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79th Annual Convention

Illinois League re-elects new chairman, table officers; Service Corp. new director; others elected to Foundation, PAC, Youth Council boards

Illinois League welcomes two new directors

League’s 79th Annual Convention celebrates Rock ‘n Roll, honors numerous individuals/CUs with awards

Annual Legislative Day and Reception

Illinois Senator receives Desjardins Lawmaker Award

79th Annual Convention
April 16 - 18, 2009

Illinois League re-elects new chairman, table officers; Service Corp. new director; others elected to Foundation, PAC, Youth Council boards

At its 79th Annual Convention, the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) elected its table officers for the coming year, each to their second one-year terms.  In addition, the ICUL Service Corporation elected one new director to its board.

The Illinois Credit Union Foundation (ICUF), the Credit Union Political Action Council (CUPAC), and the Illinois Youth Involvement Council (IYIC) also elected officers and directors to their respective boards.  The convention was held at the Chicago Hilton & Towers April 16 – 18, 2009.

John Bratsakis, senior vice president of business development for Baxter CU in Vernon Hills, was re-elected as chairman for a one-year term.  He will also serve in this capacity for the ICUL Service Corporation (LSC).  Bratsakis has served on the league board since 2001 representing the Thomas W. Doig Chapter of Credit Unions.  During this time, he was also chairman of the legislative committee, a member of the executive committee, and a member of the Credit Union Support Group (CUSG) committee.

Dennis Hall, CEO of I.H. Mississippi Valley CU in East Moline, was re-elected as vice chairman.  Hall started his credit union career more than 20 years ago and has been CEO for the past 11 years.  He has been on the league board representing the Illinois Quad Cities Chapter of Credit Unions since 2001 and during this time was also a member of the legislative, executive, and Credit Union Support Group (CUSG) committees.  Hall will also serve as LSC vice chairman.

In addition, Geraldine Burek, CEO of South Division CU in Evergreen Park, was re-elected as secretary/treasurer.  Burek has served as ICUL director representing the Southeast Chapter of Credit Unions since 2003.  During that time, she was also chairman of the annual convention and legislative committees, served on the executive committee, and on the CUPAC board for 21 years. 

Libby Calderone, CEO of Earthmover CU, Oswego, was elected to a three-year term as director of the ICUL Service Corporation (LSC).  The LSC is a subsidiary of ICUL that provides EFT, credit, debit, and prepaid card products, merchant, and collection services to more than 2,000 credit unions in 45 states.

Also as part of the convention, the ICUF held its annual meeting and re-elected its officers and elected two new directors.   Officers included: Ed Jacob, ICUF chairman and CEO, North Side Community FCU, Chicago; Greg Worthen, ICUF vice chairman and director of lending, Olin Community CU, Bethalto; and David Mooney, ICUF secretary/ treasurer and CEO, Alliant CU, Chicago.  Current board members include: Geraldine Burek, CEO, South Division CU, Evergreen Park; Peggy Cummins, CEO, Three Rivers Community CU, Mt. Carmel; John Fiore, CEO, Motorola ECU, Schaumburg; and Janet Francoeur, CEO, Riverside Community CU, Kankakee.  Thomas Pierce, CEO, Canals & Trails CU, Lockport; and Michael Lee, president, Midwest region, Members United Corporate FCU, Warrenville, were each elected to a three-year term as a result of two directors retiring from the board.

In addition, CUPAC elected a new chairman and board of directors at its annual meeting.  Officers elected to one year terms included: Karen Woods, CUPAC chairman and marketing director, Decatur Earthmover CU, Decatur; Brenda Crane, CUPAC vice chairman and COO, Credit Union 1, Rantoul; John Fiore, CUPAC Treasurer and CEO, Motorola ECU, Schaumburg; and Tom Enos, CUPAC Secretary and business development director, First Northern CU, Chicago.  Board members re-elected to one-year terms included: Christine Dickover, CEO of H-F CU, Country Club Hills; Pete Fauth, vice president/CFO, Financial Plus CU, Ottawa; Mike Frye, chairman, Shell Community FCU, East Alton; RaeAnn Love, CEO, Commonwealth CU, Bourbonnais; Frank Padak, CEO, Scott CU, Collinsville; and Robert Schroeder, CEO, Illinois Community CU, Sycamore.

Lastly, the IYIC re-elected its executive committee, also during the convention.  The members included: Melissa Brown, DHCU Community CU; Shelli Chesnutt, Aurora Policemen CU, Aurora; and Jeri Hansen, Danville Consolidated CU, Danville.

Illinois League welcomes two new directors

Two new directors were sworn in to the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) board of directors at its annual Delegates’ Meeting by ICUL Chairman John Bratsakis.

The two new directors elected were John Hansen, CEO of Rockford Bell Credit Union, Rockford, Illinois; and Kerry Fearn, CEO Area Educational Credit Union, Mattoon, Illinois.  Hansen was elected at the February 24, 2009 meeting of the Rockford Area Chapter of Credit Unions.  Fearn will represent the R.W. Boyle Chapter of Credit Unions and was elected at the January 26, 2009 chapter meeting.  Their terms began immediately following the Delegates’ meeting.

The Delegates’ meeting is one of a series of meetings and educational sessions just getting underway as part of ICUL’s 79th Annual Convention, being held today through Saturday at the Hilton Chicago and Towers.  Today’s agenda also includes the exhibit hall grand opening with nearly 75 vendors in attendance.

“Shake, Rattle, n’ Roll” is the theme of ICUL’s Convention. More than 780 individuals from 125 credit unions are expected to attend.

