figure by nearly $9,000! This tremendous outreach in giving complements the Credit Union’s ongoing charitable efforts throughout its network of 226 branches and multiple operations centers, as SECU personnel hold numerous fundraisers and serve in volunteer capacities within their local communities.

Leigh Brady, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Education Services department, comments, "In this time of great need in North Carolina, SECU’s employees are demonstrating their commitment to helping others through efforts such as the State Employees Combined Campaign. We are thrilled Credit Union employees have opened not only their hearts, but their wallets, and were able to exceed our expectations for SECU’s 2009 Campaign. Equally impressive is the commitment of SECU members, providing critical funding for the SECC Campaign in the absence of State resources."

SECC Director Meredith Barrett Cuomo adds, "We are once again extremely grateful to SECU members for their Foundation’s generous support in funding our annual Resource Guide. In addition, the donations from SECU employees to the Campaign are invaluable in making a difference for all of the worthwhile charities that benefit from the Campaign."

With North Carolina’s unemployment rate hovering around 11 percent, Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) understands some of its members may be struggling with a job loss. To help ease the stress associated with this situation, members now have the option of withdrawing funds from their share term certificates (STCs) early—without penalty.

"Right now, people need a helping hand more than ever," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "That’s why, for a limited time, our share term certificates come with ‘unemployment protection.’ It’s a benefit that works for our members even if they aren’t."

The regular penalty for early withdrawal of a STC is 90 days interest or all the interest—whichever is less. Taking the example of $5,000 placed in a 60-month STC with a rate of 3.25 percent, an early withdrawal penalty would be approximately $40.

"The waived penalty may not be that much, but it’s the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can access your money if you need it—that’s what we want for our members," said Smith.

Three NC credit unions - American Partners FCU, Coastal FCU and Self-Help CU - were named to the "Dean's List" by the Online site creditcardconnection.com recently. All three credit unions earned the recognition through their consumer-friendly credit card practices.

Credit card programs have come under close scrutiny in the wake of the financial crisis. From high interest rates to hidden fees, consumers have grown more and more frustrated with charge cards.   

Credit union veteran Ondine Irving started Credit Card Connection in part to help consumers find easy access to cards that represented a good deal.  Irving notes that more than 260 credit unions nationwide are officially a part of the Dean's List. The Dean's List includes five components:

• Rates (Fixed or Variable) Less Than 18% 
• No Balance Transfer Fees
• No Penalty Rates
• Late Fees at or less than $25
• No Annual Fee

Credit unions must meet or exceed the minimum requirements of each criteria to be added to the Dean's List.

Irving and the site have been featured by Suze Orman and on Larry King Live. Qualifying for and being added to the Dean's List is done at no charge. Since credit card programs are a clear differentiator, Irving hopes that more credit unions will step forward to be added to the Dean's List. "The more cooperation and support we can get, the better off America will be in helping consumers reduce their debt and fight back against the banks!"

American Partners FCU President/CEO Dorida Edwards said the credit union, "was thrilled to receive the five-star rating from the Credit Card Connection." She adds that with credit card practices under close scrutiny from consumers, "it is the perfect time to let our members know that if you do not have a VISA card you are missing out on the best deal in the area."

"Credit Card Connection is a wonderful illustration of how well credit union products and services ‘measure up’ in the national marketplace of financial services," said Steve Reardon, Self-Help Credit Union's NC retail branch supervisor. "The website is providing a very valuable service to credit card consumers and we tip our hats to Ondine Irving and her associates for having the foresight and vision to create such a strong resource," added Reardon.    

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently celebrated its gift of 54 laptop computers for North Carolina’s Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy at a ribbon cutting ceremony, which marked the official opening of the school’s computer lab. The Credit Union provided the computers to the Academy through a partnership with Visa Inc.

Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy, located in Salemburg, NC, is a quasi-military program available for at-risk youth. The Academy’s program concentrates on providing these young adults with the discipline and life skills necessary to be productive members of society. The North Carolina National Guard sponsors this voluntary program, which has seen more than 2,700 graduates since its inception in 1994.

The laptops which will be used to enhance instruction at the institution, feature links to financial literacy programs, including SECU’s teen website and the National Endowment for Financial Education’s NEFE website, as well as Visa’s program, Practical Money Skills for Life (www.practicalmoneyskills.com). The ribbon cutting ceremony for the Academy’s computer lab was held on December 7th and attended by North Carolina Adjutant General William E. Ingram, Jr., numerous Academy officials and staff, Academy cadets, Shirley Bell – SECU’s Board of Directors immediate past chair, SECU volunteer Advisory Board member Dr. Al Wentzy and various Credit Union staff members.

SECU – Jackson Advisory Board member Dr. Al Wentzy comments, "This was a ‘home run event threefold!’ First, we substantially helped a school that takes high school dropouts and puts them on a path to success. Second, we acquired computers with supportive technology for learning with financial literacy software; and third, we supported our own NC National Guard troops in their efforts to help others! Hearing almost daily of recessionary problems in our nation, how refreshing it is to be a member of a credit union that is not only financially stable, but truly cares about their members and the community in which we live."

Shirley Bell, 2008-2009 SECU Board of Directors Chairman, adds, "SECU, a not-for-profit financial cooperative, serves members of the North Carolina National Guard, making this project a natural fit for our organization. The Credit Union also places a major focus on education and financial literacy and the donation of these laptops for Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy’s computer lab aligns with this focus. With the Academy’s mission of improving life-coping skills and the employment potential of North Carolina youth, we take great pride in our partnership with Visa to further enhance the Tarheel ChalleNGe program and look forward to a long-standing relationship with the Academy, its fine instructors and cadets."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of six new advisory council members to four of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to the board of directors regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

November’s appointees are:

Eastern Sandhills
Michael McNeill, City of Lumberton, Police Chief

Triangle
Brandy Thomas, N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts, Magistrate
Michael Roberson, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Captain

Wake
Diana Harris, Town of Cary, Human Resources Assistant
Bill Hoff, Wake Forest

Western Sandhills
Bob Bridwell, City of Sanford, Planning Director

SECU members via the SECU Foundation have announced a $4 million grant to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, funding the Museum’s centerpiece of the planned Nature Research Center. The centerpiece --- SECU Daily Planet --- will be a three-story multimedia program area that will employ cutting edge audio and visual technologies to provide a rich backdrop for live presentations on key environmental issues and recent scientific discoveries. The SECU Daily Planet will also draw on live feeds of the latest science news and provide daily outreach to audiences statewide via the North Carolina Research and Education Network, Research Channel Consortium, NASA-TV, WRAL-TV, UNC-TV, North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC), Webcasts and Podcasts. The Research Center is projected to attract more than 200,000 visitors annually from all North Carolina counties.

The Nature Research Center (NRC) is an innovative 80,000 square-foot wing of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and is currently under construction just west of the current Museum building. Now celebrating its 130th year, the Museum has historically showcased "what we know," with exhibits and programs highlighting scientific knowledge gleaned from long-term research. The NRC will share "how we know it" by bringing research to the forefront and highlighting current scientific issues that affect our daily lives. The NRC will also provide students, teachers and the general public with a unique opportunity to meet and directly learn from scientists in an effort to help demystify what can be an intimidating and confusing field of study.

The Museum has also established a partnership with Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC), an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced networking technologies and systems to improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina’s K-20 education community. MCNC has developed the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), which is a reliable, cost-efficient optical network, and will be installed in the NRC. NCREN will connect to every elementary, middle and high school in the state, facilitating the delivery of the NRC’s distance learning programs for students, particularly in remote, rural areas considered underserved. 

Dr. Betsy Bennett, Director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, comments, "State Employees’ Credit Union is one of our strongest and longest standing partners in this venture and we are of course delighted with their generosity, as this is the largest private gift we’ve received since the NRC capital campaign was launched in fall 2008. We are equally delighted that they share the Museum’s commitment to providing statewide educational outreach in the natural sciences."

Shirley Bell, Chair of SECU Foundation’s Board of Directors, responds, "SECU members are proud to provide this $4 million grant to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Since SECU serves employees of the State’s public schools, community colleges, and universities, this project is a natural fit for the Foundation to assist in enhancing North Carolina education, giving the Museum a greater ability to serve the science and technology needs of teachers and students. We look forward to the completion of the Nature Research Center, along with the SECU Daily Planet."

On November 8, Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) held a graduation ceremony for 180 participants from around the state who completed the financial education program. The majority of participants are previously unbanked Latino immigrants learning how to navigate the U.S. financial system. The ceremony took place at the Durham Armory, located at 220 Foster Street. This has been by far the largest graduating class in LCCU’s 10 years of existence.

After a group of Mariachis and local dancing group, Takiri, entertained the graduates and their families, the credit union’s CEO, Luis Pastor, introduced Edgardo Colon, LCCU’s board chairperson, who spoke about the history and importance of the credit union, particularly in the current economic climate in which many people are facing financial hardship.

"People need to learn the basics about the complex U.S. financial system so they can access affordable loans and other financial products they need. Financial education has been a key part of our mission since we opened our doors in 2000," commented Luis Pastor.

Latino Credit Union’s financial education program is free and open to the entire community. It consists of six workshops that cover basic financial management topics including managing a checking account, saving, budgeting, credit history, credit cards, and purchasing a car and a home. All participants who complete the program receive a certificate of recognition and are invited to the graduation ceremony. The next series of workshops will begin in the first quarter of next year. In the next year, we plan to add several new sessions including electronic services, investing, insurance, and small business services.

The series of workshops are provided three times a year in every branch location on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. "I’m very grateful for the services the Latino Community Credit Union has given me," said Guillermo Bonilla from the Fayetteville branch. "They have helped me so much that I have convinced many friends and neighbors to open their accounts here and manage their money with this Credit Union. They not only help you keep your money safe and earn good returns, but they also give you the tools so that you can better judge what is good and what is not for you related to financial products. "

The groundbreaking ceremony for SECU House at Kitty Askins was recently held in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The ceremony marks the expansion of the Kitty Askins Hospice Center, an expansion that will see the facility double from 12 beds to 24. In March of this year SECU members, via the SECU Foundation, provided a grant of $750,000 to Home Health and Hospice Care, Inc. (3HC) for the expansion. In honor of the generous contribution by SECU members, the new wing is named SECU House at Kitty Askins. On hand for the ceremony were Shirley Bell, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, Bo Wessell, SECU Advisory Board member, Mark Twisdale, SECU Foundation Executive Director and Donna Oldham, Vice President of SECU’s Goldsboro-West Ash Street branch.

Kitty Askins Hospice Center is one of the most utilized hospice facilities in North Carolina, resulting in a long admittance waiting list. The expansion of Kitty Askins will provide more patients with skilled hospice care in a tranquil, home-like setting.

3HC President, Dean Lee, comments, "This is a day we have looked forward to for quite some time. When someone calls and needs this level of care, too many times we have had to say, ‘I’m sorry, we’re full.’ We are here to eliminate ever having to say that again. We are thankful that SECU members and our community have helped make this possible."

Shirley Bell responds, "The SECU Foundation was proud to partner with 3HC to provide funding for the expansion of SECU House at Kitty Askins and it is wonderful to see the construction begin on the expansion. The facility serves such a critical need in Wayne and surrounding counties, providing supportive, end-of-life care for patients. This project is a great fit for the Foundation, as it epitomizes the Foundation’s ‘People Helping People’ philosophy."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of two new advisory council members to two of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to the board of directors regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

October’s appointees are:

Triangle East
Lee Barbee, Town of Clayton Fire Department, Fire Chief

Wake
Jason Boggs, Town of Knightdale Public Safety Department, Engineer

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) hosted its 2009 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at the Sheraton Hotel at Four Seasons in Greensboro, North Carolina and nearly 1,000 members attended the event. The 2009 meeting featured an earlier luncheon and educational sessions for local branch Advisory Board and Loan Review Committee volunteers, and the day concluded with the General Membership Meeting. During the general meeting, Board of Directors Chairman Shirley Bell presented highlights from the 2009 Report to the Membership. SECU President Jim Blaine also provided an overview of the Credit Union’s past fiscal year and shared planned initiatives for the coming year. In addition, a ballot election was held to fill four seats on SECU’s Board of Directors. Elections results yielded three-year terms for Jim Barber, Bob Brinson, Jim Johnson and McKinley Wooten, all who have served previous terms on the Board.

Special awards were also presented during the meeting to several SECU volunteers. Grady Cooper, Charles Koonce and William Locus were honored with a video tribute and Board Resolutions for their cumulative volunteer service to SECU of more than 100 years. Irv Ellington and Dr. Al Wentzy were also honored by the NC National Guard for their commitment to several SECU community involvement initiatives focused on supporting National Guard families in North Carolina. Escorted by cadets from the Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy serving as the day’s Color Guard, Brigadier General Iwan Clontz made the presentations to Mr. Ellington and Dr. Wentzy.

Shirley Bell, 2008-2009 SECU Board of Directors Chairman, commented on the event, "We are thrilled that so many members were able to attend the 2009 meeting and appreciate the support of the more than 3,000 volunteers who currently serve SECU. This meeting provides a wonderful forum for us to share the success stories of our member-owned cooperative and the continuing financial safety and soundness of State Employees’ Credit Union. This year’s ballot election was also a great representation of the willingness of SECU’s member-owners to step up and lead the organization. It reinforced the one member/one vote cooperative principle --- providing members the opportunity to have a voice in their Credit Union."

Advisory Board member Gail Hudson, who attended this year’s meeting, added, "Never have I been so privileged to be a part of such a large meeting where the spirit of closeness and caring was conveyed.  I and my fellow member-owners appreciate being included in this meeting and in all aspects of SECU. It truly shows that SECU is ‘our cooperative.’ At this year’s meeting, I learned about the operations at SECU and, more importantly, was reminded of our purpose and what makes being part of this organization so rewarding."

Remarking on learning of the many SECU Foundation accomplishments of Credit Union members, Nikkia Sheppard Lynch of Chapel Hill added, "I’ve attended the SECU Annual Meeting for the past two years and the meetings have served to remind me of the positive impact SECU has in our local communities and across the State. It has been nice to hear about the ways in which all members have contributed to SECU’s ability to touch so many through the SECU Foundation. The Annual Meeting reinforced the information and discussions we, as volunteers, receive in our Advisory Board meetings. I left the meeting with a positive feeling about my involvement in SECU and was encouraged to share that feeling with others."

At its Annual Meeting held on October 20th, State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) honored three member-volunteers for their service to the Credit Union. Grady Cooper of Raleigh, Charles Koonce of Fayetteville and William Locus of Goldsboro were presented Board Resolutions and highlighted in a tribute video, shown during the meeting which was attended by nearly 1,000 SECU members. Shirley Bell, 2008-2009 Board of Directors Chairman, presented the framed Board Resolutions to each recipient and acknowledged their commitment of service to the Credit Union and their fellow members. The three honorees have served their Credit Union as either Advisory Board or Loan Review Committee members for a cumulative period of 100 years.

Grady Cooper, who has served for 20 years on the Credit Union’s Loan Review Committee, is a tremendous example of a volunteer carrying out the mission of service. When asked about the impact of volunteers at SECU, he states, "The fact that members do volunteer in lots of ways and members are directly involved in the decisions, contributes to the success of our member-owned organization."

Serving as a Credit Union volunteer since the early 1970’s, Charles Koonce has been instrumental in educating others on the benefits of SECU membership. Mr. Koonce remarks, "Advisory Board volunteers represent the membership of State Employees’ Credit Union. It’s a cooperative owned by its members and Advisory Boards serve as the liaison between the membership and the Board of Directors. It’s our responsibility to let the Board of Directors know what fellow members in our communities need and want from their cooperative."

William Locus has served in various capacities as a volunteer at SECU for the past forty years. Whether serving on his local Advisory Board or as a Loan Review Committee member, he has been a constant advocate for the Credit Union. Mr. Locus comments, "The Advisory Board members have helped the Credit Union grow by looking at the cities and the communities, listening to members from those areas, and bringing to management the members’ desires for a local branch presence."

Pictured (from left): Bill Lackey, CIO Allegacy; Tara C. O'Brien, CEO Cancer Services, Inc.; Ike Keener, CEO Allegacy, Ann Johnston, Chair of Allegacy's Board of Directors; Cathy Pace, CMO Allegacy; Ray Crouse, Managing Director of Allegacy Services LLC, Darryl Worrell, COO Allegacy, Henry Russ Sr., Member of Allegacy's Board of Directors; and Michael Cassidy, Member of Allegacy's Board of Directors.

Allegacy has been raising money for breast and ovarian cancer for more than a decade.  Why? On a statistics level, 1 in 2 men & 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime: Breast cancer is the most common cancer (excluding skin cancer) and the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related death among women. Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related death among women.

At Allegacy, these diseases have already hit home, more than once. Ten years ago, three of its co-workers were diagnosed with breast cancer and the CEO lost a close friend to ovarian cancer. It was then that Allegacy decided to focus a portion of its community outreach and fundraising efforts on awareness, education and early detection of these diseases.

Allegacy's commitment to the cause does not end there.  In addition to its golf tournament, there is "The Park" at its 10-acre headquarters campus, for survivors, their families and anyone who has been touched by breast and ovarian cancer. Allegacy is also a presenting sponsor of the Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure.

For more about Cancer Services Inc., visit www.cancer-services.com .

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) elected a new slate of Officers at its recent Board of Directors meeting, held after the October 20th SECU Annual Membership Meeting. 2009-2010 SECU Board of Directors Officers include: Jim Barber – Chairman, McKinley Wooten – Vice-Chairman, and Jim Johnson – Secretary/Treasurer.

Chairman Jim Barber has served on the Credit Union Board since 2000. Barber, a resident of Sunset Beach, NC, has extensive State Government experience and a Masters Degree from Harvard Business School. Mr. Barber recently retired after 24 years of service in North Carolina State Government including the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill School of Education and the Department of Public Instruction. He continues to serve as a senior advisor at the School of Education and on the Board of Directors of the NC Public School Forum.

Elected as Vice-Chairman, McKinley Wooten lives in Raleigh, NC and holds degrees from Morehouse College and Vanderbilt University School of Law. Wooten is a Deputy Director for the Administrative Office of the Courts in Raleigh. He joined SECU in 1994 and became a member of the Board of Directors in 2000.

Mr. Johnson became a member of State Employees’ Credit Union’s Board of Directors in 2001 and will serve in the 2009-2010 year as Secretary/Treasurer. He lives in downtown Raleigh, and is the former director of the N.C. General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division. Mr. Johnson is a partner in the Raleigh government relations firm Blount Street Advisors, and is a visiting professor at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy.

2009-2010 SECU Board of Directors Chairman Jim Barber states, "Serving on the Board of Directors has given me an in-depth look at the true value of SECU to its member-owners. The Credit Union’s strength is in its membership and ability to be a safe haven, providing financial security and personal service even in today’s uncertain times. As Chairman of our volunteer Board, I and my fellow Board members, along with SECU’s 3,000+ volunteers, look forward to representing the interests of the Credit Union’s more than 1.5 million members!"

The Hospice & Palliative CareCenter will be renamed the SECU CareCenter.

Hospice & Palliative CareCenter President, JoAnn Davis, responds, "We are so thankful to the SECU Foundation for their support of compassionate end-of-life care. SECU members are serving as a wonderful example to others in the significant support they have given to HPCC and others across the State. This is an extraordinary gift and we can think of no better way to commemorate this partnership than to rename our Palliative CareCenter the SECU CareCenter, in honor of State Employees’ Credit Union members."

Shirley Bell, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman comments, "SECU members via the SECU Foundation are proud to assist with the Vital Connections Capital Campaign to expand two wonderful hospice resources in Winston-Salem. Projects like the SECU CareCenter align perfectly with the ‘People Helping People’ philosophy of the Foundation by assisting so many North Carolina families with end-of-life care."

Members Credit Union (MCU) raised $9,035 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes. In the three years MCU has participated in this event the credit union has amassed nearly $27,000 in donations.

"I’m extremely proud of our members’ and employees’ generosity even in these rough economic times," said Wendy Blakley, MCU’s Director of Member Services. "We are committed to helping our community and comforted by knowing that such a large portion of our contributions go directly to diabetes research."

JDRF is the top charitable organization for funding type one (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide, and uses more than 85% of their budget to support research and research-related education. JDRF’s mission to find a cure for juvenile diabetes and its complications has resonated with MCU employees primarily because of personal connections to the disease.

"When you’re young, you just want to be a kid. Diabetes won’t let you just be a kid," commented Blakley, who witnessed the hardships that her sister, Lynn, endured after being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. "It was impossible for her to understand why she had to have three shots a day and get her finger pricked six to ten times a day."

Blakley is one of many employees who have seen first-hand the effects of juvenile diabetes. According to research conducted for JDRF, forty children per day are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S.

"My granddaughter, Sara, was six years old when she was diagnosed with type one diabetes," explained Deborah Sayers, MCU Member Services Representative, who single-handedly collected nearly $2,200 for JDRF this year. "She once asked her mom, ‘does God have something against me?’ That’s my motivation."

"Our members can see our passion, and that makes them want to help," said Christina Marler, MCU teller. Marler, along with fellow MCU teller, Renae Jones, purchased 72 JDRF-branded teddy bears in an effort to raise money.

"For every $10 donation that we receive we are sending a special JDRF bear to Brenner Children's Hospital so that it may brighten the day of a patient," explained Jones. "This way, we are directly touching the lives of diabetes patients in our community."

Community involvement is not a new concept at MCU. As a four-time first place recipient of the prestigious NC Credit Union League’s Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award, MCU has been regularly recognized for corporate citizenship.

• Launched LGFCU Financial Partners, a full-service credit union service organization allowing LGFCU to make loans directly to local government units. In the past 12 months, it made 67 loans for more than $23 million.
• Committed as much as $50 million to N.C. municipal bonds to keep important infrastructure projects moving.
• Invested an additional $100,000 in its LGFCU Scholarship Program, bringing the total amount of money available to $120,000, while also increasing its School of Government Scholarship monies from $10,000 to $60,000.
• Partnered with the N.C. Association of Rescue & E.M.S. to launch a specially-structured Visa debit card exclusive to all North Carolina rescue/EMS workers and their families. With each swipe, the credit union makes a donation to the NCAR&EMS. LGFCU already has a similar debit card that generates money for the N.C. State Firemen’s Association.

"It is important that we are not only a real partner with North Carolina local governments, but also with the communities they serve," said Smith. "Being recognized for our impact in this area is a true honor."

In addition to his role at LGFCU, Smith also serves as vice chairman of the NC Credit Union League and recently completed a two year term as chairman of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation.

The clanging of coins in mason jars signaled the beginning of the first-ever Classroom Savings Challenge today at a pep rally held in the Rogers-Herr Middle School's gym. Durham Mayor Bill Bell endorsed the challenge with a proclamation and First Citizens Bank donated $500 for the campaign to purchase EE savings bonds.

"As a parent, I know how important it is that we provide our young people with the skills to understand the importance of being financially responsible," said Mayor Bell. "Today's classroom savings challenge serves as a wake-up call for parents, school leaders and others in the community that we can really make a difference, and I urge everyone to support these children in this initiative."

The Classroom Savings Challenge, which is an extension of an in-school curriculum called the Youth Financial Education Program (YFE), will encourage young people throughout the Durham School System to save their money by making daily or weekly deposits into their savings jar during class. Activities will correspond with scheduled YFE sessions and a class project. The teachers will coordinate with their students who will retain and track their deposits to determine the classes' total savings. Over the next two months, students will learn about money matters and how saving money is central to becoming a responsible adult. The winning class will be announced on Dec. 14.

To support the students' efforts, First Citizens Bank will provide an initial deposit of for each classroom.

"The Classroom Savings Challenge is a wonderful opportunity that highlights our commitment to education and community," said Armeer Kenchen, Chairman of The Support Center. "Through the in-class instruction, we hope that young people will learn how to make smart financial decisions and enjoy the spirited competition in learning that saving money is a family effort that can be both fun and essential. Parent participation is vital in helping the students save and the parents must remind their children to gather their coins and bring them to deposit into their savings jars."

The YFE Program, which has been active across North Carolina for six years, draws upon the expertise of volunteer educators affiliated with The Support Center and partner the Youth Financial Educators Council. In addition to the classroom lessons on financial literacy, the program also organizes Youth Savings Clubs.

"Pennies can really add up," said Kimberly Knox, director of YFE. "In an age dominated by news of personal bankruptcies, home foreclosures and poor savings rates, the practical lessons of the Savings Challenge will provide students with the skills to learn how to make sound financial decisions now - with the hopes that this knowledge will follow them into adulthood."

According to a Youth and Money survey conducted in 1999, 94 percent of young people say their parents are their primary source of financial education - yet 30 percent of those same students report that their parents "rarely or never" discuss saving and investing with them, and 47 percent say their parents "rarely or never" discuss household budgeting with them.

"The in-classroom instruction with real-life examples about financial literacy issues, such as household expenses, is made possible by the information, tools and resources that are given to our teachers," said Drew Sawyer, principal at Rogers-Herr Middle School. "We are excited to be participating in the Savings Challenge and look forward to an exciting year."

Studies show that managing personal finances can be a serious problem for young people. Fewer than half the teens in a 2006 Charles Schwab Foundation survey understood how to budget their money, and the average college freshman has $1,500 in credit card debt. The segment of the population filing for bankruptcy faster than any other? Americans under the age of 25. Those are the trends The Support Center aims to reverse through its YFE Program by explaining financial literacy issues to younger students.

"Young people love to ask their moms and dads for money to buy what they want," said Vince Shorb, founder of the National Youth Financial Educators Council and a motivational speaker who led event activities. "But with the recent changes in the economy it is important now, more than ever, that young people understand the practical financial skills that will make a true difference in their lives."

State Employees’ Credit Union members via the SECU Foundation are providing funding for a $1.1 million zero percent construction loan to assist with the renovation of an existing residential building in Winston-Salem, NC which will benefit pregnant and teen mothers. The Reynolds Cottage building, located on The Children’s Home campus at 1001 Reynolda Road, will be renovated with 6 one-bedroom suites, 2 efficiency apartments and common areas for residents including a kitchen, dining area, living and recreation rooms and laundry facilities.

SECU is partnering with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) for this supportive housing project, which is sponsored by The Children’s Home, a non-profit that provides housing and services to youth. NCHFA provides permanent financing to help North Carolina non-profits like The Children’s Home, Inc. build housing for persons with disabilities and/or special needs. My Aunt’s House will provide a safe, stable structured living environment for each mother and child with adult supervision, case management, and transportation to community services.

George M. Bryan, Jr., President of The Children’s Home, Inc. states, "We are very appreciative to the members of the Credit Union for their SECU Foundation assistance for My Aunt’s House. It is very exciting to have the opportunity to expand our services to bolster these young families with life skills that prepare them for more independent living situations and help them grow strong, healthy families."

David King, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman comments, "My Aunt’s House is yet another wonderful NCHFA-SECU Foundation supportive housing project that represents the true ‘People Helping People’ cooperative spirit embodied by SECU members. My Aunt’s House will serve as a place of great support for homeless teen mothers and their children, providing them with basic necessities and aiming to help them during their crisis of homelessness through a variety of educational opportunities."

John Roberts, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Winston-Salem-Stratford Road branch adds, "It is great to see a well-constructed 100+ year old building renovated for such a wonderful purpose. The Winston-Salem community is really coming together in support of My Aunt’s House, and they are truly thankful to the members of SECU for their support of this worthwhile project!"

Contest winners Jean-Pierre Saintard & wife Rose Bachtel (center) are pictured with WECT-TV Anchor Frances Weller (left) and Alliance SVP of Marketing and Retail Delivery Emily Condon.

The Ugly Car Contest, spanning two months, was the first of its kind for Alliance Credit Union. It used a ‘Fan Page’ on Facebook to enable Alliance members to share pictures of their vehicles and enter the contest. Both members and non-members were allowed to vote. Mr. Saintard won the contest with 336 votes, beating out the runner-up by only 42 votes.

"It was a great injustice to have our car vandalized, but at least there is a positive ending to an otherwise negative situation," said Mr. Saintard. "We are so excited to be the winners of Alliance’s Ugly Car Contest – the timing couldn’t have been more perfect."

Alliance Credit Union presented Mr. Saintard and his wife, Rose Bachtel, with a $5,000 check on Saturday. The event, held at Alliance Credit Union’s Racine Financial Center located at 237 Racine Drive in Wilmington, N.C., also featured the winning car, music and a BBQ luncheon.

