Message from the Chairman

When I became a director and Chairman of the New England Credit Union Heritage Foundation (NECUHF) Board in 2001, I advised executive director Peggy Powell that I had very limited time to devote to the Foundation and the project to establish America's Credit Union Museum. Now more than 10 years later, I am still actively involved as the chairman of America's Credit Union Museum Board of Directors and I am extremely proud of the success of America's Credit Union Museum.

When the doors opened in October of 2002, the museum had 230 donors. We now have close to 700 donors and 60 sustaining members. We have added 12 exhibits to the original collection as well as furnishings to the original rooms. Exhibits are continually updated thanks to donations and loans from credit unions and associations from across the world.

America's Credit Union Museum is a tribute to the beginning, past, and future of the credit union movement and its pioneers is an important one. It symbolizes the "roots" of every credit union in America and provides a venue for all credit unions from across our great nation to tell their story through exhibits and artifacts that portray their role in the credit union movement.

I wish to thank all of you who contributed to this noble cause for your generous financial support and efforts in helping us maintain and grow America's Credit Union Museum.
Gordon Simmons
Chairman

America's Credit Union Museum Elects Board of Directors

America's Credit Union Museum Foundation held its annual meeting on April 7, 2011. Incumbent members re-elected to the board of directors are: Ronald H. Covey, Jr., President/CEO, St. Mary's Bank Credit Union, N.H., Pete Crear, President/CEO, World Council of Credit Unions, Daniel F. Egan, President, MA, NH and RI Credit Union Leagues, and Attorney Peter Lemire. The directors elected Gordon Simmons, President/CEO, Service Credit Union as Chairman and Michael L'Ecuyer, President/CEO, Bellwether Community Credit Union as Vice Chairman of the Board for the coming year.

In addition two new directors joined the board; Terry West is President/CEO of Vystar Credit Union in Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. West was Sr. Vice President Member Services at Vystar from 1988 until 1991 at which time he became President/CEO. Prior to joining Vystar, Mr. West held various positions at State Employees Credit Union in his home state of North Carolina. Mr. West is very active in his local community and serves on various committees and boards within the credit union community including CUNA's Governmental Affairs Committee, the Board of Directors at PSCU-FS, and Chairman of CUNA's Corporate Task Force.

Mr. West graduated from North Carolina State University in 1976 with a B.S. in Mathematics Education. In 1995, he completed an Executive Program, Strategic Planning for Growing Companies at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. In 1997, he completed the Harvard Business School program "Making Corporate Boards More Effective."

Jeff York is President/CEO of CoastHills Federal Credit Union in Lompoc, CA. Mr. York has been in the financial services industry for 27 years including 25 years with credit unions. Mr. York served as Executive Vice President at CoastHills before being named president in 2004. Mr. York moved to CoastHills from The Walt Disney Company's credit union - Vista FCU in Orlando, Florida. He served as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Marketing, and President/CEO for Vista Financial Services, LLC. Mr. York is active in his local community and serves on several boards including CUNA's Board of Directors, Immediate Past Chairman California Credit Union League, and Chairman of the Chairman of the Board - C-U First, LTD - captive workers compensation insurance company.

Mr. York holds a BA in Economics from the University of California at Davis and is a Certified Chief Executive, a graduate of the CEO Institute and the Executive Marketing Institute. He is a long-time trade association member.

America's Credit Union Museum Successfully Sustaining the Credit Union Vision

Those of us that are committed to promoting the credit union movement know that our heritage is too precious to abandon.

America's Credit Union Museum is one of the most valuable resources that the credit union movement has in the campaign to retain our identity. The Mission of America's Credit Union Museum incorporates preserving the rich history of the credit union movement as well as the promotion of the values and philosophies that are an intrinsic part of that history.

Everyone's support is important to maintain and continue the work of the Museum. To help us to preserve and promote credit union values we invite you to become a Sustaining Member. This level of giving is available to credit unions, leagues, and individuals that make an annual contribution of $1,000 and to credit union organizations and businesses that make an annual contribution of $2,000 to the Museum.

Your pledge of recurring long term support will enable us to focus energy and resources on meeting the challenges ahead, while knowing that our day-to-day operations are funded. It will help to ensure the proper care and preservation of the historical artifacts and displays entrusted to us.

In appreciation of your contribution, you are granted use of the Museum Conference space and its technical resources, receive recognition on the museum's web site, in the museum newsletter, and have your name prominently displayed in the museum.

More then 60 credit unions, leagues, organizations and businesses have responded to the invitation to become a Sustaining Member. Sustaining Member gifts provide important financial support that enables the Museum to make accessible to this generation and generations to come real examples of our values, philosophies, struggles and successes.

Please contact Peggy Powell, America's Credit Union Museum's Executive Director at 603-629-1553 or ppowell@acumuseum.org with any questions.

CU 4 Reality™ Program Reaches 9,500 Students in 2011

America's Credit Union Museum and the CU 4 Reality™ Financial Education Program have concluded another busy financial reality fair season.

During the spring months, most of the schools and organizations that have been teaching the CU 4 Reality curriculum complete the program by holding their CU 4 Reality Fair. The Museum provided the space as well as an exposure to the history and philosophy of credit unions to participants of 10 of the CU 4 Reality™ Financial Education Reality Fairs held this year.

The 2010/2011 year has seen tremendous growth of the CU 4 Reality Program. This past year alone, more than 9,500 individuals from approximately 70 schools and organizations benefited from the program. Since its inception in 2004, this financial education program has been taught to 23,885 individuals.

As we look forward to another successful year in 2011/2012, we have many new, exciting programs that will be introduced. In the Fall of 2011, the Elementary School and High School versions of the CU 4 Reality™ Financial Education Program will be available. Conducting a CU 4 Reality financial education summer camp at the museum is also under discussion. With many innovative ideas and projects under way, we are sure that next year will be another year of growth.

Once again, we want to thank all of the volunteers, businesses, and especially the credit unions for the time and resources they contribute which are vital to the success of the program.

If you are interested in volunteering your time at one of our financial reality fairs, please contact the CU 4 Reality Program Director, Sun Poschmann at (603)629-1595.

View the CU4Reality Photo Gallery