League’s 79th Annual Convention celebrates Rock ‘n Roll,
honors numerous individuals/CUs with awards

The Keynote and Awards Program at the Illinois Credit Union League’s (ICUL) 79th Annual Convention provided the means for numerous individuals and credit unions to be honored.  These included:

Desjardins Awards.  Prairie Trail CU, Joliet, received first place in the Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award program in the $35 - $75 million in assets category.  NuMark CU, Joliet, won first place in the $75 - $250 million category; and Great Lakes CU, North Chicago, earned first place in the more than $250 million category.  Scott CU, Collinsville achieved an honorable mention in this category.

Dora Maxwell Honorees.  The following were acknowledged for their participation: $50 - $100 million: first place, Rock Valley FCU; $100 - $200 million: first place: Financial Plus CU, Ottawa; second place, Streator Onized CU, Streator; and receiving honorable mentions in this category were Community Trust CU, Gurnee, and NuMark CU, Joliet; $200 - $500 million: first place, Scott CU, Collinsville; second place: GCS FCU, Granite City; and more than $500 million: first place, Consumers Cooperative CU, Waukegan.

Hall of Fame Inductees.  Receiving leadership awards were James Bright, inducted posthumous as CEO of Scott CU, Collinsville; and William Reidel, retired CEO of Consumers Cooperative CU in Waukegan.  In addition, Janet Francoeur, CEO of Riverside Community CU in Kankakee, was honored with a lifetime achievement award.

Illinois Credit Union Foundation Commemorative Awards.  The Foundation recognized tribute scholarships recently established in honor of Robert Nelson, board member of Members Choice CU, Peoria; and a surprise tribute award in honor of VicMcCauley, board member of MembersAlliance CU, Rockford.  Also recognized posthumous with a memorial award was Mary Sue Sours, manager of St. John ECU, Springfield.  In addition, Raymond Schulenberg, director on the board of Motorola ECU, Schaumburg, was honored with a Perpetual Tribute Award. 

Louise Herring Winners.  GCS FCU, Granite City, received first place in the $50 - $250 million category; and in the more than $250 million category, Consumers Cooperative CU, Waukegan, won first place.

Spirit of Service.  These awards recognized Employee of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.  The recipients were Ann O’Neill, executive vice president at Prairie Trail CU, Joliet; and Dave Harris, supervisory committee chairman on the board at NuMark CU, Joliet, respectively.

Also acknowledged at the Keynote & Awards were the numerous individuals, credit unions and chapters who contributed more than $372,000 to the Credit Union Political Action Council (CUPAC), and those who assisted the ICU Foundation in providing nearly $175K in grants, scholarships in 2008.

In addition, 19 credit unions celebrating milestone (25th, 50th and 75th) anniversaries were recognized.  Wrapping up the ceremony was Keynote speaker, Al Masocco, of PulseBeat Marketing, who provided a multi-media presentation on his 30-year history of rock and roll, marketing and branding.

Annual Legislative Day and Reception
April 29, 2009

Illinois Senator receives Desjardins Lawmaker Award

As part of its annual Legislative Day event held recently in Springfield, the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) bestowed Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-16, Chicago) with the 2009 Desjardins Youth Financial Literacy Award for State Lawmakers.

Senator Collins was nominated for her very active leadership role in working to create enhanced opportunities to promote financial literacy throughout schools in Illinois.  During the 95th Illinois General Assembly, Senator Collins helped to enact four pieces of legislation to further this goal.  These included:

• S.B. 2098 (P.A. 95-920), which authorizes the Illinois State Treasurer to create the State Treasurer Financial Education and Savings Not-for-Profit Corporation for the purposes of promoting financial literacy and savings, and to issue grants and scholarships.
• S.B. 2378 (P.A. 95-0863), which amends the school code to add homeownership, including the basic process of obtaining a mortgage and the concepts of fixed and adjustable rate mortgages, subprime loans, and predatory lending, as part of the financial literacy component of consumer education.
• H.B. 1662 (P.A. 95-0358), which creates the Illinois Children’s Savings Accounts Act and a task force to review and make recommendations about children’s savings account program options and to create a strategic implementation plan to create a savings account at birth for every child born in Illinois to Illinois residents.
• S.B. 2191 (P.A. 94-0929), which amends the School Code and the State Finance Act, and requires the State Board of Education to develop and adopt curricula, materials, and guidelines for school boards to use in implementing a program of instruction on financial literacy within courses currently offered in Illinois public high schools.  This legislation also creates the Financial Literacy Fund as a special fund in the Treasury and that all money in the fund shall be used by the State Board to award grants to school districts for certain financial literacy purposes.

“It is critical that young people and their families across Illinois begin to learn not only how to spend their money wisely but understand the benefits of savings,” Collins said. “The market will bounce back and when it does this generation of Illinoisans should know how to reap its benefits.”

“Senator Collins has shown great leadership in helping to promote financial literacy education for students and residents across Illinois,” said Dan Plauda, ICUL president/chief executive officer.  We are pleased that CUNA has chosen her for this award and that we had an opportunity to honor her in front of so many credit union political activists.”

Senator Collins has served constituents of the Chicago-area’s 16th Legislative District since 2003.  In the 96th Illinois General Assembly, she chairs the Senate Financial Institutions Committee.  She also serves on the Senate Appropriations I, Environment, Insurance, and Pensions and Investments committees, as well as on the Pension Enhancements, Amendments, and Payday Loans Subcommittees.