"With the success of the government’s ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program, Alliance realized how many people need help getting a new car," said Emily Condon, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Retail Delivery. "The ‘Ugly Car Contest’ is our small way of helping a member while keeping the spirit of the ‘clunkers’ program alive."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) continues its commitment to education through action. During the past year SECU invested $1.6 billion of members’ funds in N.C. Student Loan Bonds which helped the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (SEAA) and College Foundation, Inc. (CFI) make education loans available to North Carolina students and parents. An additional $25 million pool of funds has been committed to help meet the higher demand for student loans for this school year.

"We are grateful that SECU stepped up to help make money available, and we also appreciate their genuine interest in helping educate families about the best ways to pay for college," said Steve Brooks, SEAA executive director. "Families need to understand the college financial aid process and how to find available Federal and State scholarships, grants and low-cost Federal loans before they consider other options. They also need a solid foundation in financial literacy to make good choices."

"SECU firmly believes that helping North Carolinians get an education is one of the best and most important investments we can make. Education opens up opportunities for individuals to increase their incomes and improve the quality of their lives," said Mike Lord, SECU Senior Vice President of Finance and Accounting. "We support the CFNC effort to help North Carolina families ‘plan, apply and pay for college.’"

The two North Carolina private, nonprofit financial institutions and SEAA are also in the planning stages for SECU to help families with questions on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students and parents must complete a FAFSA form to be considered for Federal and State aid for college. SECU will help CFNC and the North Carolina Association of Financial Aid Administrators offer FAFSA Day at sites across the state in February 2010. Details on the joint efforts of these groups will be announced soon.

State Employees’ Credit Union members via the SECU Foundation are providing funding for a $500,000 zero percent construction loan to help build My Sister’s House, a licensed group home for pregnant teens and their children in Greensboro, NC. The 4,500 square foot group home will accommodate a combination of 10 residents (5 teen moms and 5 infants) and staff. The facility will be licensed under the Department of Health and Human Services as a Residential Maternity Home.

SECU is partnering with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) for this supportive housing project, which is sponsored by Youth Focus, Inc, a non-profit that provides a wide range of services to at risk youth and troubled young people ages 5-21. NCHFA provides permanent financing to help North Carolina non-profits like Youth Focus, Inc to build housing for persons with disabilities and/or special needs. My Sister’s House of Greensboro will provide a safe, stable, structured living environment for each mother and child with adult supervision, case management, and transportation to community services.

Bob Kucab, Executive Director of the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency states, "In a difficult economy, the SECU Foundation is an extremely forward-looking partner. By offering interest-free construction loans for projects like My Sister’s House, SECU members support not just critical housing, but the entire community."

David King, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman comments, "State Employees’ Credit Union members have partnered with NCHFA on a variety of supportive housing projects in North Carolina and we are very pleased to assist with the construction funding of My Sister’s House of Greensboro. This facility will provide teen mothers and their children with a supportive environment, giving residents the tools to succeed despite difficult circumstances. My Sister’s House will make a positive difference in the lives of these young people and is a project that certainly exemplifies the Foundation philosophy of ‘People Helping People.’"

The construction of My Sister’s House is also designed to meet Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) certification from the Green Building Rating SystemTM, which is the highest level of LEED certification. LEED homes and buildings are safer, healthier, more comfortable, and more durable than conventional construction. The benefits of LEED include economic benefits such as lower energy and water bills; environmental benefits like reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and health benefits such as reduced exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins.

Bobby Hall, SECU Senior Executive Vice President and NC GreenPower Board member comments, "NC GreenPower and SECU members via the Foundation have joined forces for various green initiatives and it is very rewarding to see additional projects that can complement the efforts of the many SECU Foundation partners for the good of North Carolina and its citizens. It is a great benefit to all!"

FAT CAT makes an appearance at a local elementary school with Kristy Spaulding, SECU VP of the Lumberton-West Fifth Street Branch.

Launched in 2000, SECU’s Fat Cat account was developed to foster a relationship with members at a young age and to assist parents in teaching their children the value of saving and managing money wisely. When Fat Cat members establish their accounts, they receive incentive items, as well as a passbook to track their savings. In addition to the Fat Cat website, www.cufatcats.org, and Fat Cat Paw Prints newsletter, SECU utilizes a Fat Cat Smart Money booklet as a teaching tool in many North Carolina elementary schools. With over 35 Fat Cat costumes across the State, SECU personnel take the mascot into the schools to help them teach basic money concepts.

SECU’s Zard teen program, started in April 2002, expands account and service options for members to include a checking account, ATM/debit card and other lending and savings products. Zard members also receive an incentive item, as well as useful financial information on topics such as budgeting, checkbook balancing and credit scores via its Money Matterz newsletter and www.teenzard.org website. To enhance the program, SECU personnel use the NEFE High School Financial Planning program and BizKid$ curriculum in North Carolina schools.

Leigh Brady, SECU Senior Vice President of Education Services, comments, "We are so happy to see the growing number of youth accounts at our Credit Union, as SECU personnel have worked diligently over the years to reach out to younger members. Our youth programs also allow us to expand our financial education efforts --- giving back to North Carolina through presentations to youth on money management topics. As SECU’s Fat Cat and Zard members grow older, we look forward to their financial success."

State Employees’ Credit Union’s (SECU’s) Bridge account, introduced in 2007, is helping transition savers into investors. The account provides an avenue for saving without the risk of loss associated with the stock market, by offering the security of NCUA insurance. With earnings tied to the quarterly change in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P’s) 500® Index, the account can earn as much as 3% per quarter and did so for the second quarter of 2009. With only one week left in the third quarter, it appears likely that maximum earnings will be paid for this quarter as well.

Currently more than 4500 members have Bridge accounts with assets totaling over $3.5 million. These accountholders are working towards accumulating funds needed to open investment accounts at SECU, which have seen much growth in recent months. As Credit Union members look for safe and secure options for their deposits, the Bridge account is an attractive alternative in today’s unpredictable market.

Bridge accounts can be opened with a minimum of $25 and will accept deposits up to $3,000. If market returns are positive during a quarter, dividends will be paid up to the maximum rate of 3% (12% APR/12.55% APY). If market returns are negative, no dividends will be declared for that quarter, but there will also be no loss.

Joan McCool, SECU Senior Vice President of IRA & Investment Services, comments, "The SECU Bridge account is an excellent no-risk tool to help members establish the savings needed to ultimately become investors. We certainly encourage our members to invest in their futures through the accumulation of long-term savings. The Bridge account provides a unique way for Credit Union members to work towards meeting their financial goals."

In recognition of their commitment to improving county government across North Carolina, Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) has been honored with the Friend of the Counties Award by the N.C. Association of County Commissioners (NCACC).
 
The award was created in 2005 as a way to encourage non-county persons and organizations to take significant actions that advance the interests of counties and the association.
 
"LGFCU has been a strong partner with the association in our training and education initiatives for the past six years," said NCACC Executive Director David Thompson. "Not only do they make more than $60,000 a year in financial scholarships available to local government employees and elected officials to further their education, but they recently offered their support by taking over sponsorship of our Employee Productivity Awards program."
 
Now known as the LGFCU Employee Productivity Award, this program recognizes 10 North Carolina county employees with $1,000 awards for their efforts to improve the efficiency of county programs, services and general administration.
 
"Anything we can do to help county government thrive, we are happy to do," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "We are very appreciative of this award, and look forward to partnering with the association on these and other programs for many years to come."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) has recently expanded its "green" program offerings to included a Green Second Mortgage. This new loan product is designed specifically for energy efficient improvements such as replacement windows, heating/air conditioning systems, insulation, solar water systems and Energy Star appliances. As much as $50,000 may be financed for up to ten years with at least 75% of the proceeds used for energy efficient improvements.

Phil Greer, SECU Senior Vice President of Loan Administration comments, "State Employees’ Credit Union encourages its membership to seek energy efficient home improvements in order to cut costs and save on their utility bills. It is important that we provide members with beneficial loan products to help them with these endeavors and we are very happy to have a Green Second Mortgage available specifically for such improvements. There are also some Federal and State tax credits and utility company rebates to assist homeowners who make energy efficient home improvements and we recommend that our members take advantage of those as well."

The Green Second Mortgage complements SECU’s other green loan products, which include a Green First Mortgage and Green Vehicle loan. The Credit Union also promotes a variety of environmentally friendly services such online E-statements and BillPay, Direct Deposit and Mobile Access for those with a web-enabled mobile device.

In addition to services, members of State Employees’ Credit Union support a variety of green initiatives through their partnership with NC GreenPower, a Raleigh-based non-profit that works with participants of electric utilities across the state to encourage the development of renewable energy through voluntary tax-deductible contributions. In 2007, SECU members via the SECU Foundation began a four-year commitment to support cleaner, renewable energy alternatives for North Carolina through the funding of one kilowatt hour of renewable energy production in the State for each member --- a commitment to renewable energy in North Carolina of over 5.2 million kilowatt hours!

NC GreenPower Board member and SECU Senior Executive Vice President Bobby Hall states, "NC GreenPower is very appreciative to SECU and its membership for their dedication to cleaner energy options for the citizens of North Carolina. The Credit Union’s initiatives to provide members with green loan products and services further emphasize SECU’s commitment to promote energy efficiency."

Funding from the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) will be used to expand First Legacy Community Credit Union's operations.  The credit union received $2 million to expand operations at its headquarters in Charlotte, open a branch in Gastonia, NC and relocate its Salisbury branch to a more visible section of town. 
 
"Our future evolution requires a diligent effort on our behalf to remain engaged with our members," says Saundra Scales, First Legacy CCU President. "Because we listen to our members, we stay informed of your challenges and needs. Our expansion is a direct response to our member needs and we are grateful to have the resources necessary to meet their needs." 
 
The mission of First Legacy Federal Credit Union (FLFCU) is to "Provide needed financial services to members in an ethical, efficient, and caring manner while maintaining sound operating principles".  We do this by providing services we feel are geared towards the African-American, low to medium wealth families in the following counties: Mecklenburg, Iredell, Cabarrus, Rowan, Alexander, Davie, Catawba, Gaston and Cleveland.

To increase the general public’s awareness of Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) and the value they provide to members, The Support Center is airing a radio campaign  this month titled "Save, Borrow, Learn."  The 60-second spots feature real-life testimonials illustrating the way CDCUs improve lives and benefit communities. The testimonials, available for listening at saveborrowlearn.com, spotlight three credit union members talking about the financial circumstances that each of them addressed with the help of a CDCU.

The Support Center hopes to reach approximately 71 percent of the state’s population with this informative campaign in both English and Spanish. In particular, the spots are meant to reach individuals ages 18 and older, encouraging them to consider CDCUs as the place to build their personal savings – to find affordable, life-sustaining loans – and to learn how to create personal wealth for themselves and their families.

The spots will air in the top three media markets in North Carolina, reaching the largest concentration of the state’s population. Additionally, public service announcements (PSAs) will air where available in rural communities to extend the reach of the message.

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of five new advisory council members to five of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to the board of directors regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

August’s appointees are:

Central Coast
Candice Conner, Craven County/Human Resources Technician

Eastern Carolina
Mary Jo Nimmo, Lenoir Memorial Hospital, MIS Director

Foothills
Heather Black, City of Shelby, Benefits Coordinator

North Triangle
Elgin Lane, Warren County, Human Resources Manager

Wake
Phyllis Jackson, Wake County, Benefits Specialist

Honored for their years of dedication and service to North Carolina’s firefighting community, Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) is the proud recipient of the 2009 Presidential Award from the N.C. State Firemen’s Association (NCSFA).
 
The award, says NCSFA President Paul Miller, is the first ever of its kind, and won’t necessarily be given out every year.
 
"We came up with the idea for this award with LGFCU in mind," says Miller. "They have tirelessly supported our efforts for many years, whether it’s to provide fair and reliable financing to our state’s fire departments, or through their special debit card program, in which they forgo part of their profits and channel it directly to the association."
 
The specially-structured Visa debit card program to which Miller refers was launched in 2003. It works by donating 50 percent of the merchant’s transaction fee from every purchase to the NCSFA. To date, more than $250,000 has been raised for the association.
 
LGFCU has been providing commercial loans to fire stations since 2006. Since then, they have financed $26 million in loans to more than 80 fire departments for everything from apparatus to fire trucks to the construction of new stations.
 
"Firefighters represent one of the largest segments of our membership," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "It’s an honor to be able to serve this community any way we can, and to be recognized for it with this award makes this a truly great moment for our credit union."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) realizes there’s nothing cool and comfortable about being out for the summer with no paycheck. Thankfully, for many SECU members this wasn’t a problem. SECU serves public school employees who are paid on 10 or 11-month schedules, and in 2003 created the Summer Cash account, giving these employees a structured way to save for unpaid months. In 2009, over 26,500 members enjoyed the benefit and saved nearly $93 million for the summer!

Elementary school teacher Lauren McCall, states, "The Summer Cash account has been a lifesaver for me in years past.  Not only did it allow me to save the money I needed to pay bills and make ends meet during the summer, it also gave me the opportunity to earn interest on the funds and accumulate greater savings.  Even schools that offer 10-month employees a 12-month option can’t pay the interest that SECU’s Summer Cash account provides.  I highly recommend it for anyone who is eligible."

For Summer Cash participants, during the working months a portion of the member’s paycheck is sent to SECU electronically for deposit into their Summer Cash account. The amount is determined by the member based on how much savings is needed for the summer months. The deposits accumulate throughout the year, along with dividends that are paid annually at the end of the summer. During the summer months, funds in the Summer Cash account are transferred to the member’s SECU account of choice. Members use the same Summer Cash account number each school year, altering transfer amounts as needed.

State Employees’ Credit Union recognizes it can be difficult to save for those summer months on your own. With the Summer Cash account, SECU provides members a structured savings option, with a competitive interest rate, for those unpaid months! We are thrilled this account is making such a positive financial difference for 10 and 11-month employees and are glad to see so many members utilizing this budget-friendly option."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members via the SECU Foundation have provided the Operation Kids on Guard Foundation with a Sport Utility Vehicle and trailer for its "Kids on Guard (KOG)" Family Readiness Program. The program will utilize the vehicle and trailer to travel to North Carolina National Guard armories or training sites to provide fun and educational outlets for the children of its Army and Air Guard members, helping to address fears and concerns many children have about their parent’s service.

Designed for military children ages 5-18, the goal of KOG is to reduce feelings of fear and isolation many Guard children experience during their parent’s deployment by allowing them to interact with other Guard children that are dealing with the same stressors. During these events, volunteer Soldiers and Airmen teach children about basic drill and ceremony, military occupations, and military training. The volunteers provide photos of places they have served and allow the kids to ask questions and share feelings or concerns. Soldiers and Airmen also bring in hands-on equipment or set up displays to give the children an understanding of the types of equipment their loved ones may use in the military. Some children even engage in challenging activities like sports and games, land navigation, rappelling from a tower and rocketry.

Dr. Al Wentzy, Advisory Board member of SECU’s Jackson branch comments, "I am so proud of my Credit Union and its members for supporting the ‘Kids on Guard’ program! If you want to be supportive of a combat soldier and those deployed in the name of freedom, take care of their family. Children of our uniformed service members don’t understand why ‘Daddy’ and ‘Mommy’ are gone; the SECU Foundation’s support of this Operation Kids on Guard Foundation outreach project enables the NC National Guard to help their children understand. It is so touching and reassuring to see SECU members caring for the children of those deployed – it is a clear example of the Credit Union practicing the precept of ‘Do the Right Thing!’"

"We are extremely grateful to State Employee’s Credit Union and its members for providing the Kids on Guard program with a Sports Utility Vehicle and trailer," said Alice Dean, NC National Guard State Child & Youth Coordinator. "Kids on Guard is a hands-on, face-to-face program that provides unique support for our youngest military family members. Since the program began, we’ve reached more than 1,800 military children throughout the State. Having a dedicated vehicle for our use will increase our impact in the State and allow us to further extend the program. This type of support helps further our mission to keep North Carolina’s military children resilient."

Deb McLean, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development for Carolina Postal Credit Union recently contributed to CUES (Credit Union Executives Society) new publication "CUES Cost Control Series: Marketing."   CUES new series of publications is in direct response to their members’ requests for research showing opportunities to cut costs without hurting growth.

"CUES Cost Control Series: Marketing" details several successful low-cost ideas from nationally known credit union marketers and advisory groups.  Also included are details on how growing numbers of credit unions are using the internet for both lowering costs and strengthening member relationships.

McLean’s contributions includes details on Carolina Postal’s "Priority Payday Checking Account"  and their very popular "Switch & Ditch" auto loan promotion.  Both promotions were inexpensive to produce and market and the initial promotions recouped impressive award-winning ROI’s.  Carolina Postal Credit Union was the only credit union that had two different campaigns used as best practices examples in the publication.

A complete catalog of CUES manuals, including others in the CUES Cost Control Series is available at cues.org/products/.

Carolina Postal Credit Union is headquartered in Charlotte, NC and has 10,000 members and $82 million in assets.  Carolina Postal Credit Union serves USPS, Federal and Military employees and is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year.

A 20-year financial services Marketing Professional (she started working when she was 10); Deb McLean has been awarded CUES Marketer of the Year2002 , CU Times Marketing Trailblazer 2009, and CUES Future Leader 2008.

The Charles M. and Mary D. Grant Foundation awarded The Support Center a grant for $30,000. The grant will aid in the promotion of financial literacy and sound financial management in the state's LMI communities. "We are delighted to support The Support Center's financial literacy services and youth financial education program, says Casey Burgess, Program Offficer and representative for the Trustee, JPMorgan Chase.  

The Support Center will allocate a portion of the grant to host a Financial Literacy Summit in February 2010. Additonally, the grant will help build capacity for the Youth Financial Education program (YFE). The funding will help further the program's recent success by supporting volunteer recruitment, training and certification as well as promote youth savings intiatives. The YFE program will kick off a fall savings challenege at a Durham middle school this October.

On September 16, 2009, Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) launches its first ever essay writing and photo contests with an emphasis on savings as a topic to help foster a culture of saving among youth.  There are two separate contests (photo and essay) for each of the following age categories: 13-14, 15-16, 17-18.  Contest winners will receive award money, made available through a grant from the National Credit Union Foundation, in the form of a 24-month certificate of deposit to initiate a practice of saving. LCCU will award a total of eighteen prizes: first prize winners will receive $1,000; second place winners will receive $500; and third place winners will receive $250.  

The contest is open to anyone between 13 and 18 years old at the time of entry.  Participants can enter one or both contests, and have the option to submit their essays and/or photos online at www.latinoccu.org, by mail or in person at the branches. The deadline for submission is November 30, 2009. 

www.latinoccu.org, or send an email to contest@cooperativalatina.org .

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members via the SECU Foundation have given a $250,000 challenge grant to the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library to assist with the Capital Campaign for the Jackson County Public Library Complex, providing needed library services to several Western North Carolina counties. 

For the project, the SECU Foundation partnered with the non-profit Friends of the Jackson County Main Library to provide services to citizens in Macon, Swain and Haywood Counties.  The complex will also benefit the local university and community college and other regional libraries.  The challenge grant will allow the Friends of the Library the opportunity to complete the fundraising goal needed for the construction of the 20,000 square foot library, which will be located next to the recently restored, historical Jackson County Courthouse.

Josie Bewsey, SECU’s Sylva Advisory Board Chairman comments, “The $250,000 SECU Foundation Challenge Grant demonstrates the commitment that State Employees’ Credit Union members have to North Carolina communities.  This generous offer will help to bring the Jackson County Library Project to fruition.  By giving back to the community in this manner, the SECU Foundation has also shown the commitment to enhancing the learning opportunities and quality of life for its members and the community of Jackson County, for generations to come.”

“The Friends of the Jackson County Main Library are thrilled by the generosity of SECU members,” said June Smith, president of the Friends.  “The $250,000 challenge grant is a strong incentive for our community to reach the $1.6 million we need to complete the new library complex.  Now, for every dollar given to the New Library Fund, the SECU Foundation will match it up to $250,000.  What a return on our investment!  Jackson County residents are generous people.  I know they will respond to this incredible opportunity to double their money when they contribute to the New Library Fund.”

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) and its member-owners are partnering with the Center for Responsible Lending, the NC Commissioner of Banks (NCCOB) and Capital Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to launch a major media effort to reach homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure.  The “Fight NC Foreclosure” campaign is designed to educate the public on the foreclosure crisis and give guidance on where to turn for help.  The campaign will include repeated public service announcements (PSAs) on prime-time television through WRAZ/Fox 50, combined with a visible presence on the WRAL.com website.  “Fight NC Foreclosure” is set to launch with a press conference on September 15th and run through December 2009.

The PSAs will highlight the State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project, bringing North Carolinians an awareness of resources available to prevent foreclosures.  The project aims to significantly increase the percentage of NC homeowners who save their homes, and also prevent consumers from becoming victims of foreclosure scams, especially scams affecting those with subprime mortgages.  While the Credit Union has never, and will never, originate subprime loans, SECU, as a non-profit cooperative, feels strongly about helping North Carolinians who may be in subprime situations.  And, SECU is going the distance to assist its own members who have experienced loss of income in recent months.  In February of this year, SECU launched a Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP), which offers members an opportunity to meet in person with a senior officer of SECU and develop an individualized financial plan if the member has concerns about future payments on their SECU mortgage.  The Credit Union is committed to meet with members whenever and wherever necessary and to investigate all opportunities to assist.  Options in MAP include mortgage loan extensions, mortgage loan modifications or refinances, and partial payment alternatives.  Budgeting, financial counseling and overall debt restructuring are also part of the MAP initiative – all without cost to the SECU membership.

Susan Lupton, Senior Policy Associate with the Center for Responsible Lending states, “Based on our most recent data, we estimate that one out of every twelve mortgage holders in North Carolina will face foreclosure between now and 2013 unless drastic steps are taken to reverse the trend.  The ‘Fight NC Foreclosure’ outreach campaign will hopefully make a tremendous difference in educating those who so desperately need the help to stay in their homes.   We are extremely pleased to have State Employees’ Credit Union as a partner on this campaign.”

Mark Pearce, Deputy Commissioner with the Office of the NC Commissioner of Banks adds, “Foreclosures don’t have to happen.  Even if our State’s citizens have experienced hard times, they may be able keep their home if they take advantage of available resources.  The State of North Carolina has a network of free counselors and partners like State Employees’ Credit Union, who have processes in place to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.”

Phil Greer, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Loan Administration department comments, “State Employees’ Credit Union understands the importance of helping members improve their financial lives – it’s the mission of SECU and goes hand in hand with the ‘People Helping People’ philosophy of the Credit Union.  And even if our cooperative was not part of the subprime debacle, we must help to educate all North Carolinians on the resources available to them during these difficult economic times.  The ‘Fight NC Foreclosures’ campaign is a great way to get the word out to all North Carolinians, letting them know of available assistance.  We strongly encourage all SECU members who are struggling with possible foreclosure or loss of income to reach out to the Credit Union.  We’re here to help!”

Braswell has held a seat on MCU’s Board of Directors for 30 years. He has also served on several credit union industry boards and committees during his illustrious career, including: the Political Action Board of Trustees, CUNA Mutual Policy Owners’ Council, Credit Union Service Corporation Operations Committee, various North Carolina Credit Union League (NCCUL) committees, the Northwest Chapter Board, and he currently serves as First Carolina Corporate Credit Union’s Chairman. In 2004, Braswell was honored with the NCCUL’s prestigious "Mark of Excellence Award" that recognizes a career dedicated to leadership in the credit union movement and marks.

Coastal Federal Credit Union and WRBZ Sports Radio 850 The Buzz kicked off the Scholar Athlete of the Month program for an 8th  consecutive year.  Each month during the school year, two winners will be selected from a pool of nominees who excel in both sports and academics.  Winners will receive on-air recognition and a commemorative trophy.  Additionally, Coastal will grant a $400 scholarship to each school in the student's honor.  
 
Nominations are currently being accepted from high schools within WRBZ’s large broadcast area from September through May 2010. Teachers, coaches and counselors can nominate a student, and nomination forms are available at www.850thebuzz.com/scholarentry.htm.  There is no cost to participate in this program.
 
In addition to the winners' trophy and cash award for the school, the students are interviewed for two-minute vignettes, which air on 850 The Buzz for a month, while biographies and pictures of all the winners are posted at 850thebuzzsuccess.com and www.COASTAL24.com.
 
The Scholar Athlete of the Month program launched in September 2002. To date, Coastal has awarded over $37,000 to area schools on behalf of the 90 students that have earned the award.

Summer camps in North Carolina proved to be ideal setting for the Youth Financial Education (YFE) to reach the state's youngest savers. Since June, YFE has reached approximately 350 students from ages 4-16. With support and assistance from First Legacy CCU, Generations CCU, Greater Kinston CU, Latino CCU, Local Government FCU and Self-Help CU, students were able to establish personal saving practices and engage in activities that allowed them to apply their financial education lessons for a greater understanding of money management.
 
The 2nd round of YFE summer camp sessions ended in August. In Durham, the savings challenge winners from Lyon Park Community Center were rewarded for their efforts and participation with an awards ceremony, CDCU tour and pizza party.  The 45 students, including 22 campers from a special population’s camp, were able to save over $130 in less than 3 weeks. "I’m so glad that I had this opportunity to actually engage with the community and do something positive with my free time," said Derek Williams. " The information that the YFE program provides is vital and I believe that without it many kids would have never been introduced to some of the concepts that we discussed."
 
In Charlotte, campers from summer camp operated by the Q Foundation, received YFE certificates and visited First Legacy Community Credit Union upon the completion of the program at their camp. “It was a pleasure working with Kimberly and the YFE program,” said Roger Davis, Roger Davis, Q Camp Director.  “The monies the kids saved were used on their field trip to Carowind’s as part of an end of camp celebration, which was part of their saving goal.”
 
The program also began its “train the trainer” series in August. Offered to member CDCUs and their volunteers, the workshops are in partnership with the National Youth Financial Educators Council (NYFEC).  The 3-part series will allow participants to conduct YFE endorsed financial education sessions in schools in LMI communities across North Carolina.  At the end of the series, each participant will receive certification as a National Youth Financial Educator.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) continues to rally in support of its National Guard employee-reservists as deployments continue and SECU’s men and women are called to serve our Country.  As an employer, the Credit Union offers one week paid military leave annually, provides a pay differential when an employee is deployed and keeps the benefits of soldiers active when they are mobilized.  In addition to the employer benefits, SECU staff members consistently send care packages to deployed employee-reservists to show their support for these dedicated soldiers, and assist the reservists’ families as needed.

Earlier this year, SECU was a recipient of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s  (ESGR’s) State Chairman’s “Above and Beyond” Award, which is presented to employers who have exceeded legal requirements for providing support to Service Members who serve in the Guard and Reserve.  1st Lieutenant Benjamin Liebermann, an SECU Operations employee who is deployed with the National Guard, nominated the Credit Union for the award.  In 2005, State Employees’ Credit Union received ESGR’s Five Star Recognition for its support of Guardsmen and Reservists.
Jamie Applequist, SECU Senior Vice President in Jacksonville, is a Master Sergeant in the Air Force Reserves who is being deployed this week.  Applequist states, “I have been an active reservist in the 916th Air Refueling Wing in Goldsboro, NC during my entire career at State Employees’ Credit Union.  Initially, I had concerns on how the two jobs could coexist, but from day one, SECU at all levels has gone above and beyond to provide maximum support for all employees who serve in the reserves.  Whether it is sending care packages or offering differential pay to those who are deployed, SECU leadership has recognized the importance of military service, especially during the past eight years that our nation has been at war.  Twice, the Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) has recognized SECU for their outstanding efforts.” 

“As I prepare for my third deployment in ten years, the support I receive throughout the organization has only intensified.  Senior management continues to provide unwavering support and makes sure that the gaps are filled while I am gone.  Many of my coworkers will assume additional responsibilities in my absence.  The offers of support at work are also extended to my family.  It is hard to explain how much this means to me.  What is generally a difficult transition going from a civilian job directly into military service, the culture that has been established within the Credit Union eliminates this burden.  As far as I am concerned, SECU and the fine men and women within the organization are a vital part of the military team!”

Major General William E. Ingram Jr., The Adjutant General of the NC National Guard responded, “The great employers of our NC National Guardsmen… and the State Employees’ Credit Union is a sterling example... are true patriots, absolutely critical to our state and the nation's defense. We sincerely appreciate employers that provide the time, encouragement and support for our Guardsmen and their families so they can perform military duty.  Thank you for all you do for these remarkable men and women in uniform.”

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) congratulates 24 winners of its School of Government (SOG) Scholarship Award. The awards, given out three times a year, are applied toward conferences, classes and seminars offered by the SOG at UNC-Chapel Hill, the largest university-based local government training, advisory and research organization in the United States.
 
“The credit union strongly supports the School of Government because of their instrumental role in strengthening the job skills of local government employees, which in turn improves the communities in which they serve,” said LGFCU President Maurice Smith.
 
The award recipients are:
 
Ida Armstrong, Robeson County
Jessica Bryant, Robeson County
Maria Burpeau, Stanly County
Jonathan Chase, City of Havelock
Adrian Cox, Town of Mt. Pleasant
Jennifer Dowless, Town of Red Springs
Erris Dunston, City of Henderson
Tyran Fennell, City of Durham
Kevin Hill, Bertie County
Sandra Janssen, Onslow County
Jeff Jones, Town of Holly Springs
Chris Koltyk, Moore County
Tarasa Lewis, Edgecombe County
Edwin Madden Jr., Town of Elizabethtown
Helena McPhatter, Robeson County
Brian Parnell, Franklin County
Susan Sain, Lincoln County
Russell Scherer, Town of Rutherfordton
Mark Seelenbacher, Robeson County
Charles Smith, Town of Jamestown
Timothy Stoker, Town of Rolesville
Joshua Watkins, Town of Harrisburg
Stephanie Watson, Town of Long View
Tanya Weary, City of Oxford
 
The next application deadline is December 1, 2009. For more information, or to apply, contact the Financial Wellness staff at 877.367.5428 or visit www.lgfcu.org.

Charlotte Metro Federal Credit Union announced today that it will be featuring the Carolina Panthers’ Jake Delhomme in a new commercial designed to introduce consumers to its “You Can Do Better” marketing campaign and a new social media presence.

The commercial is scheduled to begin airing during the Panthers’ last preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on FOX Charlotte on September 3. In addition, it will air during several Panthers’ regular season games this fall and on other TV shows on other networks including WSOC-TV, WBTV and WMYT.

The campaign, which will be accompanied by full-page print ads, is designed to tempt existing bank customers with the potential for a better banking experience with Charlotte Metro.

“Our research indicates there is considerable dissatisfaction with banking in the minds of consumers,” said Bob Bruns, President and CEO of Charlotte Metro. “So there is a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the depth and breadth of options available in the financial services world. And we genuinely believe we can help people in that world to do better.”

The new commercial features Delhomme helping a bank customer find her way into a more positive banking experience through membership with the Credit Union. Computer-generated graphics allow Delhomme and the bank customer to interact with Charlotte Metro customer service staff in a virtual Web site while he talks about the services available.

“We have a very complex marketing message to deliver,” said Nathan Tothrow, Chief Marketing Officer at Charlotte Metro. “But at its core is the simple message that, as a member-owned credit union, we are focused on the people. And I believe Jake is just the person to help us spread that message. He is well-known in this market as a kind and genuine individual with a sincere compassion for people. He is also a member of the Credit Union.”

Tothrow worked with Delhomme’s representatives from Priority Sports & Entertainment in Chicago to develop a script concept that sufficiently portrayed the sincerity both parties had for helping consumers in this tough economy.

While Charlotte Metro develops its creative advertising in-house, they hired a professional film crew to produce the 60-second commercial. It was co-directed by Joanne Hock of Emulsion Arts and Tony Elwood of Indievision, both of whom are based in Charlotte. Elwood also created the computer-generated special effects.

Charlotte Metro will also use the event to promote its new social media presence by including a “Find Us On Facebook®” tag at the end of the commercial. The new tag will also be displayed in print ads developed for the campaign.

“Social media is a brave new step for us,” said Tothrow. “We want our content there to be fresh, interesting and completely different from the information you would find on our Web site. Expect to see first-person narratives of current events related to the Charlotte Metro as well as candid responses to questions submitted by visitors to the page.”

Click here to view the commercial.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members and employees are continuing their support of SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals and recently celebrated the ongoing partnership with a tour of the house by SECU managers and volunteers.  During the tour, SECU representatives presented Family House Board President Dr. Tom Shea with a FAT CAT rocking chair for Family House guests.

Credit Union members, via the SECU Foundation, began supporting SECU Family House with a $2 million challenge grant for its capital campaign in 2005.  Opened in March 2008, Family House is the sole agency providing affordable, supportive, long and short-term lodging to UNC Hospital’s adult critical care patients and their families.  The house, located in Chapel Hill, offers 40 private bedrooms with private baths and common rooms including a large kitchen, family room, children’s playroom, library and more.  Since opening in 2008, SECU Family House has provided more than 21,000 guest stays to 1,448 patients/patient families from 89 of North Carolina’s 100 counties.

SECU Family House, which receives no federal or state funding, relies on individuals, local businesses and foundations for the bulk of their funding and volunteer support.  Numerous SECU Advisory Board members and SECU employees are now giving their time, and SECU employees have also been instrumental in helping raise additional funds for Family House.  Branches in the Chapel Hill area sold SECU Family House ornaments during the 2008 holiday season and hold annual candy bar and plush animal sales to raise money for the cause.  In addition, SECU’s Raleigh Stonehenge branch is in the process of organizing a statewide SECU Family House cookbook sale.

Hill Scott, SECU’s Senior Vice President of the Raleigh Stonehenge branch comments, “SECU Family House serves people at such a critical time in their lives and gives them a warm, comforting place to stay.  When our branch staff decided to volunteer and prepare a meal for guests, I’m not sure any of us realized how deeply we would be touched by the Family House guests.  The volunteer experience was life-changing and we were compelled to do more when we realized the ongoing operational cost needs.  We are really looking forward to seeing just how much money we can generate for SECU Family House through the upcoming cookbook sale and hope to have cookbooks available in September in all SECU branch locations statewide.”

Dr. Tom Shea, SECU Family House Board of Directors President, adds, “SECU members were instrumental in getting this hospitality house built for adult critical care patients and their families.  The Credit Union’s membership and associates at the branch level continue to provide us with critical operating support.  You’ve done far more than putting your name on a building; you extend comfort, hope and housing to families from all over North Carolina – every day.”

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members via the SECU Foundation have announced $125,000 in funding for production assistance of Biz Kid$, a youth-focused and credit union-funded financial education show on public television.  Preparing for its 3rd season, Biz Kid$ is a fun, fast-paced public television series featuring kids who teach middle school aged youth about money and entrepreneurship.  The program illustrates the importance of saving, budgeting, investing and giving back to the community.

In addition to SECU Foundation funding, State Employees’ Credit Union is currently providing Biz Kid$ curriculum training to its employees and various educational partners, bringing the TV episodes and corresponding learning activities to North Carolina’s middle schools.  The Credit Union is training nearly 200 employees statewide to begin reaching out to the State’s schools.  The curricular materials associated with the program build upon lessons gained through the content of television episodes, covering concepts including money basics, financial goal planning, credit, income, expenses, starting a business, and more.  SECU is working with the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation (CCUF) and UNC-TV on the initiative.  CCUF is helping to provide resources to school media centers and middle school teachers, and UNC-TV is working to promote the Biz Kid$ program through their media outlets.
The Biz Kid$ middle school program is set to complement SECU’s FAT CAT Program and FAT CAT Smart Money workbook being delivered to elementary students, as well as the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) High School Financial Planning Program currently being taught to North Carolina high school students. 

David King, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman comments, “Financial education is critical to helping our youth develop the life skill of good money management.  In today’s economy, so many adults are struggling with finances and many of them have never had the opportunity to learn the basics of good financial management.  We must begin the educational process with our youth, and Biz Kid$ is a program that is making a huge difference.  SECU and its members have always placed a huge focus on financial education programs and providing funding for Biz Kid$ is a wonderful way to expand our reach in this area.”

 John Slack, Executive Director of Carolinas Credit Union Foundation states, “Our credit unions have discovered that Biz Kid$ is an entertaining and engaging way to teach middle schoolers about money and how to make it work for them.  It is our intention to help break the cycle of dependence and entitlement and give as many kids as possible a chance to be financially successful.  Use of Biz Kid$ resources will play a big role in those efforts and we are very appreciative to SECU members for their support of this great program.”

Summer campers at Camp Calvary recently completed their first small business project as part of the YFE program.  The students, grades 1-8, sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts as a means of understanding how to operate a business. "The idea was to teach them the basics," said YFE Intern Derek Williams.  "We helped them identify a ‘loan’ from an investor so they could purchase the doughnuts. Then, they had to determine how much to sell in order to repay the loan as well as how much they wanted to earn in profit.  Once that was determined, each class was given a sales goal.  It was all very exciting for them."
 
Self-Help Credit Union served as the official investor of the business project for the 41 campers.  Seperated by grade level, each of the 5 classes were given a sales goal of 20 boxes at $6 per box.  In total, the camp sold 82 boxes and earned $517.25, including donations. The camp agreed to divide the money up for four causes: 1) charity, 2) savings, 3) a party, and 4) profit for the “mini merchants.”
 
Throughout the duration of the business venture, Williams taught the students various business concepts. Students gained an understanding of business terms such as revenue, profit margin and investment loans among others.  “I wanted my students to understand that in order for McDonald's and Krispy Kreme to be as large and as widespread as they are today, Ray Kroc and Vernon Carver Rudolph had to start small,” Derek explains. “It takes a lot to establish a start-up.”
 
"Projects such as the Krispy Kreme venture help our students connect to the lessons taught in a fun and insightful manner," says Kimberly Knox.  "I believe that the excitement and the feeling of accomplishment they enjoy during and after a project will lead them to become thoughtful and successful money managers."

The Canton office is the collection site for supplies and the credit union has had a great response from its members, both in donations and in positive comments about the community support provided by Champion Credit Union.

Champion Credit Union will continue their collection of supplies until Christmas 2009.

Blue Star Mothers is a group of mothers who now have, or have had, children honorably serving in the military. For more information about Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., please visit their national website: www.bluestarmothers.org.

State Employees’ Credit Union members via the SECU Foundation have approved funding for a $470,000 zero percent construction loan to help build Rowan Way, a licensed group home which will serve as permanent housing for six persons with traumatic brain injury or developmental disabilities. The 3,120 square foot, six-bedroom design will be constructed on a .41 acre site in northwest Charlotte. The groundbreaking for Rowan Way was held July 2nd.

SECU is partnering with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) for this housing project, which is sponsored by Autism Services of Mecklenburg County, Inc. (ASMC). NCHFA provides permanent financing to help North Carolina non-profits like ASCM build housing for persons with disabilities and special needs. The construction loan will be repaid by permanent financing previously committed to the project, allowing the funds to be recycled and available for future housing projects.

"In a difficult economy, the SECU Foundation is an extremely forward-looking partner," said Bob Kucab, Executive Director of the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. "By offering interest-free construction loans for projects like Rowan Way Group Home, SECU members support not just critical housing, but job creation and the whole community. Our Agency is proud to be working with the SECU Foundation."

David King, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman comments, "SECU members are very pleased to partner once again with NCHFA to provide Foundation funding for this much needed housing project to benefit North Carolinians with traumatic brain injuries and developmental disabilities. Rowan Way Group Home will provide many supportive services to its residents, including life skills, educational opportunities and job training. The SECU Foundation is committed to making a positive difference for our state’s citizens and Rowan Way is a project that will have a tremendous impact on the lives it touches."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of 10 new advisory council members to seven of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to management regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

July’s appointees are:

Central Piedmont
Alexis Greer, Town of East Spencer, Town Clerk

Coastal Plain
Christopher Barnette, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant
Robert Brim, City of Clinton, Chief of Police
Sue Driver, Sampson Regional Medical Center, Medical Staff Development Coordinator
Samuel Jones, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, Captain

Foothills
Jeanine Barus, Town of Connelly Springs, Town Clerk

Northern Coast
Clarann Mansfield, Camden County, Finance Officer

South Piedmont
Loran Schulte, City of Kannapolis, Park Manager

Wake
Bryan Alexander II, Town of Morrisville Fire Department, Engineer

Western Mountain
Kelly McKee, Town of Dillsboro, Town Clerk

This summer, The Support Center held a savings challenge at four of Durham Parks & Recreation's (DPR) participating summer camps as part of the Youth Financial Education Program (YFE). The program conducted over three weeks, focuses on on four areas: wants vs. needs, saving, good & bad debt and good money management. The savings challenge was held for 2 of the 3 weeks from June 29-July 10. Students designed their individual savings jar and were allowed to make regular deposits into their jars, which remained onsite. Each child received a $1 dollar donation from Generations CCU for deposit to help get them started. To help them develop good money management practices, students received a ledger to record their deposits and keep track of their balances.

The winning site, W.I. Patterson saved nearly $100 over the two week period. For their winning effort, the twenty-four savers took part in a tour of three CDCUs in Durham as well as enjoyed their own pizza party, made possible by a donation from Local Government Federal Credit Union.

The tour began with a presentation on lending at Self-Help Credit Union by Roberta Boyd-Norfleet and Teresa Dickey. Together, they answered some insightful questions from the young savers on subjects such as foreclosures and credit. "I was impressed with the questions they asked," explained Boyd-Norfleet. "It was great to see our babies understanding money. It will take them far!"

After additional visits at Latino CCU and Generations CCU, the savers celebrated their win with pizza and doughnuts from Dunkin Doughnuts. After a round of YFE jeopardy, and before returning to the camp, each student was awarded a certificate of achievement from The Support Center, presented to them by their YFE Camp Educator, Ryan O'Connor and Director of Marketing & YFE, Kimberly Knox. "Hazaah!!!!," said O'Connor. "I appreciated their willingness to learn from what I was teaching and I was happy to see that they were still bringing in their money to put in their jars even though the competition was over. It was a great end to a fantastic summer."

The YFE program began its second rotation at DPR sites on July 20. Some of the participating sites will take part in the 3 week program as well as compete in the savings challenge. Others will take part in a one-day YFE presentation and meet with Q Foundation Founder and youth Empowerment Coach/Author Stephán Askew.

To learn more about the (YFE) Youth Financial Education program, contact Kimberly Knox at kknox@ncmsc.org.

Also receiving Leadership Awards and joining Zapata in representing North Carolina at the NICE Conference are Courtney Gray from Cary, sponsored by NC State Grange; Kendrick Presnell from Burnsville, sponsored by French Broad EMC; Taylor Woolard from Washington, sponsored by Tri-County Telecom; and Jessica Gentry from Glade Valley, sponsored by Skyline TMC. Alternates selected were Baker Stanley from Vilas, sponsored by Skyline TMC and Denise Cashwell from Mt. Olive, sponsored by Tri-County EMC. These leaders were selected from 38 youth representing North Carolina cooperatives at the June conference.

The state conference focused on helping students build leadership skills while learning about cooperatives. Attendees heard several distinguished speakers representing soybean, electric, telephone and farm credit cooperatives. They also enjoyed a coastal experience by visiting Wilmington for the day to tour the USS North Carolina Battleship and the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, sponsored by Surry-Yadkin EMC and the NC Credit Union League. They ended the fun day at the White Lake Water Park with a cookout sponsored by Star Telephone.

Along with the usual camp activities, the youth received extensive training in the operation of cooperatives as a form of doing business. They organized a T-shirt cooperative, sold shirts to fellow campers, and donated the proceeds to Breast Cancer Research and the SPCA. Elizabeth Faulkner, sponsored by the NC State Grange was elected the co-op President, with Uriah Ward, sponsored by the NC Credit Union League, serving as the General Manager.

Counselors for the week were provided by cooperatives. They were: Marsha Williams, Carolina Farm Credit, Wilkesboro; Katie Wilson and Charles Barrett, AgCarolina Financial, Raleigh; and Scott Lee, Carolina Farm Credit, Statesville.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) continues to help North Carolina charitable organizations save thousands of dollars through the use of its no cost coin sorter machines. Many charitable groups hold penny drives and various coin collection events throughout the year, which can result in large volumes of change needing to be counted by a non-profit group. Typical coin sorter fees begin at 7%, with some as high as 10%... that’s where SECU comes in, as the Credit Union offers its sorters at no charge and helps charities make more of a positive impact in North Carolina communities. To date, SECU coin sorters have taken in approximately $317,000 in coin from charity groups, saving them nearly $25,000!

The Knights of Columbus is an organization that regularly utilizes the coin sorter at SECU’s Raleigh-Stonehenge branch. Jerry Powell with the Knights of Columbus comments, "Our group sponsors campaigns to assist organizations that support people with disabilities. The main campaign is the Tootsie Roll campaign, which is an example of how donations of any coins will amass and make a significant impact in just a couple of weeks. SECU makes it practical, enabling us to deal with the coins through the use of their coin machines. The folks at SECU show they are committed to the needs of others by helping us in this manner."

The coin sorters, initially installed in 2005, are located statewide in each of the Credit Union’s 225 branch offices. The machines feature FAT CAT, the mascot of SECU’s youth program, which is designed to promote saving at an early age. In addition to helping charitable organizations, the machines have provided a much-needed service to the membership and continue to be very popular at the Credit Union.

Leigh Brady, SECU’s Senior Vice President of Education Services responds, "State Employees’ Credit Union members and staff are very active in their local communities and support numerous charities throughout the State. The FAT CAT coin sorter machines offer one more opportunity to make a positive difference for some very worthwhile causes, and offering this no-fee service to community non-profits certainly aligns with our Credit Union philosophy of ‘People Helping People’!"

Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) was recently recognized at the local, state and national level for its outstanding social and financial success. The following is a list of their recent acknowledgements.

• LCCU was one of two finalists in the national E Pluribus Unum Prizes, awarded to exceptional initiatives that promote immigrant integration. For more information, go to: http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_55822.shtml.  
• LCCU received first place in the statewide Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award. This recognizes credit unions’ social responsibility efforts within the communities they serve. LCCU won the award in the $50 to $100 million-asset category for Angelica’s Dreams, which was a film created to show community members the process that many Latino families experience when buying a home. The movie also helps Latino families better understand the financial services industry in America. LCCU will now compete with similarly sized credit unions for the national award.
• The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce presented LCCU with its Circle of Influence Diversity Award. This award recognizes individuals and businesses for their commitment to diversity in the workplace and community. Here is a link to Durham Chamber of Commerce Awards Press Release: http://www.durhamchamber.org/resources/pdfs/circle-09followup.pdf.  

When 120 Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) members head to school this fall, they will either have brand new laptops or $1,000 for textbooks—their reward for winning an LGFCU Scholarship.

In its 11th consecutive year, the LGFCU Scholarship Award recognizes a student’s academic excellence by maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, as well as high achievement in extracurricular activities; financial need is also a consideration. Graduating high school seniors and post-secondary students must be LGFCU members to qualify. The awards can be used to advance their education at the university, community or technical college of their choice.

"We have always been an avid believer that education is the key to a bright future," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "By helping these students pay for most—if not all—of something for school, we hope we are relieving them of one more burden so they can focus on their academics and turn out to be great contributors in the community."

The winners, which are selected by a committee of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, are announced each year in May. The next application deadline will be announced later this year. Visit www.lgfcu.org for updates.

The award recipients are:

Allison Alston (Fuquay-Varina)
Anthony Arazo (Elizabeth City)
Emily Ash (Cary)
Bret Baldwin (Concord)
Ryan Barkley (Richfield)
Taylor Bickford (Cana)
Lindsay Boles (Yadkinville)
Eriel Bridges (Raleigh)
Sharon Britt (Laurinburg)
Anna Browning (Canton)
Julia Burton (Stoneville)
Seth Byrd (Traphill)
Tamara Cagle (Flat Rock)
Michael Camenga (Matthews)
Courtney Campbell (Gastonia)
Alexander Carr (Holly Springs)
Sydnee Chavis (Albemarle)
Landon Cline (Lenoir)
Megan Collier (Southport)
Caleb Cooper (Brevard)
Ashley Copeland (Elizabeth City)
Sarah Couch (State Road)
Margaret Crumpton (Sanford)
Samuel Culler (Mount Airy)
Anna Dang (Huntersville)
Kendre Davis (Lewisville)
Courtney Deal (Statesville)
Leilani Deaver (Franklin)
Brian Deese (Morrisville)
Adam Dyles (Thomasville)
Kara Edwards (Charlotte)
Dylan Edwards (Caswell Beach)
Kaitlyn Eldridge (Winterville)
Elizabeth Elmore (Leicester)
Allan Faircloth (Chapel Hill)
Jessica Falls (Smyrna)
Katia Fletcher (Rowland)
Williard Frazier (Linwood)
Erin Frye (Conover)
Jonathon Fulmore (Fayetteville)
Deborah Gainey (Lexington)
Seneka Gibbs (Elizabeth City)
Heather Griffin (Macclesfield)
Elizabeth Guthrie (Burlington)
Danielle Hall (Elm City)
Michael Hammerstein (Garner)
Kathleen Hankins (Raleigh)
Megan Harris (Pembroke)
Tianna Harrison (Tarboro)
Camille Harrison (Newton Grove)
Ryan Hatch (Conover)
Heather Hill (Aydlett)
Joshua Holloman (Clayton)
Kelly Hughes (Rougemont)
Emily Jordan (Kinston)
Jessica Joyner (Winterville)
Joshua Kearns (West End)
Renika Kenan (Rose Hill)
Velonda Kenan (Chinquapin)
Miranda Kennedy (Castle Hayne)
Timothy Kinlaw (White Lake)
William Knell (Boomer)
Brian Lackey (Charlotte)
Whitney Lanier (Shelby)
John Ledford (Lincolnton)
Kaitlyn Leger (Conover)
Jarred Lehr (Hendersonville)
David Livengood (Thomasville)
Taryn Looper (Granite Falls)
Carrie Mahoney (Hickory)
Gwendolynn Markolf (Matthews)
Jacqueline Martin (Willkesboro)
Taylor May (China Grove)
Haley McArtor (Raleigh)
Colby McClellan (Hickory)
Jennifer McGee (Mocksville)
Zach McGhee (Hendersonville)
Nathaniel McKeel (Durham)
Andrea McKerlie (Apex)
Garry Medford (Rocky Mount)
Hayley Mikkelson (Salisbury)
Michael Miller (Richlands)
Jessica Mobley (Beulaville)
Seth Morris (Salisbury)
Denise Newkirk (Dunn)
Sarah Nunez (Asheville)
Elizabeth Pittman (Lincolnton)
Kelsey Poorman (Boone)
Thomas Ray (Dunn)
Sumner Rhodes (Gastonia)
Justin Roberson (Williamston)
Charles Romines (Charlotte)
Christina Samuel (Forest City)
Thomas Schneeberger (Lexington)
Jordon Shook (Candler)
Chavis Sims (Shelby)
Delisa Staps (Walstonburg)
Sierra Stokes (Windsor)
Madison Strickland (Clinton)
Jason Strother (Franklinton)
Varonda Strouth (Lilllington)
Amanda Styers (Franklinton)
Javan Sutton (Waynesville)
Kaitlyn Thomas (Sanford)
Kimberly Threadgill (Thomasville)
Angela Truehill (Jacksonville)
David Tuttle (Stoneville)
Mariah VanEssendelft (Pantego)
Michael Vesely (Fletcher)
Lauryn Waldroop (Franklin)
LeAnn Walker (Greenville)
Emily Ward (Willow Springs)
Donna Waterman (Winterville)
Elizabeth Whitaker (Dobson)
Danielle Whitman (Lexington)
Daniel Wiggins (Raleigh)
Aaron Wiggins (Wilmington)
Tyler Willams (Wingate)
Ben Williams (Greenville)
Jewuan Williams (Margarettsville)

An Open House Dedication was recently held for Maple Court Apartments, a transitional housing complex to benefit homeless veterans in Durham, North Carolina. SECU Foundation partnered with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) last December to provide permanent financing for the project. The complex was developed by Volunteers of America of the Carolinas, with support from the City of Durham and Veterans Administration (VA).

The Maple Court project responds to a large number of homeless veterans served by the VA Hospital in Durham who are disabled or have chronic health problems exacerbated by the lack of safe, decent, affordable housing. Maple Court Apartments offers 24 rental units on a 1.6 acre site located in North Durham, and the nearby Travis Porter Veterans’ Resource Center at Maple Court is available not only for Maple Court residents, but also veterans living at the adjacent LIFE House, a facility developed by Volunteers of America for persons with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.

David King, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman comments, "SECU members, via the SECU Foundation, are very pleased to have joined forces with NCHFA and Volunteers of America to provide financing for housing to benefit our North Carolina veterans. The Maple Court project epitomizes the SECU Foundation philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ and is making a difference for North Carolinians who have served our country so valiantly."

Steve Longholz and Buster, the bomb-sniffing dog for the city of Greensboro. Longholz and Buster paid a visit to GMCU during its "CU Goes to the Dogs" promotion.

The credit union, particularly the project coordinator Karen Caviness, partnered with the group Food for Paws and in the span of a few weeks collected 338 pounds of pet food, pet food coupons, containers for transporting the food and $180.25 to purchase additional pet food. "We were so excited to be a part of this event and to see how our members pitched in to help," said Judy Hurt, who is GMCU's vice president.

GMCU held the fundraiser to honor the Greensboro Police Department's K-9 Unit, plus Ember, the city's fire dog. The credit union received a visit from a police dog handler and two canine cops in order to generate excitement.

"A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet right now, and that's especially true for seniors and disabled persons on a fixed income," said Jerry Wise, CEO. "We thought this would be a nice way to make things a little easier for seniors, and call attention to the needs of pets in our community."

Visit The Support Center's new Youth Financial Education (YFE) webpage. The YFE page provides information and fun activities to support the development of youth financial wellness. There, you'll find a blog chronicling the financial education sessions currently underway at summer camps in partnership with Durham Parks & Recreation, First Legacy CCU, Greater Kinston CU and The Q Foundation.

The current issue of the "Rainy Day Reporter" is available on the webpage. The youth newsletter is made available to all community development credit unions (CDCUs) for distribution to their young members. The newsletter is also provided to area schools and community youth programs in low-moderate income (LMI) communities.

The Western Chapter will be selling tickets for Asheville Tourist baseball games in the coming weeks. The chapter project will help raise money for Eblen Charities, which credit unions have supported generously for many years.

General admission tickets will be sold for $5 each and are good for any regular season games except July 4th & 5th. Please click here for more information.

In addition, the chapter will gather August 15th at McCormick Field for WNC Credit Union Night.  

Over 200 attendees of the North Carolina Credit Union League Annual Meeting pledged their commitment to credit unions and in the process raised $500 for the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation.

CUNA Mutual Group made the donation in honor of the league annual meeting attendees who demonstrated their commitment to credit unions by adding their signature to a "Sign of Commitment." The display was set up in the exhibit hall on throughout the expo.

"It’s truly amazing to see credit unions help us raise awareness of the commitment and support we all have to this great industry, and how we each help make a difference in members lives," said Robin Kolvek, CUNA Mutual sales manager.

John Slack, president/CEO of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, said these funds and additional support provided by CUNA Mutual will help support the vision of the foundation of making a better tomorrow by helping people help themselves. "We are fortunate to be associated with a cause driven organization like the CUNA Mutual Group.  Their ongoing commitment to the credit union industry is greatly appreciated and will no doubt have a positive effect on many lives," Slack said.

Attendees of the league’s annual meeting who added their names to the Sign of Commitment were given a wristband to wear as a symbol of their commitment to the credit union movement. Well over 50% of attendees signed the display, which was how the donation amount was determined.

Out of 284 nominations, Local Government Federal Credit Union proudly announces it was ranked the 26th Top Small Business in North Carolina by Business Leader Media, a leading business-to-business media and information company serving executives and entrepreneurs through magazines, Web sites, events and market intelligence.

Demonstrating significant business achievement and community involvement within the state of North Carolina, LGFCU’s award submission focused on its top five business achievements over the past year:

• The launch of LGFCU Financial Partners, LLC, a full-service credit union service organization (CUSO) that allowed the credit union to make $14.5 million in loans directly to North Carolina local governments in 2008
• The commitment of $50 million to purchase North Carolina municipal bonds to keep important infrastructure projects throughout the state moving
• The introduction of a specially-structured Visa debit card that works by donating 50 percent of the merchant’s transaction fee from every purchase to the N.C. Association of Rescue & Emergency Medical Services
• Increasing the LGFCU Scholarship Program by $100,000, bringing the total amount of money invested in graduating high school seniors and post-secondary students to $120,000
• Partnering with State Employees’ Credit Union to launch a Mortgage Assistance Program to keep members in their homes

LGFCU demonstrated its commitment to community involvement by highlighting the free seminars and workshops it conducts for local government units throughout the state, as well as its support of fallen police officers and firefighters in North Carolina.

"The fact that this award not only focuses on growth, but also on how that growth is achieved—responsibly and with the community in mind—makes this a real honor," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith.

Business Leader limited the award criteria to include only companies with 100 employees or less that do the majority of their business in North Carolina. In addition to business achievements and community involvement, each company's one- and five-year revenue growth was also evaluated. A community vote amongst finalists was used as part of the criteria in determining the rankings 1-100.

During the months of April and May, Alliance Credit Union Helping Hands volunteered in the community, increased awareness for several causes, and raised money for local charities.

The spring was packed with a spirit of volunteering. On the east coast, North Carolina staff participated in the March of Dimes March for Babies walk on April 18, 2009, raising over $1200 for the organization. The Alliance Helping Hands NC also volunteered on April 25 for Hands on Wilmington – a public service day where members of the community work together to make a difference. Alliance volunteers worked at the local YMCA helping build a new outdoor track.

Other spring activities included a flower sale benefitting Wilmington’s Carousel Center for Abused Children ($300 raised) and a food drive for the Wilmington Food Bank.

Back on the west coast, Alliance held its Second Annual Bike Raffle and BBQ benefiting TurningWheels for Kids. From April 1st through May 15th, members and employees purchased raffle tickets for the chance to win one of two cruiser-style bicycles. The raffle took place during the BBQ held at the Curtner Financial Center on May 15. The Bike Raffle and BBQ raised over $2700 for the San Jose-based charity that distributes bicycles to underprivileged youth.

Finishing off the month of May was the Relay for Life – a 24-hour walk for the American Cancer Society. Alliance Helping Hands CA participated in the walk and raised over $600 for the fight against cancer.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) employees completed a record setting year for its Triangle March Of Dimes March for Babies fundraising campaign, collecting over $52,000 for the charity. Approximately 250 SECU team members turned out for the 3-mile March held May 2nd at Nortel Networks in Research Triangle Park. This year, SECU branch and operations employees also participated in numerous fundraising efforts including bake sales, raffles and other creative activities to raise money for March of Dimes. SECU’s 2009 contributions exceeded the previous year by an amazing $9,000!

Tina Prince, SECU Triangle Area Team Captain responds, "This charity is very close to my heart, as I am the mother of a very healthy 7 year old who entered this world 15 weeks premature, weighing a mere 2 lbs, 3 oz. Every year, I am in awe of the tremendous efforts that SECU employees give to this wonderful fundraiser. Just when I think our team can’t possibly surpass the outstanding efforts of the past, this group manages to once again pull out their ingenious creativity, their infectious spirit, and an unmatched determination to not only top the previous year, but surpass it by thousands of dollars. I am proud to be the team captain for such an extraordinary group of people!"

"Each year, more than half a million babies are born too soon, too small or too sick in the United States; that’s one in eight babies, or 26,000 babies in North Carolina. The outstanding fundraising efforts of the SECU March For Babies Team help bring us closer to the day when every mother can realize the dream of having a healthy, full-term baby," said Sarah T. Moore, Executive Director of the Eastern Carolina Division of the March of Dimes.  "This was truly a record-breaking year thanks to the SECU Team and we are so grateful for their generosity of time and spirit, as well as funds!" Moore said. "The March of Dimes focuses primarily on research to find ways to prevent premature birth, and education to help women reduce their risks of having a premature baby.  The success of our mission depends on the generosity of our volunteers like the caring and committed employees of the SECU March for Babies Team.  Their hard work and dedication help us give every baby the best possible start in life."

On Thursday, June 11th, the Community Reinvestment Association of North Carolina (CRA-NC) hosted a free festival in Durham as part of a national effort to advocate for financial reforms. Latino CCU and The Support Center were among the exhibitors during the downtown event, advocating for continued support of community development credit union (CDCUs) services in North Carolina. Stella Adams, CRA-NC Board Member and Executive Director of North Carolina Fair Housing Center served as the official host of the festival.

Adams’ message for the day… "This is a chaotic time at both the federal and state level and the financial future of the communities we care about are under tremendous attack." Her message was cumulated as representatives from each organization spoke about their organization and their need for continued support. Organizations on the agenda included the Center for Responsible Lending, Self Help CU, NC Institute for Minority Economic Development, NC Justice Center and NC Housing Coalition as well as The Support Center. Many of the nonprofits and community economic development (CED) organizations that spoke are awaiting final budget or legislation approval from the state or federal level to continue delivering their services to low-moderate income (LMI) individuals in communities across the state.

The Support Center uses funding support from the General Assembly to provide essential investment capital and capacity building resources to its member CDCUs. As a result, CDCUs have been able to provide critical financial services to over 90,000 members statewide. Recently, The Support Center has awarded grants to Latino CCU to expand its service reach to 8,500 LMI individuals in underserved communities as well as provide 335 affordable mortgage loans. Similarly, a grant from The Support Center allowed First Legacy CCU to implement its Recue Mortgage Program, which has helped their members come out of high interest subprime mortgage loans, relieving the threat of losing their homes. Combined, the network of CDCUs has afforded over 6,568 loans over the last two years, for a sum of $71 million for housing and consumer financing to individuals and families whose only other alternative would have been sub-prime lenders.

SECU members via the SECU Foundation pledged $300,000 to complete construction of Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care located in Dobson, North Carolina. Mountain Valley is the first freestanding hospice facility in Surry County, serving terminally ill patients and their families in 16 counties.

Denise Watson, Executive Director of Mountain Valley Hospice states, "We truly appreciate the generosity of SECU members and will make the best of this SECU Foundation gift to serve our patients and their families."

Mountain Valley Hospice has twenty patient and family suites to provide a safe and comfortable place for patients who are no longer able to remain at home, and require a higher level of care and support through the dying process. The facility is located in the midst of peaceful farmland with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Lilnette Phillips, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Mount Airy branch comments, "The SECU Foundation and our members are proud to partner with Mountain Valley Hospice to provide this area's first freestanding Hospice facility to serve Surry, Yadkin, and surrounding counties. This facility will provide compassionate, tender end-of-life care for patients and support for their loved ones. The SECU Foundation was founded on the philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ and we know the funds for Mountain Valley Hospice will have a direct positive impact on growing numbers of families and residents seeking hospice care. "

Earning one of the highest honors bestowed upon credit union leaders in North Carolina, Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) President Maurice Smith took home the prestigious Mark of Excellence Award at the 74th annual meeting of the North Carolina Credit Union League (NCCUL).

The Mark of Excellence Award recognizes sustained leadership among people in the North Carolina credit union industry. Eligibility is limited to past winners of the Ronald J. Hutchins Credit Union Person of the Year Award who have at least 25 years of service in the credit union industry. A committee made up of statewide credit union leaders selected Smith to receive the award.

"Maurice has been a key leader in the NC credit union movement for many years," said NCCUL President/CEO John Radebaugh. "His wisdom, combined with his passion for credit unions, truly sets him apart, and I am personally grateful for the opportunity I have to work with him on the League board. This award demonstrates both his leadership qualities, and the respect his peers hold for him. The League congratulates Maurice on this well-deserved award."

Smith’s credit union career stretches 30 years, when he began as a loan officer with State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU). He later moved on to become SECU’s vice president of marketing before joining LGFCU in 1992 as the executive vice president. He has served as president of the $945 million federally-chartered credit union since 1999, where his goal has been to advance the credit union philosophy. At LGFCU, that means to improve the lives of members using financial services as a catalyst to spur economic development and create opportunities for jobs, retail and quality affordable housing, and also pay tribute to local government employees who are instrumental in making a community livable.

In addition to his service to LGFCU, Smith is also a distinguished leader within the state- and nationwide credit union movement. He currently serves as vice chairman of the NCCUL, as well as chairman of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation.

Mountain Credit Union, headquartered in Waynesville, earned statewide recognition for its community service & financial education programs at the 74th Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Credit Union League in Pinehurst. Mountain's awards were presented at a special banquet June 15th.

Mountain received honorable mentions in the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award and Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award categories for both the credit union's community involvement and commitment to financial literacy.

The annual Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award recognizes and promotes credit unions’ social responsibility efforts within the communities they serve. Credit unions enter the program in separate asset categories, which allows them to compete fairly against credit unions of equal size and resources. Mountain won honorable mention in the $50 to $100 million-asset category for its fundraising efforts to benefit the family of a NC Highway Patrolman who was killed in the line of duty. As a result of Mountain’s efforts, more than $35,000 was raised.

In addition to its community service award, Mountain Credit Union won honorable mention in the Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award. This award recognizes leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of youth financial literacy. It considers all activities supporting the personal financial education of young members and non-members. Mountain received honorable mention in the $75 to $250 million-asset category. In announcing the award, the League cited Mountain’s Youth Financial Education Advisory Committee. This committee works diligently throughout the year to provide financial educational opportunities to young people in western NC.

Carolinas Telco Federal Credit Union Chairman Eddie Veale (left) joined Shelor's daughter Sherre Costello and son Rick Shelor in accepting the award. Shelor's son Randy was not able to attend the ceremony.

Former Carolinas Telco FCU President/CEO Roger Shelor received the Larry Johnson Order of Merit Lifetime Achievement Award from his peers in the NC credit union movement. Shelor, who was chosen for the award by his credit union peers, passed away last month before he was able to accept the award. Shelor’s son and daughter were on hand at the 74th Annual Meeting of the NC Credit Union League (NCCUL) to accept the honor in his memory.

The Larry Johnson Order of Merit Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the State’s highest individual credit union honor, recognizes individuals who have dedicated their careers to promoting the credit union philosophy, and whose leadership to NC credit unions and related organizations has been or was sustained throughout their career. The award is named to honor former NCCUL President Larry Johnson. Nominees for the award must receive a minimum of two peer endorsements.

Johnson, who retired from the League in 2003, was on hand to present the award to Shelor’s children. Johnson and Shelor worked together for many years to advance the ideals of credit unions.

Shelor spent more than 40 years at CTFCU. During his credit union career, he served in a variety of leadership roles on the state and national level, including serving as NCCUL chairman, and chairman of the NC Credit Union Commission.

Alliance Credit Union is pleased to announce the winners of its 13th Annual Rose M. Ratka Memorial Scholarship: Conrad Egan of San Jose, CA; Danielle Boles of Palo Alto, CA; and Monet Hardison of Hampstead, NC. Each were awarded $2,000 scholarships to help complete their studies at various universities in a variety of impressive subjects from Media Arts to Environmental Studies and Elementary Education.

The scholarship program was developed to honor the late Rose M. Ratka who was President/CEO of the credit union from 1978 to 1996. An astute business woman who achieved remarkable success in the industry, Rose strongly believed in continuing education. Scholarship funds are awarded to those students who best exemplify Rose’s courage, spirit and dedication. The scholarship is awarded annually, in the summer, for application to school the following fall.

"Rose Ratka was an incredible leader, and close personal friend of many people here at Alliance," says Eileen Lewis, current President and CEO of Alliance Credit Union. "She donated her time to many causes, but was most dedicated to increasing the opportunities for individuals who want to better themselves through education. When Rose moved here in 1961, she learned English from watching television and talking to people. It’s a testament to her energy, courage and commitment to education that she was able to rise to the head of this credit union and become an industry leader. We look for that same spirit in our scholarship recipients."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of nine new Advisory Council members to eight of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to management regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory Council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

May’s appointees are:

Central Coast
Sid Weiner, New Bern Number 7 Township Fire and Rescue, Secretary/Bookkeeper

Central Piedmont
Mark Wilkinson, Statesville Fitness and Activity Center, Fitness Director

Central Mountain
Bob Boyette, City of Marion, City Manager

Coastal Plain
Patania Eiland, Cumberland County, Human Resources Analyst

Northern Mountain
Susan White, Town of Elkin, Administrative Assistant

South Piedmont
Charvetta Ford-McGriff, Mecklenburg County EMS Agency, Human Resources Recruitment Specialist

Southern Mountain
Gene Bell, Asheville Housing Authority, Chief Executive Officer

Triangle East
Jimmie Farmer, Goldsboro Housing Authority, Director of Development/Safety Director
Gordon Joyner, N.C. Association of Rescue and E.M.S., Executive Director

LGFCU is also proud to announce the addition of Matthew Brown of Vanceboro to its Youth Advisory Council, Our Generation—Speakin’ Up, which comprises North Carolina middle and high school students. With 10 members, this group is instrumental in assisting the credit union in the development of a new generation of products and services for children, teens and young adults.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) has unveiled plans to enhance the current economy and build for the future in North Carolina. The project, a planned 12-story branch and office facility, will be located on Salisbury Street in the State Government Complex in downtown Raleigh. The new 240,000 square foot building will include a six-story parking deck, a credit union branch and approximately 77,500 square feet of office space reserved for future growth. Plans are to begin construction in fall 2009. SECU’s Board has considered construction of the facility for several years and has decided to move forward at this time in order to bolster the NC economy and to take advantage of the much lower level of current construction costs.

The Credit Union facility is being developed in conjunction with the State of North Carolina, which plans to build new offices for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and to expand the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, which are adjacent to the Credit Union site. Coordination of construction planning on the overall project will create substantial cost savings for both the State and the Credit Union. An existing SECU branch facility on the site has been demolished in preparation for the new development.

Bobby Hall, Senior Executive Vice President of State Employees’ Credit Union, states, "SECU acquired this site in 1960 as the location of the first Credit Union branch office at a time when the Credit Union served less than 75,000 members and had assets of less than $25 million. Our strategy at the time was to build a large 15,000 square foot facility to house the Credit Union and lease the additional space, allowing for future growth. That branch served the Credit Union as an operations facility from 1962 until 1984 and has continued as our ‘home branch’ facility to this date. While SECU has grown to over 1.5 million members and 224 branches throughout the State, our Board has chosen to re-adopt that same initial facilities strategy and plans to occupy 13,000 square feet in the new building, while renting the excess space until the Credit Union grows into it. Even though SECU now has $18 billion in assets and no debt, the branch strategy is still much the same --- rooted in the past, built for the present and designed for the future."

SECU currently owns five operations support facilities in the Raleigh area encompassing over 400,000 square feet of space. All existing facilities are operating at capacity, while the Credit Union continues to grow at double digit annual rates.

Patty Munns, Senior Vice President of Facilities Services at SECU, comments, "In addition to this unique project in the State Government Complex, the Credit Union continues to build additional branches throughout the State. We are slated to add approximately fifteen new branches to our network within the next fiscal year. After 40 years of working to expand our member convenience through local SECU offices, the Credit Union will have at least one office in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties by the end of fiscal year 2010. SECU continues to believe strongly in local service, local convenience, local people, and local control."

Ed Hoffman, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Salisbury Street branch office, adds, "This construction has brought the Credit Union ‘full circle.’ Prior to construction of the original Salisbury Street facility in 1962, the Credit Union had been housed in the NC Agriculture Building, since first chartered in 1937. We are delighted that during construction the NC Department of Agriculture has agreed to temporarily lease us space for our operations. So, we truly are back to our roots in that rental space in the Ag Building! Our branch looks forward to the completion of a larger Credit Union facility to meet the growing needs of North Carolina’s State employees. This building project is a huge undertaking for our organization, but one that will provide great benefits to the members for years to come. That same strategy certainly worked tremendously well in 1962 and we feel confident that it will also work well in the 21st Century."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members via the SECU Foundation have provided a $200,000 investment to the Mitchell County Courthouse Foundation for renovations to the historic courthouse, making way for the SECU Virtual Learning and Communication Center. The Center will house a state-of-the-art telecommunications and public access computer system, providing area residents access to educational, cultural, and economic development opportunities that are not currently possible.

Located in Bakersville in the mountains of western North Carolina, the Mitchell County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of the Interior. The renovation and restoration process, coordinated by the Mitchell County Courthouse Foundation, is designed to transform the existing property into a place that can serve the area citizens, while still preserving the historic significance of the building.

Dr. Daniel Barron, Mitchell County Courthouse Foundation Chairman states, "The SECU Foundation’s investment towards the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse has enabled this small rural community to access education and opportunities it would not have been able to otherwise.  The receipt of this funding was the most critical part of our campaign and without it this project could have been held back for well over the next year or possibly longer.   This is all possible through the SECU Foundation’s belief in our project."

Shirley Hise, Chairman of SECU’s Spruce Pine Advisory Board comments, "We are pleased and excited to have the SECU Foundation members’ support for a Mitchell County project. This courthouse is a landmark in our area and the Mitchell County Courthouse Foundation has worked very hard to make the redevelopment one which will benefit all the citizens in this county. The SECU Foundation funding will aid in the preservation of this historic site."

LCCU held its Financial Education Graduation and Annual Assembly on May 9, 2009. At this event, 60 Hispanic adults graduated from LCCU's financial education workshops. The graduation ceremony coincided with the Member's Annual Assembly, where the members reelected three members of the board of directors for LCCU.

These classes have been very interesting, very instructive and very much enjoyed. Those of us that came in search of the American Dream and a better life, need to consider that education, knowledge and information are indispensible in this country," said Vivian Chalco about her financial education workshops.

All of the graduates have completed the Financial Education program offered by LCCU. This program is free and open to the community. It includes the following topics: The benefits of your checking account and debit card, How to save and develop a good budget, Learn about your credit history, Credit cards: advantages and disadvantages, Tips on how to buy the ideal car and Getting ready to buy a home.

LCCU is planning on opening its 8th branch in Garner, North Carolina next month! This follows the 7th branch opened in Charlotte in December 2008, and the 6th branch opened in Winston-Salem in August, 2008.

Latino Community Development Center, the membership base of LCCU was just awarded $500,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for its financial education program.

Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union is pleased to expand the Credit Union Service Center to all of its branches starting May 18, 2009. With the success of the Credit Union Service Center at the Spring Lake branch, this is a logical and beneficially expansion for our Cumberland County citizens. This will meet the needs of Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union members, as well as our military and defense contractor community.

Credit Union Service Center is an opportunity for members from participating credit unions to have thousands of convenient locations to perform transactions just as if they were in their home credit union. This allows for members to always have a credit union nearby.

Demonstrating their commitment to North Carolina county government, Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) has become the corporate sponsor of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioner’s Employee Productivity Awards Program.

Now known as the LGFCU Employee Productivity Award, this program recognizes 10 North Carolina county employees (five managerial staff and five line staff) with $1,000 awards for their efforts to improve the efficiency of county programs, services and general administration.

Productivity improvements are defined as achieving one of the following:

· The same level of service delivered at a lower cost
· A higher level of service delivered at the same cost
· Avoidance of future cost increases

"Now in its 18th year, this awards program has generated more than $100 million in savings or cost avoidance in the 1,350 applications submitted," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "Given the program’s popularity among county employees—and the widespread transfer of winning best practices among county governments—we are happy to assume corporate sponsorship and support this mission to help county governments thrive."

Winners will be recognized at the North Carolina Association of County Commissioner’s Annual Conference August 27-29 in Catawba County. The application deadline is June 19, 2009. Visit www.ncacc.org for more information and an entry form.

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of five new Advisory Council members to five of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to management regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory Council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

April’s appointees are:

Coastal Plain
David Clack, Sampson County, Finance Officer

Northern Mountain
Angela Eggers, Ashe County, Assistant Finance Officer

South Piedmont
Regina Davis, Mecklenburg EMS Agency, Human Resources Recruiter/Paramedic/Event Planner/Internal Communications Specialist

Triangle
Patty Gravinese, NC Biotechnology Center, Director of Accounting and Purchasing

Wake
Richard Salentine, ElectriCities, Manager of Support Services

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is purchasing land for a new branch building at the historic Lowe’s Grove Rural Credit Union site in Durham, North Carolina. Branch construction is set to begin this summer. SECU chose this location for its rich history and significance to the credit union movement --- a move that will bring SECU back to the original credit union roots in North Carolina! Lowe’s Grove Rural Credit Union, which opened for business on January 20, 1916, was the first rural credit union in the South.

Durham banker John Sprunt Hill was the guiding force behind a bill passed by the legislature in 1915 to authorize the charter of Lowe’s Grove Rural Credit Union. Mr. Hill had studied the credit cooperative concept in Europe as part of a commission appointed by President Woodrow Wilson and saw the value it would be to the agriculture community in North Carolina. Through his initiative, a meeting was called at the farm life school at Lowe’s Grove in December of 1915 and the Credit Union opened for business the following month. A North Carolina Highway Historical Marker, dedicated on December 12, 1999, currently identifies the credit union site. The late Tom Ellis, a long-time SECU Advisory Board member and strong credit union advocate, was an instrumental part of the group responsible for the Lowe’s Grove Highway Historical Marker, serving as the liaison between SECU and the Lowe’s Grove Historical Marker Committee. The two groups joined forces to bring focus to the historical credit union landmark.

SECU member and Lowe’s Grove resident, Gus Godwin served as the Chairman of the Lowe’s Grove Historical Marker Committee. Regarding SECU’s land purchase, he comments, "We are very excited that the Credit Union has selected this parcel of land to build a new branch. It is a wonderful tribute honoring the importance this area holds for the credit union movement in North Carolina."

Shirley Bell, Chairman of SECU’s Board of Directors adds, "SECU has been looking to purchase land in the Lowe’s Grove area for quite some time and we are thrilled that this property became available. The Lowe’s Grove Rural Credit Union site is a historical landmark for the community and SECU is honored to carry on the credit union tradition that began in Durham 93 years ago."

Generations CCU has set goal to raise $4 million in general deposits in response to the growing demands of its membership, which resulted from the nation’s economic crisis. To help meet the demand, The Support Center has engaged several partners and orchestrated trainings for Generations’ staff, which has led to the credit union receiving over $2 million in deposits to date. "We’re providing efficient solutions to meet challenges CDCUs face and reinforcing the value of CDCUs," said Support Center President Paula McCoy.

The Support Center‘s technical assistance, marketing and capital support loan fund programs are designed to aid its affiliates in securing the funding they need to meet all of their operational and lending needs. Since the start of 2009, the organization’s efforts to help Generations’ reach its deposit goals include:

• Engaging current and potential institutional depositors
• Applying for funding from The Kellogg Foundation and other foundations
• Executing a deposit marketing campaign in collaboration with the NC Credit Union League, The National Federations of CDCUs, the Community Development Banking and the Association of Enterprise Opportunity
• Partnering with Self-Help CU, NC Association of CDCs and the NC Center for Nonprofits to target their members for deposits
• Coordinating trainings for managers to help them mobilize and maximize the efforts of their local advisory councils
• Provide workshop on deposit marketing during recent CDCU retreat
• Designed promotional rate ads and coordinated placement with local radio and newspapers
• Conducted three Local Advisory Council trainings on deposit marketing
• Created training module for local advisory councils and managers on deposit marketing
• Provided TA to several managers about ideas for membership and deposit cultivation attendance at meetings for local SRI investors and fund advisors promotion of GCCU with the Triangle Community Foundation

Invariably, The Support Center will affirm the significant financial services and proven effectiveness of CDCUs in North Carolina. Through its advocacy, programmatic, legislative and marketing efforts, it will remain a prevalent resource for the state's CDCUs, so that they can increase their capacity to embrace their members’ growing demands, thereby allowing them to prevail in today’s society and economy.

NC CCUE Designees

On May 9, 2009, sixty Hispanic adults will graduate Latino Community Credit Union’s (LCCU) Financial Education workshops. The graduation ceremony will be held at The Durham Armory, located at 220 Foster Street in Durham. Just as last year, the graduation ceremony will coincide with the Member’s Annual Assembly, where they will reelect three members of the board of directors for LCCU. The graduates will arrive, along with their families, from many parts of the state of North Carolina.

"These classes have been very interesting, very instructive and very much enjoyed. Those of us that came in search of the American Dream and a better life, need to consider that education, knowledge and information are indispensible in this country," said Vivian Chalco about her financial education workshops.

All of the graduates have completed the Financial Education program of offered by LCCU. This program is free and open to the community. It includes the following topics: The benefits of your checking account and debit card, How to save and develop a good budget, Learn about your credit history, Credit cards: advantages and disadvantages, Tips on how to buy the ideal car and Getting ready to buy a home. The people that complete all the workshops receive a certificate of recognition and are invited to the graduation. The next series of workshops will begin on the 1st of June.

Selina Murrell and students from Rogers Herr Elementary School.	Felicia Solomon and students from Southeast Elementary School.

For a second year, Greater Kinston participated in National Youth Credit Union Week. Greater Kinston’s Administrative Assistant Linda Williams and The Support Center Director of Marketing, Kimberly Knox led the groups on April 21 and 22. Williams gathered the students in a conference room dedicated to former district Congresswoman Eva Clayton to share information on the credit union’s history and services. Later, she gave them an opportunity to win prizes in a quiz session. Winners chose from prizes provided by The Support Center.

Students from Rogers Herr Middle School were led by The Support Center on a tour of Latino Community Credit Union (Latino) and Generations Community Credit Union (Generations) on April 24. Latino VP of Strategy and Services Erika Bell and Staff Development Specialist Rebekah Friesen met with the students to discuss the importance of their financial services to Hispanic immigrants in North Carolina. Later, Generations' VP of Operations Jelani Thompson treated students to popcorn during his presentation, which highlighted the credit union's growing services. Member Services Representative Rashida Griffin explained her role and daily member relations responsibilities. Each student received a VISA gift card and other giveaways

The board game, CA$HFLOW® was the highlight of the tour. As part of a working lunch, students were divided into teams to play the game. Selina Murrell and Derek Williams instructed students how to play the game. Murrell and Williams are actively involved with The Support Center's Youth Education and Outreach program.

Rounding out the day's events, each member of the winning team automatically received an additional VISA gift card. However, everyone had opportunity to win an additional gift card if they were able to correctly answer questions about their tour experience. Eighth grader Cincere White was especially grateful for the experience. "Thanks for the wonderful tour through your building. Thank you also for teaching me so many things about a credit union that I did not know, for the food, and the cool game you showed us. Once again, thanks so much for the wonderful Friday- it was way better than being at school."

By the end of National Youth Credit Union Week, affiliate CDCUs reached approximately 200 students to convey the importance of sound financial management and saving. By the end of the 2009 school year, approximately 480 students will have participated in The Support Center's youth education program.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is pleased to announce that all SECU member credit cards now comply with the “Safe Credit Card Standards” recently issued by The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Safe Credit Cards Project.  The Safe Credit Card Standards are designed to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices and to help educate consumers on how to evaluate competing credit card offers for financial fairness.  The SECU Board of Directors approved adoption of the Safe Credit Card Standards for all SECU credit cards effective May 1, 2009.  As a member-owned cooperative, SECU fully supports strong, reasonable consumer protection guidelines for all credit card services. 

The general guidelines of the Safe Credit Card Standards include: 

• Cardholders will be charged only the interest rate they agreed to pay.
• Fees will be imposed responsibly and will be transparent to the cardholder.
• Cardholders will have sufficient time to review and pay their bills.
• Payments will be applied first to balances carrying the highest interest rate. 
  

The Pew Charitable Trusts partnered with the Sandler Foundation in 2007 to address growing concerns about abuses in the credit card industry.  The team spent more than a year researching consumer credit card usage, conducting economic analyses of credit card practices and revenue, reviewing hundreds of credit card products and meeting with numerous credit card providers and consumer groups.  Industry reports show that between 2007 and 2008, some issuers raised interest rates on nearly one quarter of credit card accounts, using practices that the Federal Reserve has deemed unfair and deceptive, costing consumers more than $10 billion.  While the Federal Reserve ban on unfair card practices is not required until July 2010, SECU knows that cardholders are vulnerable to abusive card practices and often lose hundreds or thousands of dollars per year in account fees. 

Shirley Bell, Chairman of SECU’s Board of Directors, comments, “State Employees’ Credit Union has been working with representatives from The Pew Charitable Trusts for over two years and is pleased to see the Standards for Safe Credit Cards released.  The Credit Union is also pleased to support pending credit card legislation that will help all consumers.  SECU’s cooperative philosophy has always helped guide our Credit Union to provide the most consumer-friendly products and services.  By showing our support of the Pew initiative and pending credit card legislation, SECU is helping to safeguard working North Carolinians’ finances.” 

Leanne Phelps, SECU’s Senior Vice President of Card and Record Services states, “State Employees’ Credit Union’s credit card program not only meets, but actually surpasses the ‘Safe Credit Card Standards.’  While there are many unscrupulous practices being utilized in the credit card industry, SECU has always operated under a ‘Do the Right Thing’ approach to all member products and services, including credit cards.  In addition to providing members with a good value credit card, the Credit Union also places a major focus on educating members on how to choose consumer-friendly products and services.  We want members to know what to look for in a credit card and what to avoid so they can make the best financial choices.  By adopting and promoting the Safe Credit Card Standards, SECU hopes to help establish a benchmark for fairness which members can use for comparison.” 

“With more and more Americans relying on their credit cards to pay for everyday living expenses in this economy, we need to make sure the cards they’re using are safe and fair,” said Nick Bourke, manager of Pew’s Safe Credit Cards Project.  “Our research makes it clear that legislation is needed urgently to reform credit card practices.  We are pleased that State Employees’ Credit Union has adopted the Safe Credit Card Standards and is committed to fair credit card practices.” 

On Friday, April 24, golfers teed off in Marine FCU's 15th Annual Charity Golf Tournament. Held at the Jacksonville Country Club, this year's event raised $86,000 for the USO and Hope For The Warriors.

Many thanks to all the companies and individuals who sponsored this event and the golfers that played in it.

Learn more about the USO and Hope For The Warriors online at uso.org and hopeforthewarriors.org

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) used the "Magic of Saving" to encourage young members to save their money during the Credit Union’s annual Youth Saving Challenge held April 20-24, 2009 in conjunction with National Credit Union Youth Week. At the conclusion of the week-long event, over 500 new youth accounts were opened and nearly 13,700 members deposited $1.1 million into youth accounts!

The Saving Challenge offered young members the chance to win an extra deposit for being good savers. When a deposit was made to any youth FAT CAT or Zard savings account during the Challenge week, the account owner was automatically entered into a random drawing. Three FAT CAT and three Zard members won extra "magical" deposits with grand prize winners receiving $100, 2nd place winners receiving $75 and 3rd place winners receiving $50.

National Credit Union Youth Week wasn’t the only event being honored by SECU during the month -- North Carolina Governor Beverly Purdue also declared April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month. To give prominent focus to both events, branches from around the State held youth appreciation days, gave educational presentations in local schools, and welcomed youth mascot FAT CAT to visit with kids of all ages.

SECU’s FAT CAT program is for children 12 and under, and its Zard program is for teens 13-19, and currently, there are over 191,000 members in the combined youth programs. Both programs place a primary focus on educating youth on financial topics and assist parents in teaching their children the value of managing money wisely. SECU personnel utilize the FAT CAT Smart Money workbook to teach younger kids about money and the National Endowment for Financial Education’s teen curriculum in the high schools.

Kim Hollifield, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Forest City branch comments, "Events like the Youth Saving Challenge are exciting for our members and our employees. To promote the Challenge, we made a colorful display with a special ‘money hat’ and created fun, educational puzzles and games for the kids to make the week extra special. It is extremely important to help our youngsters learn the value of saving early so they have the tools to become financially successful adults. The ‘Magic of Saving’ theme was a big hit in our branch and we certainly enjoyed breaking out the magic wands to show our youth how much fun saving can be."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) congratulates 18 winners of its School of Government (SOG) Scholarship Award. The awards, given out three times a year, are applied toward conferences, classes and seminars offered by the SOG at UNC-Chapel Hill, the largest university-based local government training, advisory and research organization in the United States.

"Partnering with the School of Government to offer scholarships to the state’s local government employees makes perfect sense for us," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "Through a strengthening of job skills, these members are able to better serve their communities, making North Carolina evermore the place we are proud to call home."

The award recipients are:

Kenya Allen, Durham County
Penny Bowman, Surry County
Nell Brake, City of Lexington
Travis Branch, City of Lumberton
Robin Chadwick, Carteret County
Brenda Culbertson, Town of Apex
Vickie Dodson, Carteret County
Jennifer Gray, Jones County
Jacquelyn Hampton, Town of Bolton
Danna Harrell-Stansbury, Land-of-Sky Regional Council (Asheville)
Leslie Lunsford, Town of Tarboro
Carlton Lynch, Northampton County
Michael Peoples, Town of Cramerton
Brenda Riley, Durham County
Colleen Scarlet, Durham County
Stephen Walker, New Hanover County
Hosea Wilson III, Bertie County
Jackie Wilson, Rutherford County

Miller's book about addiction helped to earn him the Living Legacy Starter! award.

The Living Legacy Starter! award honors young men and women who have committed their lives to working with young people in the Winston-Salem community. Miller authored Drug Addition, Is there any hope, which is being used as supplemental material in several Narcotics Anonymous groups in jails and prisons across the country. Miller also serves as an Order Class Instructor at the Forsyth County Detention Center (17 years), and a GED instructor at Forsyth Technical Community College. Miller has also been promoted to lead GED instructor for the Forsyth County Detention Center.

Miller's service to the credit union also figured in the award, as he helped WSCECU start a student-run credit union branch at Union Cross Traditional Academy (Elementary) three years ago. "We are very proud of Murray's commitment to the Winston-Salem community, and all of us are pleased to see his dedication to helping others being recognized," said WSCECU President/CEO Tony Ebron.

First Legacy Community Credit Union held its 68th Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 19 in Charlotte. Attendance included members from all over the Greater Charlotte Mecklenburg Area as well as the board of directors and staff. First Legacy president Scales recounted the credit union’s progress over the past year. Notably, she reviewed their lending efforts, acknowledging that they have had to "think outside of the box" to help members cope with their delinquent accounts resulting from layouts and employer closings. "I wanted to speak directly to our members in order to give them a true snapshot of what their credit union is facing. It’s important that they know the threats as well as the strengths of their credit union. I called it a "family meeting" because we are family and as such we need to be aware of the challenges that we must overcome to remain successful."

The two-hour luncheon also served as an honorary celebration for retiring board member Bob Davis, who served on First Legacy’s board for 40 years. "Mr. Davis’ sage advice will be missed," said Saundra Scales. "He has been an exemplary board member, serving the credit union with dignity, demonstrating fortitude and sound discernment."

First Legacy currently operates five branches serving 7,251 members. Since the start of 2009, the credit union has acquired approximately $3,000,000 in new share accounts.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently demonstrated its support of North Carolina’s continuing efforts to make its citizens more environmentally aware of eco-friendly living by participating in the 2nd annual Planet Earth Celebration, held in Raleigh, North Carolina. The free event, sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Burt’s Bees, offered SECU the opportunity to enhance their ongoing partnerships with NC GreenPower, Advanced Energy, and the NC Electric Membership Cooperative. The Celebration also offered the Credit Union a chance to showcase its numerous "green" product initiatives. The overall goal of the Planet Earth event was to celebrate sustainability efforts and to raise awareness in North Carolina communities of the rewards relative to taking better care of the local and global environment. Over seventy educational stations provided valuable information on sustainable innovations and more than 10,000 people attended the festivities.

SECU personnel from operations departments and area branches gave of their time to make the event a success. SECU volunteers manned a booth at the Celebration and brought along Fat Cat, the Credit Union’s youth mascot, to visit with the kids! The booth featured SECU’s "green" product information and offered face painting and an environmental trivia game for the kids, as well as a craft station utilizing recycled materials.

Some of SECU’s product/service offerings highlighted during the event included the Credit Union’s Green Mortgage, Green Vehicle Loan, and SECU online options such as E-Statements and BillPay. Also promoted were member-funded initiatives through the SECU Foundation, such as teacher housing projects with LEED-Certified buildings and Energy Star ratings, and a partnership with NC GreenPower to fund 1.3 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy each year and provide energy conservation and efficiency education.

Morgan Young and Lindsey Barfield, E-Learning Developers with SECU and Credit Union Planet Earth coordinators, comment, "Helping organize SECU’s participation in Planet Earth was a rewarding experience. Seeing young children learn to care for our planet showed the power of community outreach – a goal we strive for everyday as employees of the Credit Union. We are pleased to see SECU expand its ‘green’ efforts each year to help sustain North Carolina’s natural resources. This event truly demonstrates the power of the cooperative spirit --- working together to make a difference."

Bobby Hall, SECU Senior Executive Vice President and NC GreenPower Board member, adds, "State Employees’ Credit Union feels strongly about supporting the advancement of green initiatives to improve the environment and the quality of life in North Carolina and globally. Our partnerships with organizations like NC GreenPower provide an even greater opportunity to make a difference for our State’s citizens. We also hope to work with the NC Electric Membership Cooperative, promoting the installation of solar hot water systems and encouraging our members to consider this option for their homes. These programs and services help us ‘Do the Right Thing’ for our members and our environment."

Leaders, volunteers and community representatives from Johnston County gathered on Thursday, April 16th, along with SECU Foundation representatives, for the Groundbreaking Ceremony to celebrate the construction of SECU Hospice House of Johnston Health in Smithfield, North Carolina. The groundbreaking is the culmination of a successful capital campaign, which united the county and saw all 10 incorporated towns participate financially. SECU members, via the SECU Foundation, jumpstarted the campaign with a $1 million grant to the Hospice House.

The project will result in an 18-bed, 13,000 square foot hospice facility that will serve a critical need for Johnston County, as the desire for hospice facilities has increased in recent years with the county’s growth. While hospice patients can be treated in their own homes, sometimes this does not meet the level of care required to make the patients’ last days as comfortable as possible. The new center will provide numerous services including 24-hour medical and nursing care, along with pain and symptom management, social work and bereavement services.

Durwood Stephenson, Chair of the Hospice House Capital Campaign Steering Committee, comments, "I have lived in Johnston County all my life and have never seen our community rally around a project like they have with the SECU Hospice House of Johnston Health. All ten incorporated towns within our county have participated financially and firmly believe in the physical, medical and emotional benefits of the facility for our citizens. The early commitment from SECU’s members was certainly the catalyst to drive the project forward."

David King, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, adds, "The hospice program epitomizes the credit union philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ by serving patients at the end of their life and providing the needed services for their families. We are so pleased the entire Johnston County family has been able to come together to raise, in record time, the funds needed to build this wonderful addition to their community. Many SECU members have been touched by hospice care, and the SECU Hospice House of Johnston Health will bring many additional resources to the Johnston County citizens."

(The following information is provided by the World Council of Credit Unions.)

World Council of Credit Unions' (WOCCU) Hispanic Marketing Immersion Program is kicking off its third year Sept. 19, offering Spanish lessons, credit union internships and full cultural immersion through one- and two-week programs in Morelia, Mexico, for U.S. credit union staff and executives. In order to inform people about the program, WOCCU is holding a webinar (web conference) for credit union staff and executives on Thursday, April 30th at 1pm CST/2pm EST.  To register for the webinar, visit www.woccu.org/events/hmip and click the webinar link.

Miriam De Dios, a past participant of the 2008 program and Emerging Markets Director for Coopera Consulting, will present on her experience in the program and the importance of tapping into the Hispanic market.  Josh Fetting, International Partnerships Program Specialist for WOCCU, will also review program specifics and logistics. At the end of the presentations, a question and answer session will take place.  

WOCCU’s Hispanic Marketing Immersion Program is a distinct program that allows participants to take Spanish language classes through an accredited school and work with a Mexican credit union to gain first-hand knowledge of member service and marketing strategies. Host families provide participants with private rooms, meals and an opportunity to sharpen language skills in a social setting. A WOCCU staff person is also present to facilitate the program and to ease any cultural or social transitions. The program is also flexible for those who wish to pursue other interests besides marketing.

For more information on the program, you can attend the webinar and/or visit www.woccu.org/events/hmip and download the registration form/informational brochure. For hard copies or any other questions, please contact Josh Fetting at jfetting@woccu.org or 608-334-6646.

Hispanic market statistics:

• Hispanic household are the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. and are expected to account for 44% of the population by 2020 and 62% by 2050.
• Hispanics comprise 13% of the U.S. labor force with one-third of Hispanic migrants holding two or more jobs.
• Hispanic-owned businesses increased 78% from 1987-2000, compared to an overall U.S. business ownership increase of just 26%. Hispanic women own 39% of all U.S. women-owned businesses.

Sources: Pew Research Center, FDIC and the U.S. Census Bureau

"The original credit union principles still apply in this day and age", stated Joy Watts CEO of Carolina Postal, "Credit Unions are still true to their core philosophy and still protect our members from financial distress, sickness and hard-times, but we thought it was time for a modern, fresh look that is a bit more representative of our members today."

The decision to update the Umbrella Man was made by the CPCU marketing department two years before the economic storm hit in the fall of 2008. Ironically, with the devastation in the global financial markets and whispers of a possible depression, the new image became even more poignant in 2009, when CPCU, along with a number of other credit unions, state leagues and CUNA (Credit Union National Association) are celebrating their 75th anniversary of service. CPCU’s new image incorporates a beaming young ethnic woman under an umbrella that shows blue skies beneath.

"Our 75th anniversary theme for the year is "We’ve got you covered" and we reinforce this daily in our service and products that we provide for our members. It’s all about service, safety and security." stated CEO Watts.

In addition to the door-prizes, fellowship and a luncheon, over 200 members and guests were given a CPCU umbrella, blue skies fully intact underneath, at the Annual Meeting.

The Support Center will officially serve as a host organization for two Duke University students as part of the university’s DukeEngage program. The DukeEngage program http://dukeengage.duke.edu is a part of the Duke Center for Civic Engagement. It provides funding for Duke undergraduates who wish to pursue an intensive (minimum of eight weeks) civic engagement experience anywhere in the world. Through DukeEngage, students apply what they have learned in the classroom to address societal issues at home or abroad. Not only do students tackle real-world problems, but they develop the valuable skills and self-knowledge that evolve from spending time in an immersive service experience.

Joining The Support Center are sophomore Derek Williams and junior Ryan O’Connor. Both students will participate in the implementation and on-going development of the organization’s Youth Education and Outreach Program (YEO). Though this is an opportunity for the students to utilize their previous experiences in community service, they will also have an opportunity to become participate in the development of strategic and grassroots efforts designed to have a tangible impact on the youth market in LMI communities. "We are happy to have the opportunity to collaborate with The Support Center this year," says Domoniqúe Redmond, Assistant Director of Programs at the Duke Community Service Center. "We want to continue to expand our list of Durham community partners interested in exposing our students to the issues that shape their work while providing growth opportunities that will extend beyond graduation from Duke."

In 2008, The Support Center began piloting the YEO program with Greater Kinston Credit Union. Plans to expand the program are underway. Currently, the organization is working with Capstrat www.capstrat.com to develop additional programs and to promote volunteerism in youth financial education. The goal is to provide practical and marketable tools that will aid in the development of today’s youth that will be the foundation for financial advancement.

For more information about the Youth Education Outreach Program, contact Kimberly Knox, Director of Marketing at kknox@ncmsc.org or 919.530.1683 ext. 222. Contact Domoniqúe Redmond to learn how you can become involved with the DukeEngage Program at domonique.redmond@duke.edu or call 919.684.4377.

James A. Wall, Jr. joined The Support Center on March 2, 2009 as its new Chief Financial Officer. A certified public accountant, James is a fomer Senior Bank Examiner with eighteen years experience in public and private accounting. Along with the organization’s fiduciary responsibilities, Wall will assume the responsibilities of the Accounting Service Center, a program that has played a pivotal role in servicing The Support Center’s community development credit union network.

"We are excited to have James on board. His background and experience help create a seamless transition in the Accounting Service Center. We look forward to introducing him to our stakeholders and affiliates. We believe that they will have the same level of trust and confidence in his abilities that we do".

James’ background ranges from a variety of industries including banking, insurance, municipalities, and nonprofits organizations. His progressive and diverse experience in leadership and senior level management will be an asset to The Support Center. He is a graduate of North Carolina Central University

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) has just completed its second year of participation in the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and saw a marked increase in volume for the 2009 tax season. SECU VITA personnel completed more than 25,000 returns, generating over $33 million in total refunds for North Carolinians! All 223 SECU branch locations served as VITA sites, with at least three Credit Union staff members trained as VITA preparers. Just as impressive as the refunds claimed through the SECU VITA program were the savings generated by the free tax service, as a total of $3.75 million was saved in preparation fees typically charged by for-profit tax preparation services. In addition, $15.7 million in tax credits, including $9.7 million in Earned Income Tax Credits and $5.2 million in Child Tax Credits, were claimed through the SECU program --- providing a potential boost in North Carolina’s economy. The EITC program is viewed as the nation’s most successful anti-poverty program; however, as many as 60% of EITC recipients are often the target of high cost refund anticipation loans and refund anticipation checks, effectively reducing the amount of their tax credit.

In order to maximize the EITC dollars kept by the taxpayers, the Credit Union also offered a consumer friendly, tax refund anticipation loan in conjunction with the VITA program which saved members an additional $50,000 in interest expense costs, compared to using a traditional refund anticipation product. SECU’s loan provided a low-cost alternative to the industry-standard refund anticipation product often viewed as a predatory-type loan. And, by promoting the advantages of e-filing and direct deposit, the Credit Union helped North Carolinians avoid approximately $175,000 in refund anticipation loan costs --- keeping more money in the consumers’ pockets!

SECU member Johnny Hughes remarks on his experience in the Credit Union’s Murphy, NC office, "I always used a paid preparer until I read about the VITA program offered at SECU. Credit Union personnel went above and beyond to help me with my return. I cannot express how much I appreciate SECU offering this service. I am a retired State employee and have used the Credit Union for over twenty years. After my tax return was prepared through the VITA program, I left the Credit Union even more proud to be a member! Thank you."

Veda D. Howell, Senior Stakeholder Relationship Tax Consultant with the Internal Revenue Service, comments, "The IRS VITA partnership with SECU has been a win-win situation for all parties—especially for the NC taxpayers who have been assisted in their own communities in 97 of the 100 NC counties.  This partnership supports several IRS initiatives that emphasize increasing the availability of free tax help and e-filing to low-income taxpayers, and to taxpayers who live in rural areas.  We look forward to next year!"

Josh Kelly, SECU Senior Vice-President of Tax Preparation Services, adds, "The dramatic increase in the volume of returns processed through the Credit Union’s VITA program this year is proof of the positive difference SECU is making for North Carolinians. We applaud and appreciate the efforts of SECU’s VITA preparers in helping our State’s citizens claim over $33 million in much-needed refunds and tax credits. We look forward to these funds helping the VITA participants establish a more positive financial outlook."

The Support Center will mark National Youth Credit Union Week (NYCUW) by inviting kids to tour three of its affiliate community development credit unions (CDCUs). Greater Kinston Credit Union (Kinston), Latino Community Credit Union (Durham) and Generations Community Credit Union (Durham) will provide tours of their headquarters to students from grades 2 through 8.

• Greater Kinston Credit Union will host students from Southeast Elementary on April 21 and 22. The school is currently providing in-class financial education workshops as part of The Support Center's Youth Education and Outreach (YEO) program.
• In Durham, the Latino and Generations credit unions will provide tours of their branches to students from Rogers-Herr Middle School on April 24.

All of the tours will include lessons on credit union operations, basic money management practices and how to start a savings account. Combined, all three CDCUs serve more than 1,200 youth members.

"CDCUs are in an ideal position to help young people learn the fundamental financial practices that will prepare them for their economic futures," says guidance counselor Martha Cobb of Southeast Elementary School. "I am so pleased that they come to our school to share the importance of saving and developing good money habits. Our students definitely benefit from the sessions and the parents are interested in the information as well."

Each year, the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) promotes NYCUW to encourage and applaud youth membership. The Support Center began sponsoring CDCU youth tours in 2003 as part of NYCUW, and implemented its YEO program in 2008. The program provides financial education resources and training opportunities to affiliate CDCUs. Future plans for The Support Center and its affililiates include organizing youth savings clubs in low-modest income communities, coordinating educational activities, volunteer recruitment and fundraising opportunities. As a means of executing some of the program’s plans, The Support Center will serve as host to two Duke University students as part of the university’s DukeEngage program. Students will participate in the implementation and development of the organization’s Youth Education and Outreach Program (YEO). For more information about the YEO Program and CDCUs, contact Director of Marketing Kimberly Knox at kknox@ncmsc.org or 919.530.1683 ext. 222.

Atkins students gathered together with Allegacy FCU staff and state & local dignitaries to celebrate the grand opening of the Atkins Student Credit Union.

"We are delighted to offer the student-run credit union at Simon G. Atkins High School. We plan to take full advantage of this ‘teachable moment’ provided to us by Allegacy," says Atkins’ Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Parris. "Now perhaps as never before it is essential to provide students the experience of learning financial responsibility."

The ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference to launch the new branch took place yesterday on the campus of Simon G. Atkins High School. State and local dignitaries, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. June Atkinson and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Dr. Don Martin, were on-site to help celebrate the launch.

"With all the negative financial news of late, it is exciting to be a part of an effort to provide students with practical money management skills that will have a lasting impact on their personal and professional future," says Ike Keener, Allegacy President and CEO. "Allegacy is proud of its partnership with Atkins and the financial literacy it will provide to the entire student body."

Credit union membership is available to any Atkins student and their family members. There are 9 student volunteers and one teacher responsible for the operation of the on-campus branch, which is open three days a week during the lunchtime hours.

Working at the Atkins Student Credit Union is part of the school’s Business Advanced Studies of the CTE curriculum designed to give students real work-life experience, financial literacy and marketing credit.

This is the second student-run credit union branch in the Triad at Allegacy. The Credit Union opened North Carolina’s first student-run credit union at the high school level at Reagan High School in September 2008.

State Employees’ Credit Union’s (SECU’s) consumer-friendly Reverse Mortgage is proving to be the needed solution for some SECU members. The Credit Union has closed 50 Reverse Mortgage loans totaling over $5 million since August 2008 when the program was introduced.

A reverse mortgage is a loan against a residence to provide cash to assist with living expenses, typically in the form of a lump sum or fixed monthly disbursement to the borrower. To qualify, applicants must be 62 years of age, utilize the home as their primary residence and receive consumer education on the product from a NC certified reverse mortgage counselor. Borrowers who typically seek a reverse mortgage have a large amount of equity in their homes and need more monthly income to balance their budget, but may not qualify for typical home equity loans and need another option in order to stay in their home or help pay for home healthcare.

SECU’s loan is distinctly different from the typical industry-standard reverse mortgage as the Credit Union offers a fixed, stable rate of interest, a simple interest accrual method, a low origination fee of 1%, no mortgage insurance and no monthly service fees. SECU firmly believes the reverse mortgage market could prove to be the next subprime debacle and worked to be "ahead of the curve" in order to provide a different cost-effective industry leading product that others in the credit union system could emulate.

In developing their consumer-friendly product, the Credit Union consulted with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, North Carolina AARP, the NC Retired Governmental Employees Association and Resources for Seniors – a counseling group for reverse mortgage applicants, for their expertise on reverse mortgages.

SECU member Oma McKee comments, "I think that the SECU Reverse Mortgage is a really great product. With the monthly amount I receive from my loan, I can pay off outstanding bills, and have the rest of the money for other things. The economy is not good now and if you have equity in your house, it’s a good way to help with bills and free up needed money. You don’t have to make monthly payments on the loan and that frees up extra money too. It’s great to know the Credit Union has a loan that can help senior members. We’ve worked hard all our lives and we have this house, so we might as well let it work for us now. I would recommend the Credit Union’s Reverse Mortgage. I’m really glad I got the loan."

Phil Greer, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Loan Administration department states, "After extensive research of standard reverse mortgage products, the Credit Union developed a product far superior to the industry standard, resulting in more funds being made available to our members for their day-to-day living expenses. While this type of loan will not benefit all members, the ones who need this option can rest assured they are getting a product that will not be detrimental to their financial well-being."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently granted a tract of land to the City of Brevard that will aid in the development of the Davidson River Trail – connecting the local community to the Pisgah National Forest, the Cradle of Forestry in the U.S. The trail, designed to join Davidson River Campground and Pisgah National Forest, gives SECU a wonderful opportunity to give back and help educate others on the amenities in their local North Carolina forests. This connection will give area residents a new way to gain access to Pisgah National Forest and visit such environmental wonders as Sliding Rock and many area waterfalls – all by foot or bicycle.

In addition to teaming with SECU for the donation of land, the City of Brevard partnered with the US Forest Service, NC Department of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Division and NC Department of Transportation Division 14 to design and build the Davidson River Trail components. This greenway offers many benefits to the area, such as providing paths for alternative forms of transportation and reducing congestion in order to protect air quality. The trail also provides citizens with more recreational opportunities and enhances the overall attractiveness of the community.

Brevard Mayor Jimmy Harris comments, "This land easement granted by SECU is a vital piece to a very important trail in our system and will make a great connection between Pisgah National Forest and the City of Brevard. The City is happy that SECU values the safety of children, families, and pedestrians in general and continues to prove SECU’s community commitment by participating in providing such a beneficial pedestrian facility."

County Extension Director and SECU volunteer Eric Caldwell states, "As a local volunteer Advisory Board member, I am delighted that our cooperative is showing the true dedication of its members to the green movement in helping to connect local residents of North Carolina to the environment. Brevard’s residents look forward to sharing the Cradle of Forestry with many NC citizens!"

SECU Brevard Branch Vice-President Cindy Hubbard adds, "We are excited to be part of this wonderful environmental project, and have the opportunity to partner with the City of Brevard. The new Davidson River Trail will enhance the beauty of the Brevard community and provide the needed link to many of Pisgah National Forest’s amenities."

Allegacy Services, LLC announced today that it has acquired Estate and Business Insurance Services, LLC, a full service insurance agency located in Winston-Salem with more than 30 years of industry experience. Estate and Business, which provides group health and dental insurance to approximately 200 companies as well as individual health plans, has merged with Allegacy’s JBA Benefits to provide group health, life, business insurance and property and casualty needs.

"This acquisition expands both our Client Service Department and the Sales group, allowing us to provide more creative and cost effective insurance solutions to our clients while maintaining the same hands-on approach," says Ray Crouse, President and Managing Director, Allegacy Services.

JBA Benefits, founded in 1983 and acquired by Allegacy Services in January 2007, provides health, life, disability, dental, long term care and retirement plans to both individuals and businesses. JBA Benefits aims to deliver impeccable service after the sale— therefore minimizing the time a small business or Human Resources Director spends handling benefits questions.

"We are very excited about the synergy of these combined teams," says J. Bryan Andrews, Sr., President of JBA Benefits. "This new structure will allow us to offer more enrollment meetings and educational seminars, such as the Medicare Supplement workshop that helps both employees and their family members make the smart choice."

Allegacy Services, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Allegacy Federal Credit Union. In addition to JBA Benefits, this Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) is comprised of Cooperative Payroll Solutions, LLC, Allegacy Realty, LLC, and Advanced Fraud Solutions, LLC.

Credit union educational staff and volunteers who use curriculum from the Biz Kid$ series on national public television can now earn credit for their presentations from the National Youth Involvement Board (NYIB).

NYIB provides the most recognized platform for credit union educators to report on presentations to classrooms and other youth events. As a volunteer network of more than 700 credit union professionals, NYIB also collects and shares materials, resources, and insight to help one another educate youth and attract young members.
 
Now on the NYIB website (www.nyib.org), Biz Kid$ is among the leading programs in the drop-down menu for reporting presentations. With a MyNYIB profile, presenters can see it at http://www.nyib.org/mynyib/present_detail.php.

In its third season with exclusive underwriting by America’s Credit Unions, Biz Kid$ is the first national public television series promoting financial education for middle and high school students. The 39-episode series is now airing in 97% of the U.S. public television market – reaching more than 230 million people over the age of two – through 334 PBS stations serving all 50 states.

Under the leadership of Mrs. Jean Stultz, Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union highlights their commitment to their members by holding their Ribbon Cutting that ushers in a new era at the Spring Lake location. Many honored guests were in attendance, Colonel John W. McDonald (43rd Airlift Wing Commander), Spring Lake Mayor Ethel Clark, Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce President John Thomas, and Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union Chairman Edwin Deaver, the grand reopening was held on April 6, 2009 at 9:00 am. Bragg Mutual has been a leader in the Cumberland County community and again this successful event demonstrates their desire to help their members. By opening the drive-thru and becoming a member of the Credit Union Service Center, it will help their members with their daily financial needs.

Credit Union Service Center is an opportunity for members from participating credit unions to have thousands of convenient locations to perform transactions just as if they were in their home credit union. This allows for members to always have a credit union nearby.

Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union held its 57th Annual Meeting on March 31, 2009 at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville, NC. During the meeting the following officers were elected: Alan H. Asbury, Phyllis M. Crumley, Edwin S. Deaver (Chairman), Warne D. Mead, Carl F. Mitchell, Allen G. Piland, and Lucille A. Rebello.

Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union is honored to have such a dedicated Board of Directors who expresses their desire to continue to serve our members and the Cumberland County community.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently launched a new Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) designed to provide options for members struggling to stay in their homes. MAP offers members an opportunity to meet in person with a senior officer of SECU and develop an individualized financial plan. The Credit Union is committed to meet with members whenever and wherever feasible and investigate all opportunities to assist. Options within the Mortgage Assistance Program are for members who may be in a delinquency or possible foreclosure situation, as well as for those who anticipate a loss of income in the near future. These options include mortgage loan extensions, mortgage loan modifications or refinances, and partial payment alternatives. Budgeting, financial counseling and overall debt restructuring are also part of the MAP initiative.

Since the program began in February 2009, SECU has helped over 1,400 members with loan balances totaling nearly $140 million implement a feasible action plan for their current financial situation. In many of these success stories, members were able to modify their mortgages and reduce their rate by 2-3%, which in some cases resulted in decreased monthly payments of several hundred dollars. Major life events such as job loss, divorce and medical crises were the catalysts that led to many of these delinquencies, and the Credit Union has worked one on one with these members to find real, workable solutions.

To help provide additional lending alternatives within the Mortgage Assistance Program, the Credit Union recently developed a new product, the SECURE Mortgage. This product provides members an opportunity to consolidate their SECU mortgage balances and any other loans owed to SECU under the security of a low interest first mortgage loan. Financing may be up to 100% of the value of the member’s primary residence. With a SECURE Mortgage, funds of up to $5,000 may also be advanced to set up an emergency savings account to add peace of mind and re-spark a culture of saving among the membership.

Phil Greer, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Loan Administration department comments, "State Employees’ Credit Union understands the importance of helping members improve their financial lives – it’s the mission of SECU and goes hand in hand with the ‘People Helping People’ philosophy of the Credit Union. As unemployment rates continue to rise and the job market wanes, more members are facing the difficult task of paying bills with less income. Some are facing home foreclosure and SECU will do everything we can to keep that from happening. We encourage all members who are struggling with job and income loss, as well as those who are concerned about a potential future job loss to reach out to the Credit Union. We’re here to help!"

To complement the Mortgage Assistance Program, SECU is also providing brochures detailing programs available from NC Employment Security Commission, Department of Health and Human Services and the NC Housing Finance Agency. Links for their programs and services, as well as more information on SECU’s Mortgage Assistance Program are available on the SECU website at www.ncsecu.org.

Rep. Margaret Dickson & Sen. Tony Rand were on hand as Bragg Mutual FCU President/CEO Jean Stultz received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Mrs. Stultz has dedicated 40 years of service to Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union and the Cumberland County community. She has been and continues to be an outstanding leader, mentor and serves Credit Unions with pride and distinction. Mrs. Stultz is active within Cumberland County region serving on numerous boards to help improve the lives our citizens.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine was created in 1965, and is the highest civilian honor that can be granted in the state of North Carolina. This prestigious award is presented by the Governor of North Carolina to individuals who have a proven track record of extraordinary service to the state. Representative Dickson called Mrs. Stultz, "the Finest of our State."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently completed renovations of all branches statewide, equipping them with a handicap accessible teller window. While the Credit Union designed its newer buildings to include the feature, the organization chose to retrofit all branches to fully serve members needing handicap accessibility. The project was completed over a one-year time period, with the teller counter upgrade retrofitted in over 100 branches.

SECU member Tai Martin uses the Boone-New Market Street branch location. He comments, "I’m a new wheelchair user and it’s nice to be able to actually see who I’m dealing with in the branch. With the lowered countertop, I don’t have to use my knee to sign my name. Accessibility is so important and I appreciate the Credit Union caring. It’s very difficult and discouraging to do business in places that do not have this option. I hope the Credit Union continues to set a good example for the community regarding handicap accessibility."

Beverly Marler, a member utilizing SECU’s Asheville-Smokey Park Highway branch adds, "I was very glad to find that the new window at the teller counter would enable me to make a quicker payment and provide some privacy for me and other members. I have especially appreciated the attention and kindness shown on many occasions such as opening the doors for me because of weakness in my hands. I count it a privilege to do business with such a caring and helpful group of people."

Patty Munns, Senior Vice President of SECU’s Facilities Services department states, "It is always the mission of SECU to serve members in the most convenient way possible, whether through a new branch or upgrades to our existing facilities. We have members who are confined to a wheelchair or have limited mobility, and whether they need this service temporarily or permanently, SECU is committed to making all branches member-friendly and convenient for everyone."

Financial literacy advocates, convened by the NC Jumpstart Coalition, were at the General Assembly on March 31, asking lawmakers to help put more financial education in North Carolina classrooms. They say with the current economic situation, it is best for kids to start learning money management as early as possible. Among the speakers were lawmakers, educators and students. The event kicked of April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month in North Carolina and highlighted the need for greater focus on financial education in these tough economic times.

State Employees' VP of Education Leigh Brady, along with Fat Cat, addressed the audience to talk about the efforts that credit unions make towards making their members and their community financially literate.

State Employees' VP of Education Leigh Brady, along with Fat Cat, addressed the audience to talk about the efforts that credit unions make towards making their members and their community financially literate.

The North Carolina Jumpstart Coalition works to improve financial literacy in kids. They gathered at the General Assembly to lobby lawmakers on the importance of financial education for today's youth. Several kids came to Raleigh themselves to push for more money education in the classroom. Two bills pending in the General Assembly would create a North Carolina Financial Literacy Council to monitor and assist financial education in public schools.

April 19-25 is National Credit Union Youth Week where the theme this year is "The Magic of Saving" Click for more information and to participate in the National Youth Savings Challenge!

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is a recipient of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s (ESGR’s) State Chairman’s "Above and Beyond" Award. The award was presented at the recent ESGR Annual Employer Recognition Banquet in Raleigh. The "Above and Beyond" Award is presented to those employers who have exceeded legal requirements for providing support to Service Members who serve in the Guard and Reserve. On hand to accept the award on behalf of SECU were Mark Twisdale – SECU Senior Vice-President of Human Resources, Jamie Applequist – SECU Senior Vice-President in Jacksonville and Master Sergeant in the Air Force Reserves, Lori Waters – SECU Network Operations Manager and a past recipient of an ESGR Employer Service Award, as well as Kelly Liebermann, wife of 1st Lieutenant Benjamin Liebermann, an SECU employee who is currently deployed with the National Guard.

SECU was nominated for the award by 1st Lieutenant Liebermann, an SECU Network Operations employee, because of the Credit Union’s support for its employees who also serve in the Reserves. The Credit Union offers one week paid military leave annually and also offers a pay differential when an employee is deployed. In addition, SECU keeps the benefits of soldiers active when they are mobilized.

1st Lieutenant Liebermann remarks, "Since day one of my entry into State Employees’ Credit Union, the entire management team has been more than helpful. They have been very understanding of my National Guard duties, giving me flexibility with my work schedule to serve in the U.S. Military. In addition, my direct supervisor Lori Waters even calls just to ‘check in’ while I am gone on my annual training, keeping me abreast of changes in the Credit Union and going beyond the call of duty to support me in my efforts to serve our Country."

SECU members via the SECU Foundation have pledged $300,000 to assist with the construction of a six-suite addition to Hospice House of Rutherford County. The addition, to be completed by May 2009, will increase the facility from a 12-suite to an 18-suite Hospice House, providing access to more patients in the area. The SECU Foundation pledge completed the "Hospice Hands of Hope" campaign to construct the addition to the Hospice House, which is now known as SECU Hospice House of Rutherford. On hand for today’s formal check presentation was Lt. Governor Walter Dalton; Kim Hollifield, Senior Vice President on SECU in Forest City; Rita Burch, Director of SECU Hospice House of Rutherford; and Michael Benfield, Chairman of SECU’s Forest City Advisory Board.

Rita Burch, Executive Director for Hospice of Rutherford County states, "This generous pledge by SECU members will ensure that Hospice can complete construction of this much needed addition, and hopefully alleviate the difficulties of families having to wait for an open suite in our current facility. The SECU Foundation and its members are partners in our vision to provide the highest level of care for patients and their families at the end of life."

Originally established in 1982, Hospice of Rutherford County began offering inpatient and residential care in the 12-suite Hospice House in September 2006. This facility has consistently been listed among the top three most utilized hospices in the State. In 2008, there were 167 patients served at the inpatient level and 79 at the residential level of care.

SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, David King responds, "The SECU Foundation was founded upon the credit union philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ and created to address large scale community needs in areas such as health and human services. Hospice was founded on the same basic principles making it a very fitting project for the Foundation. So many North Carolinians have been touched by hospice care and on behalf of SECU’s 1.5 million member-owners, we are proud to assist with the expansion of SECU Hospice House of Rutherford. "

RTP Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce it has reached $100 million in asset size. For over 40 years, RTP Federal Credit Union members have been turning to the credit union for great rates, low fees and exceptional service on a variety of financial products. With its main branch in the heart of Research Triangle Park, RTP FCU is home to 47 employees, four branch locations and one administrative office.

"We are excited and proud to meet this milestone at the credit union. In these difficult economic times, it is quite an accomplishment – and testimony to our membership and employees – to reach this financial goal. I look forward to what the future holds for RTP Federal Credit Union as we continue to serve the Triangle area." stated Doug Wilkerson, President, RTP Federal Credit Union.

In addition to the RTP branch location, RTP Federal Credit Union has branches in Cary, North Raleigh and Downtown Raleigh.

In just five years, the SECU Foundation has topped the $20 million threshold in its commitment to higher education in North Carolina. For 2009, State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members have once again chosen to award "People Helping People" scholarships in each of the traditional public high schools in North Carolina. These four-year college scholarships, valued at $10,000 each, are awarded to graduating seniors for study at one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina System. While some individuals in these troubled economic times have reduced their giving, SECU members have again demonstrated not only their willingness to assist the citizens of North Carolina, but also their dedication to higher education.

The SECU Foundation High School Scholarship program is funded solely by State Employees’ Credit Union members and reaches all counties of North Carolina. Each recipient of the Scholarship is chosen by the individual high school’s scholarship selection committee. The Scholarship award recognizes the student’s community involvement, leadership skills, character and integrity, as well as scholastic achievement. The Scholarship is used for tuition and university approved educational expenses over eight consecutive semesters.

2008 recipient Caroline Sheffield comments, "It was an honor to be named a recipient of the ‘People Helping People’ scholarship. I appreciate the financial support toward obtaining my education and I fully intend to make SECU members’ investment in my educational aspirations worthy of the ideals of this scholarship. Through my degree, I plan to become an agriculture teacher so I can teach students the important aspects of this career. I want to show students my passion for agriculture and maybe one day I will see my passion grow through my students. I know this scholarship will help me in so many ways when I attend North Carolina State University."

David King, SECU Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, adds, "State Employees’ Credit Union members are continually looking for ways to assist North Carolinians in achieving their educational goals and avenues to enhance the State’s economy. The SECU "People Helping People" Scholarship program does both. We are able to help our State’s students further their education within the University of North Carolina’s exceptional system. And, with 15% of North Carolinians living at or below the poverty line and the unemployment rate nearing 10%, there has never been a better time for SECU members to renew their ongoing commitment to the State’s economy! SECU members are truly making a positive difference."

Deb McLean of Carolina Postal CU	Laurie Kriesl of Unitus Community CU

Unitus Community Credit Union of Oregon had created a vibrant membership campaign using the slogan, "Membership Matters." Much to their dismay, they found out that Carolina Postal Credit Union (located on the east coast) had already trademarked the phrase. Pat Smith, CEO of Unitus immediately contacted Carolina Postal to see if something could be worked out. Much to their delight she found a willing colleague.

"We’ve been there," stated Joy Watts, CEO of Carolina Postal Credit Union, "and I knew exactly what Pat was feeling. We’ve had a terrific campaign, or a new product just rolled out, only to receive a "cease & desist" letter from a credit union in another state. It was so frustrating when the other credit unions would not partner with us on sharing the phrase or slogan. Especially irritating was the fact that our territories and member base didn’t cross-over or even come close to one another."

When she joined CPCU in 2007, Marketing Vice President, Deb McLean, was instructed by her Board of Directors to trademark every phrase & slogan she came up with. "I was surprised but I understood the frustration," she stated, "I agreed to do it but only if we could take it to the next level."

That next level, thrilled Unitus CEO Smith and her Vice President over Marketing, Laurie Kresl. "I was pleasantly surprised when Deb contacted me and asked if I would like to "lease" the phrase from them for a year or two," stated Kresl.

McLean pointed out that since the credit union territories did not over-lap and both of them had clearly defined, limited fields of membership within their individual states it simply would not hurt each other’s brand nor cause "member confusion". "We’re not talking about a nationwide brand such as a Target with its red circle. These are brands or slogans that work individually within our own SEG groups & communities."

"It only makes sense," stated McLean, "I think the credit unions who demand the cease & desist are being extremely short-sighted. They are simply lock-stepping to their lawyer’s tune to "protect" the trademark versus thinking outside the box. This could actually become an income provider for smart credit unions. And it only serves the credit industry as a whole to work together since we are a co-operative movement."

"Now more than ever," stated McLean, "credit unions need to go back to our core philosophy and work together." Kresl agreed stating, "this is yet another example of how we, as credit unions, can set ourselves apart from the banking industry. We are pleased to partner with Carolina Postal Credit Union."

Royster M. Tucker, III with scholarship winner Emily Darr of Ledford High School. Darr plans to attend either NC State, Virginia Tech or Vanderbilt.

The credit union also recapped a very successful 2008 to the 165 people in attendance at the meeting, which was held at First Baptist Church in High Point.

North State Telco Credit Union created the scholarship fund in 2008 to honor longtime North State Communications Chairman of the Board and President Royster M. Tucker, Jr., upon his retirement from the company. Tucker, who passed away last year, was also a longtime supporter of the credit union.

Tucker’s son, Royster M. Tucker, III, announced the scholarship winner in a heartfelt speech. "My dad would be pleased that the first scholarship winner is heading into engineering," Tucker said of his father, who was an engineer by training.

Tucker also noted that his father had been "very humbled by (the scholarship) award," and that the concept touched upon three things that the elder Tucker was very passionate about: family, education, and North State Communications.

The credit union funds the scholarship entirely through donations and fundraisers. The credit union raised $2,000 through the sale of cookbooks, plus another $300 through a raffle for the "world’s largest Christmas stocking." Later this spring, the credit union will hold its first-annual Royster M. Tucker, Jr. Memorial Golf Outing on May 12th to raise money for the scholarship fund.

"The North State staff and members of the credit union really thought a lot of Mr. Tucker, so they’ve really gotten behind the scholarship fund," said North State Telco Credit Union Manager Patti Weber.

165 people attended North State Telco's Annual Meeting, which was held at First Baptist Church in High Point.

Before Darr was announced as the scholarship winner, the credit union’s treasurer recapped a very successful 2008 to the members who attended. Jon Cage noted that despite the slowing economy in 2008, the credit union grew its assets 8% from the previous year – and wrote off less than $9,000 in loans in a $4 million portfolio.

Cage added that the credit union remained very well-capitalized and that members deposited more money in the credit union as the economy slowed dramatically late last year. "You put your trust in us," Cage said.

In addition to the scholarship announcement and treasurer’s report, North State Telco Credit Union Assistant Manager Sarah Allen received a certificate of appreciation to honor her 25th anniversary working at the credit union. "Credit unions are about helping people more than anything else," said Weber, "and Sarah has worked with many of our members over the years to help them reach their financial goals."

SECU members via the SECU Foundation have provided a grant of $750,000 to Home Health and Hospice Care, Inc. (3HC) for the expansion of Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The grant will be used to expand Kitty Askins by 13,000 square feet, increasing it from a 12 to a 24-bed facility. The new wing will be named SECU House at Kitty Askins.

Kitty Askins was originally built in 1995 to address issues such as terminally ill patients living alone or without a caregiver, patients needing closely monitored pain management and patients’ families in need of a short respite from the daily stress of caring for a dying family member. Kitty Askins Hospice Center is one of the most utilized hospice facilities in North Carolina, resulting in a long admittance waiting list. The expansion of Kitty Askins will provide more patients with skilled hospice care in a tranquil, home-like setting.

Dean Lee, President and CEO of 3HC states, "We are pleased that the members of SECU have made such a generous grant through the SECU Foundation to Kitty Askins Hospice Center. We are proud to partner with SECU and its members in service to our community. Our goal is to meet the hospice needs of our patients and their families by eliminating the waiting list for beds at Kitty Askins through this much needed expansion. We are thankful that SECU members recognize this need and support our efforts."

SECU volunteer Bo Wessell responds, "As an Advisory Board member for State Employees’ Credit Union, I am well aware of SECU’s philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ and the many community projects supported by the SECU Foundation. To me, the pairing of Kitty Askins Hospice Center and SECU Foundation seems to be a natural combination of community needs being met by community support."

Donna Braswell, Vice President with SECU in Goldsboro has coordinated the fundraising efforts of Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Wayne County along with several members of State Employees’ Credit Union. The support of construction on the expansion of Kitty Askins involved Advisory Board members and staff in Wayne and the surrounding counties. Ms. Braswell comments, "I am proud to work on behalf of SECU members and their families to enhance their lives through the development of a project that touches everyone during a very difficult time."

Coastal Plain
Marina Williams, Town of Swansboro, Finance Director

Eastern Carolina
Wanda Dixon, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Medical Technologist

South Piedmont
Mia Makanda, Carolinas HealthCare System, Human Resources Associate

Much to the delight of many State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members, SECU recently added a new feature to its secure online Member Access. The new feature, called Activity Today, identifies transactions that have been authorized by the accountholder, but have not fully posted to the account. In the past, members could see a field for Activity Today, along with a cumulative amount, but the amount did not show individual transaction details. The new feature allows the member to see the individual transaction amounts, as well as a description of where the charge or credit originated.

There are currently more than 660,000 members using SECU’s Member Access online service and the numbers continue to rise. Rick Rhoads, Senior Vice President of SECU’s E-Services department states, "The Credit Union is always looking to improve and enhance online features, and many of the upgrades are designed based on member suggestions, including the Activity Today enhancement."

SECU member Kristen Smith couldn’t be happier with the new online account enhancement. She remarks, "I was talking with a co-worker one day about the Credit Union and told her the only thing I didn't like about SECU was that I couldn't see a detailed description of what had cleared in recent transactions. I logged on the very next day and saw a link called ‘View Items,’ clicked on it and found that I could see what items were just waiting to be posted but had been removed from my balance.  THANK YOU SO MUCH for this feature!!!  It will make my life of living paycheck to paycheck in this terrible economy a hundred times easier while counting my pennies. AGAIN THANK YOU!!!"

Rhoads continues, "We are very pleased to now offer the itemized Activity Today feature, as it will certainly help members with the day-to-day balancing of their accounts. With the previous cumulative total of debits and credits, it was very difficult to determine what transactions were included, so this is a huge improvement that will positively affect our numerous online users. We are extremely happy to hear that members are thrilled with the enhancement as well."

According to Sarah Snell Cooke, CU Times Editor-in-Chief, "McLean was exceptionally creative and intuitive with CPCU’s Hoopty Campaign, using it in a fashion that applied to everyone while specifically appealing to their core members. The campaign lent itself to eye-catching graphics and novel contests that spurred member involvement."

McLean is Vice President of Marketing & Business Development for Carolina Postal Credit Union in Charlotte, NC. CPCU has four branches through-out NC and serves USPS & Federal employees residing in NC. Through-out McLean’s credit union career she has worked in Marketing, starting at Truliant Federal Credit Union in 1987. Before her current position at CPCU, she was Senior Marketing Manager for Allegacy FCU. McLean was awarded CUES Future Leader Award in 2008 and was CUES Marketer of the Year in 2002.

• The credit union had a "Skip-a-Pay" promotion in December and January. There was a $10.00 processing fee per approved request and $5.00 of this fee were donated to the fundraising effort. Member participation in the promotion raised $1,830 for the foundation.  
• The credit union also has an ongoing fundraising program to benefit the foundation called "Change for Children." When a member comes to the credit union's branches to either cash or deposit a check, they can donate the change to this effort. For example, if a member brings a check for $216.23, they can donate the 23 cents to the foundation. This fundraiser netted almost $400.00 for the hospital's event.

Both these fundraisers combined netted $2,200 for this worthy cause!

National Youth Credit Union Week (NYCUW) is fast approaching. Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) are in an ideal position to help young people learn the fundamental financial practices that will prepare them for their economic futures. Each year, the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) promotes NYCUW to promote youth membership. As a part of the week-long celebration savings events, contests and fun activities are planned in credit unions across the country to applaud children’s efforts to save and encourage others to join the credit union.

Last year, several network CDCUs actively participated in the celebration. Generations Community Credit Union (GCCU) and Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) gave students from a local Durham middle school a tour of their headquarters and offered lessons on builing their personal savings. In Windsor, credit union manager, Norma Wesson attended C.G. White Preschool to speak with 65 students ranging from ages 3 to 4 during NYCUW. "We talked about ways to save money verses spending money," said Wesson. "I provided them with literature on how to be creative and how to make their own piggy banks. I also taught them how to count and save money to buy a special item that they may want for themselves or someone else." Also, Greater Kinston Credit Union’s staff (Kinston, NC) delivered education packets to 600 students in grades K-8.

The Support Center is ready to assist affiliate CDCUs with planning their events for NYCUW. As a part of its youth education outreach program, The Support Center has joined with Creative Wealth International to provide financial literacy resources using their Camp Millionaire™ program materials. The Support Center can also assist in planning tours and activities to make your credit union celebration a success. To learn more about the event, purchase promotional materials and gain insight into how other credit unions across the nation have successfully participated in the event, visit CUNAs website at: http://finlit.cuna.org/youth_week.html  

As part of Black History month, First Legacy Community Credit Union hosted a reception to honor its local and state representatives. The hour and a half long event took place at its Charlotte headquarters on February 25th at 6:00pm. Among the invited guests was Charlotte City Councilman Anthony Foxx, who is running for Mayor in 2009. If elected, Foxx will be the city’s second African American Mayor.

"Since First Legacy has its own historic beginnings in Charlotte, we wanted to bring together African Americans that have made an impact in our community," explains Saundra Scales, First Legacy President. "Black History month is such an important time for our country. We must do our part to continue to respectfully honor those that have made extraordinary contributions toward the successful progression of this country as well as the world. Their dedication and their life’s work helped construct the pathway to the election of Barack Obama as our nation’s first African American President. It is our duty to celebrate those that have made historic contribution in past; recognize those that diligently contribute now; and nurture those that will make outstanding contributions in the future."

First Legacy will celebrate its 68th anniversary during its annual meeting on April 19th. The credit union was officially chartered on February 14, 1941 by Mr. J. E. Grigsby with thirteen charter members. Under its original name, School Workers Federal Credit Union, the credit union was the first financial institution in the city to provide financial services and membership to the Black employees of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system.

The Support Center’s CDCU Retreat, held on February 12-13, brought together state and national industry leaders to examine how CDCUs are managing to serve their members’ in spite of the country’s economic crisis. Keynote speakers Cliff Rosenthal, Tawana James, Tony Knox and Saundra Scales provided insight from the national, regional, regulatory and state perspective. What was learned is that although CDCUs are facing challenges, their efforts to assist their members prove that they are still "steadfast to meet critical needs."

The National Federation of CDCUs’ Cliff Rosenthal opened the retreat by delivering a national "before and after" snapshot of what CDCUs are encountering in the current climate. Focusing specifically on North Carolina’s CDCU network, he stated that the overall picture for the network reflects that "they have stronger capital than other FICUs." According to Rosenthal, "although the status of the economy would probably decrease their return on assets, the network is well positioned to continue to make an impact on their members’ lives." "Cliff’s remarks were both sobering and stirring, said Maurice Smith, Support Center Chairman. "His analysis of the present economic conditions provided perspective and direction. He is recognized as a giant in the credit union movement and cooperative credit advocates worldwide."

The retreat also offered participants an opportunity to hear about current and upcoming regional and state regulatory matters including the recent Corporate Credit Union crisis. Offering the state’s NC Credit Union Division Deputy Director Tony Knox appreciated the opportunity to share his knowledge and experience. After covering questions from the captivated audience, Knox wrapped up his experience by saying "the timing was excellent. I sincerely hope that everyone took away something that will be beneficial and if nothing else knowing that we are all in this together."

Tawana James, NCUA Director of the Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives, not only offered the group the benefit of her regulatory wisdom, she provided an up-to-date report on the Corporate Credit Union crisis. Simultaneously, she took away tips that she believes will benefit other small credit unions. "In today’s economic environment of high unemployment and unprecedented foreclosure rates, the strategies Saundra Scales presented in her plenary session could make the difference as to whether the member pays the credit union or not," explained James. "Her idea about using birthday style cards is a creative and an effective personal approach to getting her delinquent members’ attention."

Retreat attendees also participated in breakout sessions covering topics such as Succession Planning, Reaching Generation Y, Deposit Marketing and Camel Code Modification. Leading the discussions were NCUA Economic Development Specialist Carl Windom, MarketMatch Vice President Jenna Rowland and Self-Help Executive Staff Armeer Kenchen. "The knowledge sharing was tremendous and timely," said Support Center President, Paula McCoy. "The attendance of our network partners is evidence that together we are working to get through these tough time."

Representatives from all five network affiliates and the NC Credit Union League attended the event, including Martin Eakes, CEO, Self-Help CU, Saundra Scales, President, First Legacy CCU, Luis Pastor, Latino CCU, Jennifer Howard, Greater Kinston CU, Linwood Bowen, Generations CCU and Dan Schline, SVP Association Services, NC Credit Union League.

Summing up the 1½ day event, Smith states "The CDCU Retreat was an immense success. It was productive to have the leaders in the North Carolina CDCU movement take an assessment of the challenges facing our economy. The participants, representing different communities, weighed common concerns and pondered workable solutions. Community Development Credit Unions are unique among financial services providers in that our members/owners are closer to the effects of economic ills. As a result, these credit unions are highly sensitive to job losses, rising cost of living, and affordable housing issues. Such challenges only fuel the motivation of credit unions to help members survive tough times. In a time when employers, some financial institutions and other businesses are fleeing less profitable communities, community development credit unions are standing steadfast to meet critical needs."

Champion Credit Union’s Stay Warm Fuel Loan Program was featured in the recent issue of CUNA’s Home & Family Finance magazine.

The issue, called Credit Unions: For the People for 100 Years, included stories about credit unions’ continuing commitment to the philosophy of "people helping people."

Champion Credit Union members were interviewed about their experiences with the credit union’s Stay Warm Fuel Loan Program and how the program offered peace of mind for those who otherwise would have struggled to have heat this winter.

Champion is a community-chartered credit union, and Stay Warm provides residents of Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, and Swain counties with the opportunity to reduce the cost of purchasing and financing their heating fuel. When they enroll, the anticipated annual cost for the current upcoming heating season is estimated for a customer/member, and Champion Credit Union finances the cost of that anticipated heating fuel usage at almost half the interest rate that a resident may have been paying in the past.

State Employees’ Credit Union’s (SECU’s) Board of Directors has voted to support immediate passage of S 61/HR 200, legislation that provides for a tax-free solution toward helping remedy today’s housing market collapse and foreclosure epidemic. S 61/HR 200 propose a modification to Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code to permit homeowners facing foreclosure to seek loan modifications under court supervision. When homeowners have no other option for a reasonable loan modification, this initiative would permit the court to adjust the loan, including writing down the principal balance to align the mortgage amount with the value of the property.

State Employees' Credit Union presently has real estate loans in excess of $10 billion, secured by over 120,000 single family homes in North Carolina. While offering a variety of mortgage products, the Credit Union’s 2-year Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) is by far the most popular among the membership. This consumer-friendly ARM limits possible rate adjustments to just one percentage point per two-year interval and no private mortgage insurance is required with the product. SECU has traditionally experienced minimal losses on foreclosed properties. In 2008, SECU had to foreclose on just 155 mortgages out of a portfolio of 120,000 mortgage loans, representing less than .03% of outstanding balances.

Jim Blaine, President/CEO of State Employees’ Credit Union, states, "SECU, as an organization, has rarely chosen to become directly involved in support of Congressional legislation. These exceptional times, however, require exceptional measures. Given the extreme economic difficulties confronting our State and Nation, the SECU Board felt that it was very important to speak out on this issue. An immediate legislative answer is needed for the collapse of the real estate market and the rising tide of foreclosures. The mortgage ‘cramdown’ provisions of S 61/HR 200 offer the best and quickest method for stabilizing the housing market and moving the real estate industry back toward growth. SECU fully realizes and accepts that passage of this legislation will impose some unanticipated losses on our organization. Despite that reality, it is time for all mortgage lenders to put aside our narrow individual interests in favor of the greater good."

Phil Greer, Senior Vice-President of Loan Administration, comments, "SECU’s Board understands that many interested parties continue to debate the various provisions of S 61/HR 200. While the discussion and negotiation has been worthwhile and should be encouraged, the Board and SECU management believe it is critical for Congress to act now, as neither lenders nor borrowers have much incentive to act to resolve the mortgage issues that contribute to the continuing deterioration of our economy. In considering the support of S 61/HR 200, we recognize as an organization that the economy has to endure a correction in the mortgage market in order to re-establish homeowner confidence. Opponents of this legislation decry the potential for ‘increased costs’ in the mortgage lending process. What can be more expensive than the current mortgage debacle? Others claim passage of the legislation will lead to a reduction in mortgage availability. Perhaps a return to prudence and careful mortgage underwriting is not a problem, but the exact solution needed. And, lastly, we fail to understand why all other assets in both Chapter 13 and Chapter 11 (business) bankruptcies can be ‘cramdowned,’ except the primary residence of a consumer? The bankruptcy court system has the professionals, processes and legal precedents in place to deal with the mortgage problems now. We all need to step up on this issue and move on!"

SECU has written letters of support for the legislation to each member of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation. Additionally, SECU has joined over 120 North Carolina non-profits in asking North Carolinians to support this legislation.

Coastal Federal Credit Union has announced that Ken Mellette has been promoted to Charlotte Market Executive. In his new role, Mellette will be responsible for the performance of Coastal's Charlotte area branches. He is tasked with developing and implementing a strategic growth plan that will increase member loyalty and employee engagement, while producing superior and sustainable bottom line results. Mellette will directly supervise Charlotte area branch managers and business development officers and will also provide oversight for Coastal's local mortgage, business lending and financial advisory activities.

Mellette has been with Coastal since 2000, most recently serving as the Area Manager for the Charlotte region. Prior to that, he was a branch manager and has previous banking and retail management experience elsewhere. He serves as co-president of the Piedmont Chapter of Credit Unions and has been on the organization's board of directors for 5 years.

In conjunction with Mellette's promotion, Coastal's Charlotte area team will be given greater autonomy and a stronger influence in delivering Coastal's strategy of providing "advanced banking from your local credit union" in a customized way that fits Charlotte..

"Our presence in Charlotte differs from our presence in the Triangle. We have a much smaller market share and brand recognition, while facing much stronger competition," said Larry Wilson, Coastal's President and CEO. "The strategies that are so successful for us in Raleigh may not necessarily have a universal fit. By giving our local leadership greater authority over the strategies we employ there, we're confident that we can better capitalize on the incredible potential for growth that the Charlotte market offers."

Mellette is a native of Charleston, SC and a graduate of the College of Charleston. He and his family reside in Belmont, where he is a member of the Optimist Club and coaches youth football and baseball.

Coastal operates three Charlotte-area branches and employees 36 people locally.

Southern Select Community Credit Union has a new location inside the Call Federal Credit Union office in Concord. This is the first arrangement of its kind between credit unions here.

Call Federal is the credit union to Philip Morris’ Cabarrus facility employees. Southern Select Community Credit Union is a full-service, community-chartered credit union with broad authority to provide services to everyone who lives, works, worships or attends school within 50 miles of Kannapolis. The new office is in the Concord Shopping Parkade, at 268 Concord Parkway, South, in Concord.

Southern Select CEO/President, Huyla Jackson explained, "This move enables us to provide an additional convenient banking location to current members who are routinely in that busy Concord Parkway corridor. Southern Select is also now in easy reach of the many others who have been interested in banking with a credit union, but did not previously have a credit union whose membership was open to them."

"This idea of branch-sharing isn’t new, but is still rather unusual", said Call Federal Credit Union’s President and CEO Roger Ball. "We have a branch that operates in a shared facility with two other credit unions in Richmond, Virginia. This concept exemplifies the cooperative nature of credit unions. The shared approach enabled all three credit unions to expand their service to members through a non-competitive, mutually beneficial arrangement, while resulting in reduced overhead expenses for all.

Jackson added, "Because of our not-for-profit business model that makes each member an equal owner, credit unions are not subject to the pressure publicly-held institutions are under from stockholders to achieve ever-increasing profits and stock dividends. Therefore, Southern Select can concentrate on helping members build a better life… not a bigger bank".

Southern Select provides all the personal attention credit unions are known for, combined with today’s modern conveniences, including online banking and bill pay, e-statements and more. At SSCCU’s new Parkade location, members may come in, drive up or use the ATM. Deposits at both Southern Select CCU and Call Federal CU are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to at least $250,000.

Southern Select Community Credit Union (www.southernselectccu.com) currently operates from three other branches: 169 Dale Earnhardt Boulevard, Kannapolis (near the NC Research Campus); 15 Market Street, Concord (historic downtown) and 203 East Meadow Road, Eden, NC.

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of 11 new Advisory Council members to eight of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of Credit Union membership, but also to relay feedback to management regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory Council members, who represent the philosophical character of the Credit Union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between Credit Union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

January’s appointees are:

Central Mountain
Renee Grindstaff, Town of Old Fort, Finance Officer
Sheila Grindstaff, Mitchell County Transportation Authority, Administrative Assistant/Safety Officer
Steven Smith, Town of Banner Elk, Finance Director

Central Piedmont
Melody Moxley, Rowan County, Administrative Services Manager

Eastern Carolina
James Peele III, Town of Williamston, Fire/Rescue/EMS Chief

Foothills
David Dear, Cleveland County, County Manager
Betty Stinson, Catawba County, Maiden Branch Library Branch Manager/Librarian

Northern Coast
Gary Britt, Town of Kill Devil Hills, Chief of Police

South Piedmont
John McClelland, Mecklenburg County, Parks and Recreation Manager

Southern Mountain
David Boykin, Town of Fletcher Fire and Rescue, Firefighter/EMT

West Piedmont
Martha Hancock, City of Thomasville, Human Resources Director

LGFCU is also proud to announce the addition of Stephen Langdon of Benson to its Youth Advisory Council, Our Generation—Speakin’ Up, which comprises North Carolina middle and high school students. Now with 10 members, this group will be instrumental in assisting the credit union in the development of a new generation of products and services for children, teens and young adults.

Pictured (from left): Mike Banks – SECU SVP/Raleigh-Blue Ridge Road branch, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Sue Douglas – SECU SVP/Chief Operations Officer and Jim Blaine – SECU President/CEO.

Grameen America has chosen North Carolina as its next potential site because of the highly supportive stance of the entire North Carolina financial community. In addition to SECU, a variety of other financial representatives are supporting this effort, including leaders of the Self-Help community development organization, the North Carolina Bankers Association, and both the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks and the North Carolina Administrator of Credit Unions. State Employees’ Credit Union is targeted to provide back-office support for the new Grameen America venture. SECU has participated since 2001 in a similar support role of the highly successful Latino Community Credit Union in Durham, North Carolina.

Jim Blaine, President/CEO of State Employees’ Credit Union, comments, "We greatly enjoyed meeting with Dr. Yunus and the Grameen staff today. SECU is always interested in creative solutions to help North Carolina overcome a weakening economy. The cooperation of North Carolina’s diverse financial community in supporting this endeavor is the key ingredient! Normally banks and credit unions are rivals in competing for a slice of the North Carolina ‘economic pie.’ With Grameen America, we are all working together to increase the overall size of that economic pie!

Micro-credit lends for productive purposes and is not about giving people a break, it’s about giving people a chance. The Grameen model may not work in North Carolina, but it’s certainly a low cost, low risk opportunity to help create new jobs and help nurture new local entrepreneurs! In fact, we hope that a Grameen loan might find the next pair of bicycle mechanics in eastern North Carolina who want to borrow $500 to build a small engine to attach to a glider… some dreams do have wings! We are very hopeful that North Carolina will embrace this unusual experiment. Our Credit Union looks forward to the possibility of working with Professor Yunus and the Grameen America partners. We’re ready to fly in North Carolina!"

Members Credit Union (MCU) is pleased to announce that Robert C. Donley, John R. Loftin, Cindy J. Stiff, and Durham C. White, Jr. were elected by the credit union’s membership to new three-year terms on the Board of Directors at the credit union’s Annual Shareholders Meeting.

is the credit union’s Executive VP-Administration and Lending. He joined Members Credit union in 1995, and has served on the Board of Directors for thirteen years. He also has eighteen additional years’ experience with financial institutions in Louisiana and South Carolina.

is a retired McLean Trucking Company executive. Loftin worked for McLean, Members Credit Union’s founding sponsor group, for 36 years. He first served on the credit union’s Board of Directors in the early 1970’s, and has been on the Board continuously since 1986. He served as Chairman of the Board from 1986-1989, and again from 1997-2007.

is the credit union’s Director of Accounting. She joined Members Credit Union’s staff in March of 1999. She earned a BS-Administrative Management from Clemson University, and has over 22 years of accounting experience.

is the Assistant Human Resources Director at Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton, NC. He has a Masters in Organizational Management from UNC Pembroke, and has served on the credit union’s Board of Directors for the past ten years.

Credit unions are directed by democratically elected, volunteer boards. Every credit union member has a vote in board elections, which means they have a say in how their credit union is operated.

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) congratulates 20 winners of its UNC School of Government (SOG) and Essentials of County Government scholarship awards. The SOG scholarships, awarded three times a year, can be applied toward conferences, classes and seminars offered by the SOG at UNC-Chapel Hill. Essentials scholarships, awarded once a year, are designed for elected and appointed county and municipal officials to apply toward either the Essentials of County Government or Essentials of Municipal Government courses at the SOG.

"For more than 10 years, the credit union has partnered with the School of Government to offer scholarships to North Carolina’s local government employees," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "As a result, LGFCU members are able to strengthen their skills and enhance their job performance, thereby better serving their communities."

UNC-Chapel Hill’s SOG is the largest university-based local government training, advisory and research organization in the United States, offering up to 200 classes, seminars, schools and specialized conferences for more than 12,000 public officials each year.

The SOG award recipients are:

Trevie Adams, City of Roxboro, $1,300
Terry Buchanan, Robeson County, $1,700
Joleatha Chestnutt, Town of Murfreesboro, $1,300
Kyle Edwards, Lee County, $1,700
Jeanne Johnson, City of Lexington, $150
Jordan McMillen, Vance County, $260
Monica Pace, Town of Saluda, $1,300
Justin Rametta, Wake County, $285
Brenda Reaves, Person County, $1,300
Mark Seelenbacher, Robeson County, $1,700
DeAnna Waters, Edgecombe County, $285
Karen Wingo, Town of Wingate, $1,300

The Essentials award recipients, all who received $375, are:

Ryan Mayberry, Alexander County
Frances Parks, Duplin County
Edward Mitchell, Franklin County
Jerry Jones, Greene County
Sharon Spencer, Hyde County
Amy Dalrymple, Lee County
Barbara Ikner, Onslow County
Peggy Covington, Richmond County

DATE                    WORKSHOP

FEBRUARY 10     BANKING BASICS

FEBRUARY 17     BORROWING BASICS- Credit

FEBRUARY 24     CHECK IT OUT – Checking Accounts

MARCH 3              MONEY MATTERS – Budgets

MARCH 10            PAY YOURSELF FIRST – Saving

MARCH 24            KEEP IT SAFE – Fraud

MARCH 31            TO YOUR CREDIT – Credit Reports

APRIL 14               CHARGE IT RIGHT – Charge Cards

APRIL 21               LOAN TO OWN – Loans

APRIL 28               YOUR OWN HOME - Mortgages

GRADUATION NIGHT!

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) congratulates Aaron Rupert of Matthews, a $1,000 winner in the LGFCU 25th Anniversary $25,000 Swipestakes. Rupert, a mover with Act of Class Moving and Storage, says he already has plans for how he will use the money.

"I am going to save some of it to possibly go to college, and also help my mom," he said. "Those are the two most important things."

The swipestakes was launched as a way to celebrate LGFCU’s 25 years of service to its members. It was open to any member who simply swiped their LGFCU debit card to make a retail, online or other point-of-sale (POS) transaction from July through December. Each month the promotion ran, a $1,000 winner was randomly selected. At the end of the promotion, two grand prize winners were selected—each to receive a $25,000 cash prize.

"Our goal in launching the swipestakes was not only to celebrate our 25 years as a credit union, but to reward members for their support and loyalty at the same time," says LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "We thought the best way to reach the most members and offer them the chance to win this money was to tie the promotion into something most of them do on a regular basis—use their debit card."

"We wanted to promote our strong, secure mortgage program in 2009. What better way to do that than show-off our most experienced and well-known employee, Senior Mortgage Loan Officer, Joe Jones." stated Joy Watts, CEO of Carolina Postal Credit Union (CPCU).

Joe Jones has been a vital part of Carolina Postal Credit Union for over 17 years. A credit union stalwart, before Carolina Postal CU, Joe worked with the North Carolina Credit Union League as an examiner.

"We were brainstorming on what was going on in the mortgage industry, how to answer members’ concerns about their mortgages, their financial situation, and every time we had a question it was "let’s ask Joe,"… "why don’t we call Joe"…. or "Joe Knows", stated Watts, "we finally turned to our Marketing VP and said…..well….what do you think about using Joe in a promotion?"

"I loved it!" stated VP of Marketing & Business Development Deb McLean, "I’ve worked with Joe at USPS & member functions in the past and to our members Joe is a Rock Star!" she laughed.

But while Joe has the knowledge and capability, Carolina Postal knew it couldn’t rest the entire campaign on his shoulders. He may be "the face" of the campaign but he has a solid team of Account Managers to assist him. "We came up with a "TEAM Joe" concept" stated McLean, "and had a lot of fun playing off a "Petticoat Junction" theme with our Account Managers – they all have nametags with their names listed as "Chrissy-Joe, Lindsay-Joe, Maddie-Joe, etc". (McLean also noted that she sent out a YOU-Tube video of Petticoat Junction since some of the "young-uns" weren’t familiar with the show!)

Initial reaction has been positive to the point of being over-whelming. "When the first postcard went out to our members, Joe got 98 voicemails in one week," stated McLean. "Many were teasing or just congratulatory, but most were "Oh yes, please help me understand my situation!"

When a follow-up email blast went out the next week, Joe received 78 voicemails and multiple emails that same day. The biggest challenge? "Joe takes his reputation with the members seriously and wanted to follow up personally with every single response," stated Watts, "We had to encourage him to rely on his TEAM of Joes to help out with the initial response!"

The "Joe Knows Mortgages" will last for 3 months and if the response continues to be strong will be incorporated through-out 2009 with other CPCU loan products.

"This campaign truly supports the credit union difference," stated Watts, "in a time when long-term experienced employees are being laid-off by corporations with a misguided attempt to impact their bottom-line, we celebrate and promote our experienced employees and their depth of financial knowledge because THEY are the ones that will make a positive difference to our members."

Coastal Federal Credit Union announced today that it intends to reallocate resources to take advantage of its best opportunities for growth and expand its presence within the immediate Triangle area. The credit union plans to open as many as five new branches within the Triangle, beginning early next year. To prepare for that expansion, Coastal will also close four underperforming branches by the end of the first quarter of 2009, reducing Coastal's branch count to 18. The branches to be closed are in Sanford, Southern Pines, Clayton and in the North Pointe Shopping Center in Durham.

"We're a strong, well-capitalized organization that's experienced tremendous growth, doubling both our number of branches and employees over the past several years," said Coastal's President and CEO, Larry Wilson. "The majority of our newest locations are doing well and, overall, we're coming off of a successful year. We added 18,000 new members and grew our assets by $261 million, or 14 percent, in 2008. By focusing on our strengths and our greatest opportunities to succeed locally, we'll be able to continue that kind of growth and solidify our position as the eighth largest financial institution in NC."

While the credit union has a presence in seven counties statewide, the majority of its membership and best-performing branch locations are within the Triangle. Coastal's intent is to focus on building on that success primarily by taking advantage of new banking technology and a fresh branch strategy to fill in gaps in coverage within that core market. Areas under consideration include Brier Creek, Eastern Wake, Chapel Hill, Inside the Beltline, Holly Springs and both downtown Raleigh and Durham.

Coastal will also dedicate more resources toward developing its Express Branch format by converting existing branches and opening new branches featuring Express Teller technology. The Express Teller system, which debuted at two branches at the end of 2008, will allow Coastal to efficiently increase branches and hours of operation without creating a proportional need for additional resources. Coastal expects to make the technology available in as many as 8 more locations by the end of 2009.

Employees at the closing locations will have the opportunity to apply for other open positions within the organization.

"We have a number of positions available, particularly in branch operations and in our growing business services department," said Wilson. "Also, as we look to open new branches within the Triangle, we'll need experienced employees to staff them."

Members who use the affected locations are being notified of service alternatives, including other Coastal branch locations, nearby credit union service centers (shared branches) and Coastal's Online Banking system. The credit union also participates in networks that give members nationwide access to 3,500 shared branches and 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. For the foreseeable future, Coastal also intends to keep the full-service ATMs open at each location.

More than 900 members of Riegelwood Federal Credit Union had a little extra holiday cash thanks to the credit union's "Skip-A-Payment" promotion. The credit union allowed interested members to skip a payment on eligible loan products during the holidays.

"Our members were really appreciative for the opportunity to skip their payments in the struggling economy," noted RFCU Marketing Director Elaine Williams. She added that the credit union realized $25,000 in income as a result of the promotion.

Focusing on the future of retail financial services, Coastal Federal Credit Union has introduced the Triangle to the next major advancement in the way it serves members. The credit union has rolled out the unique Express Teller system at its St. Albans Drive and Wakefield Commons locations in Raleigh. The new technologically-enhanced interface allows tellers to provide traditional services to multiple branches from a single remote location.

"The magic of the Express Teller system is that the associate doesn't need to be in the same building," said Coastal's President and CEO, Larry Wilson. "Through new technology, one teller can help members in multiple locations, and we can instantly allocate teller resources to match branch traffic. That means the system will allow us to serve members faster, handling peaks in branch activity more effectively. It will also make it easier for us to extend our hours of operation and lower the cost of adding new branches."

Coastal began incorporating remote teller systems in branches in 2003, but previous versions of the technology required the teller and member both to be in the same building. In 2005, Coastal began working to help develop the next-generation interface at its St. Albans Drive branch, and after rigorous testing and refining, Coastal is now ready to begin making this innovative solution available at its other locations. With the St. Albans and Wakefield branches already online, the credit union plans to convert as many as 8 other branches to the new technology in the next 12 months.

One immediate benefit to members is that Coastal will be able to offer extended hours at Express Teller branches. Effective Jan. 31, the Express Teller at the Wakefield location will be open 7AM-7PM, with the potential to expand hours even further as Coastal adds new Express Teller locations to its branch network. Another benefit of the Express Branch model is that in-branch staff will have a greater focus on more complex member needs such as opening new accounts, making loans and providing helpful advice and service in a face-to-face setting.

Tellers supporting the new system will work out of the new Express Teller Center at Coastal's St. Albans Drive headquarters. They will be more highly trained and empowered than traditional tellers, with the goal of making the Express Teller a better experience than conventional over-the-counter service.

"We expect the new system to be the next advancement in the great service we offer now, as we're committed to ensuring that our Express Teller representatives are our very best-trained and most empowered associates," said T.J. Wyman, Vice President of Retail Strategy. "Of course, members will still be able to get the same types of service to which they've grown accustomed. The Express Teller allows them to make cash or check deposits, withdraw cash and coins, and speak directly to one of our highly-trained associates for personal service with their accounts."

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is now even more accessible to its members with the recent launch of Mobile Access. Through this new service, members can securely view and manage their accounts from a web enabled cell phone and more than 13,000 different types of mobile devices.

Through the mobile device’s web browser, SECU members simply log in to secure Mobile Access from the Credit Union’s website, www.ncsecu.org. From any location, they are able to check account balances, view transactions, transfer funds between SECU accounts and pay bills with BillPay. Members can also find any of the Credit Union’s 223 branch offices and 1,000+ Cash Points Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with an enhanced Google Maps feature.

Rick Rhoads, Senior Vice President of SECU’s E-Services department states, " In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for most people. SECU is committed to providing members easy access to their Credit Union whether it is through the personal service of a local branch, via the SECU Call Center or automated service such as an ATM or the Internet. The new Mobile Access service adds another level of convenience by placing SECU in the palm of a member’s hand, regardless of his or her location. Even before we could formally announce this new service, nearly 25,000 members have already connected with SECU through Mobile Access – it appears SECU members are more than ready to ‘go mobile’!"

While most economic stimulus packages are formulated at taxpayer expense in Washington, D.C., a local credit union’s Holiday Skip-a-Pay program proves that private solutions may be more effective. Members Credit Union (MCU) announced its Holiday Skip-a-Pay program in November to allow members to extend the due date on any non-mortgage loan, fee-free, by one month. The program resulted in the amendment of 4,089 loan agreements, accounting for $876,772 in member payment obligations.

"Giving up the cash flow from over 20% of our non-mortgage loans was an extraordinary measure taken at an extraordinary time," says Jack V. Braswell, Jr., MCU President/CEO. "These extensions not only made the holidays a little bit brighter for our membership, our records show that this huge sum of money was likely spent right here in North Carolina."

MCU’s ability to extend such an offer highlights its strong financial condition even as the banking industry has been turned upside down by the credit crisis. Despite well-documented struggles by financial institutions across the globe, MCU is currently in its best capital position in the credit union’s 55-year history (10.84% capital/assets). This means the credit union has more funds readily available for lending, investment, and expanding services to the credit union’s 52,000 members than ever before. While most financial institutions are tightening lending standards, boosting fees, and laying off employees just to stay afloat, MCU’s business model has remained intact.

"Our approach to lending and investing has always been to ask the question ‘what is the most responsible use of our members’ assets?’" Braswell explains. "Not once did the answer involve making predatory loans to people who could not possibly repay, or investing in instruments that encouraged, and tried to profit from, that behavior."

This business philosophy, guided by the credit union’s member-elected, volunteer Board of Directors, has sheltered MCU from the temptations of high risk, high reward practices that led to the global financial meltdown. The result has been steady asset growth, low loan rates, high dividends, and increased service offerings – including the opening of MCU’s nineteenth branch in November.

The credit union’s Holiday Skip-a-Pay offer officially concluded in December, though loan modifications continue to be made on a case-by-case basis to help members in this tough economic time.

Premier Federal Credit Union announced it is giving its members an interest loan rebate to celebrate another successful year. The rebate, which totals 2% of the interest on loan products paid by members in 2008, will be credited this month.

The value of the rebate totaled more than $98,405.

"A large portion of our member-owners live or work in Greensboro and this new location will provide added convenience to those individuals," said Marc Schaefer, President/CEO of Truliant Federal Credit Union. "Not only will this facility offer convenience to our members; it will allow us to share the benefits of credit union membership with the surrounding communities."

The new location features cutting-edge technology, including plasma screens with live news feeds, weather and cable programming, as well as VideoLink, a live video teleconference that allows members to quickly apply for and complete a loan at an interactive kiosk. There are also three convenient drive-thru lanes for those on the go and Saturday hours for added convenience. Truliant’s specialty coffee bar allows members to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, read the newspaper and other financial literature in the resource center. This Greensboro facility also features a kids’ area, complete with a video monitor, puzzles, games and pint-sized tables and chairs.

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) proudly announces the addition of 11 new Advisory Council members to eight of its 22 councils across the state.

The new appointments are an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of Credit Union membership, but also to relay feedback to management regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.

Advisory Council members, who represent the philosophical character of the Credit Union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between Credit Union members and non-members and LGFCU management.

December’s appointees are:

Coastal Plain
Pamela Brame, Onslow County, Human Resources Director

Eastern Sandhills
Timothy Johnson, Hoke County, County Manager

Foothills
Sarah McGinnis, Cleveland County, Benefits Coordinator

North Triangle
John Younts, Warrenton Police Department, Chief of Police

Tar River
Robert Ward, City of Wilson Environmental Services Department, Operator II
Winston Harris, City of Wilson Police Department, Senior Police Officer

Triangle
Diane Shepherd, Orange County, Benefits Manager
Wilbert McAdoo, Orange County, Public Works Director

Triangle East
Anthony Atkinson, Town of Clayton, Fire Marshall

Wake
Fred Held, Town of Cary, Inspector

West Piedmont
Susan O’Brien, City of King, Director of Finance and Personnel

The Board of Directors of Champion Credit Union has approved a special interest refund for the credit union’s member-owners.

Every member with a Champion Credit Union loan in good standing on December 31, 2008 will receive 5% back on the interest paid for each of their consumer and mortgage loans (excluding Visa® Credit Card loans).

"This is the second year that Champion Credit Union’s members have shared in their credit union’s successful and strong year by receiving an interest refund," noted Mike Clayton, Champion Credit Union’s president and CEO. "As a financial cooperative, owned by our members, Champion Credit Union regularly gives back to those members through higher dividends on deposit, lower interest rates on loans, and many free or lower-cost-financial services.

"And because of Champion Credit Union’s strong fiscal position and our members’ loyal participation, we’re pleased to share another successful year with our members."

The interest refund checks will be mailed to qualified members in January 2009.

Phillip O Berry Jr ROTC Cadets work on coordinating & packaging goody bags for Operation CU Troop.

CPCU members sign "Rose of Thanks for our Troops" Holiday Cards at the Carolina Postal Credit Union donation center for Operation CU Troop.

From September 11, 2008 through November 11, 2008, Carolina Postal Credit Union collected individual sized toiletry items and food donations for the troops serving overseas. Several other Credit Unions through-out the state of North Carolina also contributed to Operation CU Troop including Premier Federal Credit Union in Greensboro, Carolina Federal Credit Union in Cherryville, and Arcade Credit Union in Asheville.

At the end of the collection period, over 3 truckloads of items went to local High School, Phillip O Berry, a technology magnet. There, the Jr ROTC cadets, under the supervision of Army Major Beasley, coordinated, separated and packaged the donated items into over 1,000 quart-sized "goody" bags for the USO in Charlotte to distribute. Every single "goody" bag had a decorated, personalized Holiday "Rose of Thanks for our Troops" Card – designed by creator Matthew Hunt and underwritten by a grant from Carolina Postal Credit Union.

Between December 15 up until Christmas Eve, the USO office, located at the Charlotte Regional International Airport, handed out the bags to USA soldiers deploying overseas.

"Each year Operation CU Troop grows bigger," stated Carolina Postal Credit Union CEO Joy Watts, "this is just a small way we can give back to our men and women serving overseas. We are so pleased that the larger credit union community in NC, and the young men & women at Phillip O Berry High School, are assisting us for the 2nd year."

Pictured (from left): Senior Member Services Representative, Lamesha Kondo, Carol Young Director of Native American Organization Heart-Bridge, Member Services Representative Marquita Ratliff, and CPCU member Jerry Smitherman pose with a few of the 50 coats & jackets CPCU members donated to Native American children in North Dakota.

"One of our members, and biggest supporters, inactive Marine Jerry Smitherman told us about the Native American children’s struggle with getting basic needs met," stated Deb McLean Marketing VP of CPCU

"We simply put out a box in our lobby with a sign and within one week’s time collected over 50 coats from our generous members!"

Local Native-American non-profit organization, Hearts Bridge, gathered the coats from Carolina Postal Credit Union and shipped them up to North Dakota.

Pictured left to right: SECU Advisory Board members- Lou Ann Cooke, Felisa Parker, Dale McLeod, SECU VP-Kim Canipe, SECU Board of Directors’ Chairman Shirley Bell, Mayor Charles Wood, SECU Facilities Services employees-VP Dot Hinton and Specialist Ben Falk; Town Commissioner and SECU Advisory Board member Sid Baynes, SECU Advisory Board members-Dyke Hostettler and Beth Barham

Various town officials, including Lizard Lick "Mayor" Charles Wood and Wendell Town Commissioner Sid Baynes attended the Ribbon Cutting ceremony Friday afternoon. SECU Board of Director’s Chairman Shirley Bell addressed those in attendance, along with Mr. Baynes and Mr. Wood.

"There were many groups involved in helping to complete this project, spearheaded by SECU Facilities Services employees Ben Falk and Dot Hinton. We thank them and the team of designers and installers for their efforts in creating this unique ATM, and we look forward to serving the community of Lizard Lick," states Chairman Bell. "State Employees’ Credit Union is the proud owner of the largest ATM network in North Carolina. Even as the owner of this large network, the Credit Union still offers a no-surcharge feature on each and every machine. It’s all part of SECU’s "Do the Right Thing" philosophy ---- helping to keep money in the pockets of North Carolina’s citizens."

Commissioner Baynes, who also serves as an SECU Volunteer Advisory Board member adds, "Our area is honored to have been chosen as the site of the Credit Union’s 1,000th ATM. While not the largest community in North Carolina, Lizard Lick is rich in heritage and continues to grow – much like State Employees’ Credit Union. The Lizard Lick Cash Points ATM will provide a great source of convenience for our local residents, and we have already named the giant lizard atop the machine kiosk ‘Woody’ in honor of Lizard Lick ‘Mayor’

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) congratulates Evelyn Williams of Raeford, a $1,000 winner in the LGFCU 25th Anniversary $25,000 Swipestakes. Williams, the nurse manager for the orthopedic and urology unit at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, says she will spend a little of the money on her kids for the holidays and save the rest.

"It’s going to be a great Christmas because of that little debit card," she said.

The swipestakes, which celebrates LGFCU’s 25 years of service to its members, is open to any member who simply swipes their LGFCU debit card to make a retail, online or other point-of-sale (POS) transaction by year’s end. Each month the promotion has run, a $1,000 winner has been randomly selected. At the end of the promotion, two names will be selected—each to receive a $25,000 cash prize.

"Our goal in launching the swipestakes was not only to celebrate our 25 years as a credit union, but to reward members for their support and loyalty at the same time," says LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "We thought the best way to reach the most members and offer them the chance to win this money was to tie the promotion into something most of them do on a regular basis—use their debit card."

The promotion runs through December 31.

The Credit Union also contributed to the Hurricane Ike Disaster Fund. This fund assisted the credit union employees affected by the hurricane.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is pleased to announce its agreement with North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) and College Foundation, Inc. (CFI) to provide an additional $500 million in funding for student loans. This $500 million will provide dollars for federally insured Stafford and Plus Student Loans and is in addition to the previous SECU investment of $1.1 billion in June 2008. This brings the Credit Union’s total student loan commitment to $1.6 billion. With the State of North Carolina encountering turbulent economic times, other providers of education loan funds have pulled out of the market; however, SECU members are committed to ensuring the ongoing success of the higher education system in their State! This investment assures that funding will be available for students’ 2009 spring semester needs.

Shirley Bell, SECU Board of Directors Chairman, states, "State Employees’ Credit Union members display the ‘People Helping People’ cooperative spirit on a continuous basis and the additional investment in student loan funding is another fine example. The success and capacity of North Carolina students to give back to our economy largely depends on their ability to get an education. SECU is happy to make funds available for our students to help ensure not only their ongoing success, but that of North Carolina as well."

"This is another step to help unbanked communities help themselves by having access to affordable financial services & products," says LCCU board chairman John Herrera.

LCCU will offer all of it products and services in the new Charlotte branch on South Boulevard, including transaction services, deposit products, money transfer services, auto, consumer, and mortgage loans, online services, free tax assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, and, as a certified agent of the IRS, members can apply for the Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) in LCCU’s offices. The new location will also offer financial education workshops to LCCU members as well as the larger community.

Several institutions have given their support to open the new Charlotte branch, including the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the Wachovia Foundation, the North Carolina Minority Support Center, and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund through the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Coastal Federal Credit Union successfully debuted their brand-new Online Banking system last Wednesday morning. Committed to providing members with a world-class product, the credit union partnered with a provider used by some of the biggest banks and credit unions in the country to develop the new system.

Coastal was originally among the first financial institutions in the world to offer online banking when the Coastal Online Transaction Service (COLTS) was launched in 1996. Coastal's new Online Banking replaces COLTS and offers a number new features and enhancements over old system, including:

Single Login for all Online Services
Enabling users to access accounts, bill pay, e-Statements and Visa account information without having to log in to each service separately.

Improved Account Transfers
The new Online Banking allows members to easily manage single or recurring transfers between Coastal accounts, and between Coastal and accounts at other financial institutions.

Alerts
Users can set up email alerts to notify them of specific activity, including high or low account balances and transactions of a certain size or type.

Address Changes
Online Banking users now have the ability to change their mailing address, phone number and email address online.

Secure Messaging
Members can now send and receive secure messages with Coastal member services within the system.

Account Nicknames
Coastal made it easier for members to keep track of accounts by allowing them to assign customized names for each account.

Downloads
The new Online Banking system supports automated downloads formatted to the most popular personal financial management software packages, or as a .CSV file that can be used with most spreadsheet or database applications.

Check Images
Images of cleared checks are available for viewing with the new Online Banking system.

Existing Coastal members who were COLTS users should see their accounts seamlessly transition to the new Online Banking. Members who are not yet enrolled in Online Banking can easily do so at www.COASTAL24.com. In the near future, members will be able to open additional accounts from within Online Banking and new members will be able to join Coastal online.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU), a not-for-profit financial cooperative that serves North Carolina’s state employees, is once again proud to announce its recent participation in the State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC). SECU employees and Credit Union members via the SECU Foundation have given generously to the 2008 SECC, a giving campaign that allows active and retired employees of the State of North Carolina to donate to charitable organizations. Since its inception in 1986, state employees and retirees have continuously supported the SECC to raise more than $70 million for hundreds of charitable organizations.

SECU members via the SECU Foundation supported the campaign by funding publication costs of the SECC resource guide containing the list of approved charities, which is distributed to over 250,000 active and retired state employees across North Carolina. The financial support of the 2008 campaign is the second year of a three-year commitment representing total funding of nearly $200,000.

In addition, SECU employees also strongly believe in supporting the efforts of the State Employees Combined Campaign. This year, SECU employees throughout a statewide network of branches and numerous operational departments donated over $57,000 for the campaign. This represents an 8% increase over 2007 SECU donations!

Leigh Brady, Senior Vice-President of SECU’s Education Services Department comments, "State Employees’ Credit Union employees and members have continued to display their commitment to the State Employees Combined Campaign year after year, and we are thrilled that 2008 is no exception. SECU employees have once again opened their wallets and their hearts to the charities benefitting from this worthy campaign. Through the SECU Foundation’s sponsorship of the resource guide and pledge brochure, credit union members also continue to collectively support the efforts of the State Employees Combined Campaign, which reinforces the credit union philosophy of ‘People Helping People.’ "

Stephen E. Davis, Executive Director of State Employees Combined Campaign states, "Our partnership with SECU is invaluable to the State Employees Combined Campaign, and it is a relationship that reflects the long-standing commitment we both share to state employees and retirees. We are particularly grateful to the SECU Foundation for its generous support in helping us publish our annual Resource Guide, and we deeply appreciate the contributions from SECU employees each year. It’s quite clear that SECU employees are extremely considerate and compassionate when it comes to charitable giving. Donations from SECU employees at locations across North Carolina continue to increase each year, and that really is remarkable considering the challenges we all face in today’s economic climate. We appreciate our partnership with SECU and look forward to many more years of working together in support of North Carolina charities."

SECU members via the SECU Foundation are providing permanent financing for transitional housing to benefit homeless veterans in Durham, NC, in partnership with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA). The new facility, known as Maple Court Apartments, is being developed by Volunteers of America of the Carolinas, with support from the City of Durham and Veterans Administration (VA).

The project responds to a large number of homeless veterans served by the VA Hospital in Durham who are disabled or have chronic health problems which are exacerbated by the lack of safe, decent, affordable housing.

SECU Board of Directors Chairman Shirley Bell comments, "The members of SECU are extremely pleased to join forces with NCHFA and Volunteers of America to provide financing for housing to benefit our North Carolina veterans. The individuals served by Maple Court Apartments are citizens who have graciously served our country and are now suffering very difficult times. This SECU Foundation project, which is a true example of the ‘People Helping People’ cooperative spirit, is providing assistance to these veterans on a much larger scale than we as individuals could begin to accomplish. It is an honor to help this deserving group."

Maple Court Apartments will offer 24 rental units on a 1.6 acre site located at the southeast corner of East Carver Street and Commons Boulevard in North Durham. The Travis Porter Veterans’ Resource Center at Maple Court will be available for residents and to veterans living at the adjacent LIFE House, developed by Volunteers of America for persons with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. The Travis Porter Center will be staffed by supportive services coordinators and offers space for other community services providers. Determined through individual needs assessments, the services may include life skills, education, employment, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, general health and dental care.

"The SECU Foundation’s investment is powerful support for a development such as Maple Court," said Lucius Jones, chair of the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. "It makes an invaluable contribution to the community and to the veterans who will be served. We are delighted to have the SECU Foundation as our partner."

"Volunteers of America is truly thankful for the support of SECU members via the SECU Foundation," adds Robert Rogers, President/CEO of Volunteers of Americas of the Carolinas. "Maple Court Apartments will provide a critical resource for veterans who have no other place to go, and will serve as a turning point in the lives of many who have served our country. As an organization, we strive to serve others, and we will make the members of SECU proud."

The new office, located on Sand Hill Road in Enka, includes drive through lanes and an on-site ATM. It is located within one hundred yards of the old facility, but offers much better visibility to the public and provides services not available in the old location.

State Employees’ Credit Union members, via the SECU Foundation, are partnering with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) to provide 0% construction financing for supportive housing through local non-profits. NCHFA provides permanent financing to help North Carolina non-profits build housing for persons with disabilities and special needs. The savings generated from the SECU Foundation loans will average approximately $50,000 per project. Each construction loan will be repaid by permanent financing previously committed to the project, allowing the funds to be recycled and available for future housing projects.

The projects made possible through this partnership will represent housing for a variety of disabled and homeless individuals and families in North Carolina, including initiatives to address domestic violence and substance abuse. The initial housing facilities will be located in eight different counties.

SECU Foundation Board Chairman David King comments, "The SECU Foundation’s partnership with NCHFA will allow SECU members to assist many North Carolinians who are desperately in need of housing. ‘People Helping People’ is the philosophy our Foundation was founded upon and these joint housing projects embody the spirit of this philosophy. Individually it can be difficult to make a difference, but collectively, SECU members can accomplish great things in our State."

"This partnership is the first of its kind in the nation," said Lucius S. Jones, chairman of the NC Housing Finance Agency. "By investing with us in supportive housing developments, the SECU Foundation makes it much easier for local organizations to produce housing for people with disabilities and special needs. People around the state will benefit from their initiative."

On Wednesday, November 19th, State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) welcomed a Chinese Banking Delegation from Shijiazhuang City Commercial Bank. The Delegation learned about the characteristics of a credit union and how a not-for-profit cooperative functions in American society, with a focus on SECU’s ongoing success in today’s marketplace. The visit also included a tour of a local branch and various technology demonstrations. SECU’s Board of Director’s Chairman Shirley Bell and Senior Executive Vice President Bobby Hall were among the Credit Union officers who met with the visiting group.

The Shijiazhuang Bank Delegation consisted of 10 department and branch managers, along with an executive leader from the financial institution. They were hosted by NC State University’s Global Training Initiative, which brought them to the United States to gain an overview of financial operations entities.

Julong Sheng, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Shijiazhuang City Commercial Bank states, "Our bank shares very similar goals with SECU. We are very impressed with the management and the state-of-the-art technologies that are used in SECU and its network. What we need to learn from SECU is to improve the quality of our loans, especially personal loans, through risk management, services, innovative technologies and more personal management style."

Chairman Bell comments, "It was a pleasure to partner with North Carolina State University to spotlight the benefits of a financial cooperative. SECU’s not-for-profit model is unique and the delegation’s visit offered an opportunity to share the credit union message with an international audience."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) believes education is the foundation for a bright future. That’s why today it announces an additional investment of $100,000 in its LGFCU Scholarship program, bringing the total amount of money available to $120,000.

For the first 10 years of the program, LGFCU awarded 16 annual scholarships—ranging from $500 to $1,500—to graduating high school seniors and post-secondary students to advance their education at the university, community or technical college of their choice. Now entering its 11th consecutive year, the program will now award all $1,000 scholarships, meaning as many as 120 students can get help with college expenses—laptops and textbooks to be exact.

"From now on, we would like to help students pay for something in full," said LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "While $1,000 may go a little ways toward helping with tuition, it will go most of, if not all, the way in helping to pay for a laptop or textbooks."

The LGFCU Scholarship Award recognizes a student’s high achievement in extracurricular activities, as well as academic excellence by their having maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or higher; financial need is also a consideration.

The winners, which are selected by a committee of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, are announced each year in May. The next application deadline is February 20, 2009.

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) recently honored three member-volunteers during its Annual Meeting held in Greensboro, North Carolina. Jane Cocks, David Spaugh and Sam Watson were recognized for their years of service and dedication to SECU members through their work on SECU’s Volunteer Loan Review Committee (LRC).

The recipients received a framed Board Resolution outlining their contributions to the Credit Union and their advocacy for SECU member-owners. A tribute video featuring the trio was also shown during the Greensboro meeting. Shirley Bell, SECU Board of Directors’ Chairman stated, "These three volunteers have unselfishly given their time to provide a deliberate and compassionate review of member loan appeals, offering an equitable voice to all members. Mrs. Cocks, Mr. Spaugh and Mr. Watson embody the volunteer spirit and a true dedication for serving others."

Regarding her years as an LRC volunteer, Mrs. Cocks responds, "As a member of the Loan Review Committee, I know I am doing a service and hopefully helping members, giving them extra consideration for their needs. It is a great source of pride to be able to help fellow State employees and SECU members, and I feel it’s an extreme responsibility because I take this very personally. It’s hard to believe I’ve been volunteering so long and I am still just as excited to serve on the Committee today as I was when I started."

When reflecting on his years of service, David Spaugh remarks, "Loan Review Committees give members an extra voice and sometimes you have to bend and give people a chance. It has made me very happy to be able to help. The Committee shows the ‘People Helping People’ Credit Union philosophy and my years as an LRC member have been very enjoyable."

"Members of the Loan Review Committee are members just like everyone else and we have a vested interest in looking out for what’s best for the Credit Union and the members," comments Sam Watson. "I started with LRC in 1966 and I enjoy working behind the scenes. I’ve learned a lot about loans and really see how the Credit Union goes overboard to serve members. For me, the Loan Review Committee is like a family. I’ve enjoyed it and I hope to serve 20 more years."

SECU’s Loan Review Committee members serve on one of thirteen committees throughout the State and meet regularly to review various member loan requests that have been denied at the branch level. The committee members review the applications and in some cases, meet with the member to discuss the pending loan. These member volunteers offer a peer review process, providing another source of consideration for member loan needs.

Members Credit Union announced this week that Morganton’s Dianne Stuart has been elected the first ever What Are You Saving For? Biggest Saver. Stuart attracted 44% of the nearly 700 online votes to earn the saving program’s inaugural grand prize: a $2,000 share certificate.

The credit union’s What Are You Saving For? program asks participants to set a short- to mid-ranged savings objectives and helps them budget, save, and win prizes to meet those goals. The program’s purpose is to reintroduce the credit union principal of thrift, encouraging members to save more, spend less, and use credit wisely. Attached to the program is a high-yield savings account and a blog on which savers can share their savings successes, failures, and tips.

Stuart’s goal was to save $5,000 for her daughter’s wedding. Her strategy involved driving less, eating at home more, using coupons, and joining a movie rental club to save on entertainment. At the heart of her success, though, was setting up regimented, systematic savings into the credit union.

"There is a silver lining in the current economic cloud," says Jack V. Braswell, Jr., MCU President/CEO. "Thrift is once again a hot topic. Dianne exemplifies the positive changes we all must make in our financial lives to be better consumers, better savers, and better prepared for all of life’s bumps and scrapes."

What Are You Saving For? has earned widespread recognition, including features in Fast Company magazine and Yahoo! Finance, for its simple, yet powerful, way of promoting responsibility in personal finance. Its website, whatareyousavingfor.com, has attracted nearly ten thousand visitors since launching in April, and account balances are expected to reach nearly a half million dollars and 700 participants by the end of the program’s first twelve months.

The next Biggest Saver competition will take place in April 2009, with contestants selected from participation on the What Are You Saving For? blog.

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) congratulates Matthew Melton of Asheville, who is a $1,000 winner in the LGFCU 25th Anniversary $25,000 Swipestakes. Melton, who is the service manager at Sun Stuff of Asheville, says he will use the money to pay bills.

The swipestakes, which celebrates LGFCU’s 25 years of service to its members, is open to any member who simply swipes their LGFCU debit card to make a retail, online or other point-of-sale (POS) transaction. Each month the promotion runs, a $1,000 winner will be randomly selected. At the end of the promotion, two names will be selected—each to receive a $25,000 cash prize.

"Our goal in launching the swipestakes was not only to celebrate our 25 years as a credit union, but to reward members for their support and loyalty at the same time," says LGFCU President Maurice Smith. "We thought the best way to reach the most members and offer them the chance to win this money was to tie the promotion into something most of them do on a regular basis—use their debit card."

The promotion runs through December 31.

Pictured (from left): PACU CFO John Jameson, PACU COO Allen Upchurch, PACU VP of Administration Patty Mauro, WSCECU President/CEO Tony Ebron, PACU President/CEO Judy Tharp, and PACU VP of Finance Jim Venesky.

Piedmont Aviation Credit Union and Winston-Salem City Employees' Credit Union have spearheaded a Shared Branching Concept in the Winston-Salem, NC market, located at Piedmont Aviation Credit Union’s University facility. As financial leaders, Piedmont Aviation Credit Union and Winston Salem City Employees Credit Union look for joint ways to enhance value to their members and sharing a facility is one way they are achieving this. Winston Salem City Employees Credit Union’s new branch is now located in leased space at Piedmont Aviation Credit Union’s 4997 Home Road location and operates as a Financial Service Center where member service representatives work with members to address their financial needs through loan services ,new accounts and products. Members are able to take advantage of an expanding product portfolio and growing their financial relationship, while teller transactions for WSCECU members are performed by Piedmont Aviation Credit Union tellers through the National CUSC Shared Branching arrangement. Additionally, through the shared branching network, credit unions like Winston Salem City Employees Credit Union and Piedmont Aviation Credit Union are creating a competitive advantage and a new dimension of ease not just at the institutional level but also for the industry.

Piedmont Aviation Credit Union, President and CEO, Judy Tharp notes that, "Credit Unions have always embraced the philosophy of finding ways to cooperate and collaborate with each other.  Through this innovative approach, and our association with the Winston Salem City Employees Credit Union and CUSC (Credit Union Service Centers), we can both serve members most effectively and strengthen the movement.

By working together collaboratively, we are matching their facility needs to PACU’s facility’s capacity, paving the way for improved member value for both memberships."

Winston Salem City Employees Credit Union, CEO and President, Tony Ebron adds,

"This venture provides WSCECU with an effective and cost efficient avenue for reaching our members. We appreciate PACU’s willingness to partner with us to do what credit unions do best, serve its members!"

Susan Chadwick, Campaign Chair noted, "Our campaign was a huge success and it is another example of our staff believing in the credit union’s philosophy of "people helping people."

Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) buoyed its support for North Carolina local government with a commitment to invest in municipal bonds in the state. Starting immediately, LGFCU is in the market to purchase municipal bonds from North Carolina cities, towns and counties.

This announcement comes at a time when the national credit crunch and nervousness in the investment market has investors sitting on the sidelines. The current economic turmoil began as the mortgage industry suffered large-scale foreclosures and funding shortages. These troubles spilled into other areas of the economy, such as the bond market. The effects of current Wall Street market conditions are rippling all the way down to North Carolina’s main streets. As a result of the tight market, there is a lower demand for municipal investment instruments. This has meant the delay of important infrastructure projects in North Carolina communities.

That’s why LGFCU announces today they are setting aside $50 million in investment funding for North Carolina municipal bonds. LGFCU seeks to accomplish two purposes. First, the credit union will be investing in ultra-sound instruments that will complement its balance sheet. LGFCU only invests in safe instruments. This strategy has served it well in the economic downtrend. LGFCU sees North Carolina local governments as safe havens for investments.

Secondly, LGFCU wants to encourage other institutional investors to return to North Carolina municipal bonds. Maurice Smith, President of LGFCU, maintains, "Financial leadership will help keep North Carolina ahead of the economic crisis. For institutions that do business in North Carolina, we have an obligation to support our communities by showing diligent faith in our neighbors. North Carolina local governments have merited our confidence in their wherewithal to manage risk and attend to the needs of our citizens. Moreover, investing locally has its appeal for us."

Municipal bonds are sold by cities, towns, counties and other governmental units as a way to raise money for public projects. Projects include schools, courthouses, water/sewer infrastructure, roads, etc. In a recession, there is less money to go around. To compound matters, tax receipts—the main source of government revenue—may be strained. Just as taking a mortgage against a consumer’s home is an expedient way to pay for needs today, bond financing accomplishes the same purpose.

The effects of the economic crisis are noticeable on North Carolina’s local governments. The North Carolina League of Municipalities, a trade association for North Carolina cities, towns and villages, is preparing its members for the ill effects of recessionary pressures. Ellis Hankins, Executive Director of the League, acknowledges the difficulties some cities and towns will have in attracting investors to take a stake in municipal debt. Hankins states, "This initiative will help get essential public facilities built and will help our state's economy."

The tight monetary market also has an effect on the state’s counties. The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners is preparing the state’s 100 counties for a shortfall in funding. David Thompson, Executive Director for the Association, welcomes LGFCU’s announcement.

"This is a bold move by the credit union to help counties keep in step with population growth and escalating needs for public services," says Thompson.

Rick Mullen	Jim Pack

Coastal Federal Credit Union announced the appointments of two new vice presidents. Richard Mullen has joined the organization as VP, Mortgage Solutions and Jim Pack has been hired as VP, Retail Sales and Service.

Mullen will be responsible for Coastal's rapidly-growing Mortgage Services department. He brings to Coastal 29 years of broad banking experience, including more than 22 years in the residential mortgage banking business. He has served as a Chief Financial Officer, Chief Lending Officer and Director of Strategic Planning for several banking organizations, and has managed all aspects of residential mortgage banking. Most recently, Mullen served as Director of Mortgage Secondary, Support and Delivery for one of North Carolina's largest banks. He is a graduate of Davidson College and earned an MBA from Lynchburg College.

Pack, in his role, will be responsible for branch operations and will be tasked with building a high performing retail team, with a focus on member service and profitable growth. He joins Coastal from a community bank in Kingsport, TN where he spent two years as SVP and Retail Division Manager. Prior to that, he spent 8 years with a large regional bank as Manager of Personal and Business Banking in the Durham, Cary and Dunn markets. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University.

"Both Rick and Jim are a welcomed addition to the Coastal management team," said President & CEO, Larry Wilson". "The current state of the financial services marketplace has allowed Coastal to stand out in the crowd, thanks to our sensible lending practices and commitment to member service. We're poised to grow significantly as a result, and are fortunate to be bringing on board two people with the experience and vision that we'll need to make that growth a reality."

Pictured: Canton Branch Manager Pam Reece (left) & Receptionist Darlene Allison.	Canton branch staffers Amy Trull, Trish Allison, Noralynn Grindstaff, Amy Shook & Frances Bowers.

Champion Credit Union joined credit unions across the world to celebrate International Credit Union Day on Thursday, October 16 at its Canton, NC branch location. Members who stopped by that day enjoyed cookies and hot spiced apple cider, as they celebrated the unique nature of credit unions and their ownership of Champion as their not-for-profit financial cooperative.

In addition to the October 16 celebration, Champion’s quarterly newsletter contained an article that supported the 2008 International Credit Union Day theme – It Belongs to Me – so that all of Champion’s 16,000+ members could learn more about the economic democracy and equal ownership rights of each credit union member, regardless of how much money that member may have in savings.

State Employees’ Credit Union members, via the SECU Foundation, sponsored the 2008 State Employees’ Awards for Excellence which honored 21 State employees for outstanding achievements in the categories of Human Relations, Innovations, Outstanding State Government Service, Public Service and Safety and Heroism. The Awards for Excellence are the highest honor a State employee may receive for dedicated service to the State and the citizens of North Carolina. Coordinated by the Office of State Personnel, the event was held October 20th at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, North Carolina and led by Master of Ceremonies Bill Leslie, anchor for WRAL-TV5.

The 2008 award recipients were Tracy Dawson (Department of Health and Human Services), Dr. Michael DeValve (Department of Health and Human Services), Ronald Garner (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), Guodong Guo (North Carolina Central University), Kenneth Locklear (Department of Correction), Leslie Newbern (Department of Transportation), Operation MoveOut Team consisting of Allen Broadwell, Dr. Jennifer House, Mark Howell, Dr. Mary Ann McBride, Jennifer Nixon, Gary Stamey, Mike Stiles and Shelley Swaim (Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services), Timothy Pardue (Department of Insurance), Eddie Poole (Department of Correction), Danny Rice (Department of Health and Human Services), Rebecca Rommen (Department of Health and Human Services), Beulah Shankle (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Bhupendra Tailor (Department of Correction), and Gail Weams (Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services).

Mark Twisdale, SECU Senior Vice President of Human Resources and SECU Foundation Executive Director, welcomed guests to the Awards of Excellence Ceremony. Mr. Twisdale remarked, "SECU members, via the Foundation, are proud to help honor these outstanding State employees through the sponsorship of the State Employees Awards for Excellence. State employees often go unrecognized for the tremendous efforts given to serve the citizens of our State, and this event is a wonderful opportunity to highlight some of the most dedicated employees in North Carolina State Government. The Credit Union philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ abounds in each of the 21 individuals recognized during this ceremony!"

With a record turnout of nearly 900 member-owners, State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) held its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, October 14th at the Sheraton Hotel at Four Seasons in Greensboro, North Carolina. The general meeting, led by SECU’s volunteer Board of Directors, featured a recap of the 2008 Report to the Membership by Board Chairman Shirley Bell, as well as a presentation focusing on the safety and soundness of the Credit Union by SECU President/CEO Jim Blaine. During the meeting, the Board of Directors also honored three SECU volunteers who have served 25 years on the Credit Union’s Loan Review Committee. Jane Cocks, David Spaugh and Sam Watson were given framed Board Resolutions to document their years of service and dedication to the members of State Employees’ Credit Union.

Many of those in attendance currently serve as a volunteer on the Credit Union’s local branch Advisory Boards or on regional Loan Review Committees. Prior to the general meeting, additional events were held for SECU volunteers, including a luncheon with guest speaker James T. Harris, of IllumiNationTM whose message focused on generational awareness. Volunteers also attended a series of educational breakout sessions featuring information on Reverse Mortgages, Mobile Access and SECU’s funding of student loans in North Carolina. Each session concluded with an open forum for feedback and discussion of the presentation topics. When asked about the day’s events, Loan Review Committee member Mary McGhee comments, "I felt the meeting was very informative and entertaining! As a member, we got the message that unlike some financial institutions, we are member-owned, our money is very, very secure and our Credit Union does not have any debt! If a member needs nearly any financial service, it’s available at SECU, from salary advance loans, to mortgage loans, car loans, insurance, investments, ATM and internet services, even a FAT CAT account for the children. We have it all, and it’s all safe and secure! I’m very happy to be an SECU member and volunteer."

Presently, State Employees’ Credit Union has over 2,500 volunteer member-owners who serve statewide. These volunteers are ambassadors for the Credit Union within the community and provide a valuable link between SECU’s member-owners and the Credit Union staff and Board of Directors. Many of SECU’s products, services and enhancements are direct results of Advisory Board ideas and suggestions. Shirley Bell, SECU Board of Director’s Chairman adds, "SECU volunteers are crucial to the success of our member-owned financial cooperative and we are thrilled so many were able to attend this year’s informative meeting. Now is a crucial time for all financial institutions, and we are extremely proud to report our Cr