First Quarter 2008
Plauda celebrates 30 years
Dan Plauda, ICUL President/Chief Executive Officer, was recently recognized by staff and board members for 30 years of service.
Plauda began his career with ICUL in May of 1977 as its first general counsel. Shortly after arriving, Plauda participated in a major overhaul of the Illinois Credit Union Act. Many other significant issues followed, including the development of share drafts, the expansion of the Credit Union Political Action Council (CUPAC), and the establishment of the Illinois Credit Union Foundation (ICU Foundation).
In 1984, when then-League President Dick Ensweiler announced his resignation, Plauda was elected to succeed him. “I met Dick when I was practicing law in Minnesota and he was president of the Minnesota League. His wife, Judy, had been a friend for years. When Dick became ICUL president, he hired me as the League’s first general counsel. I took the job thinking I would be here a few years and then move on. Instead, I got hooked on credit unions,” said Plauda.
He has also served as CEO of the ICUL Service Corporation (LSC) since 1984 and has overseen its tremendous growth. “We have always conducted our business, first and foremost, in the best interest of Illinois credit unions. Our boards and staff are the ones who have operated with that philosophy in mind year after year. I can’t thank them enough for their team effort and making our collective success happen.”
“Much of the League’s and the Service Corp’s success today is attributed to Dan’s dedication and commitment to the credit union movement. His leadership style has created a dedicated and loyal staff willing to go the extra mile to ensure great products, cutting edge services and member satisfaction for Illinois credit unions,” said Carl Sorgatz, ICUL chairman. “Dan is an inspiration to all of us.”
In 2005, Plauda was recognized by the ICU Foundation at ICUL’s Annual Convention with a Commemorative Tribute Award in honor of his service to Illinois credit unions. The award was made possible by the thoughtful contributions of credit unions, League and Service Corp staff members, Board members, other individuals, and affiliated organizations who donated more than $6,000 to this fund.
During his credit union career, Plauda also served five years on the board of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and its affiliate, CUNA Service Group. He has served on CUNA's Governmental Affairs Committee and its Audit Committee. Plauda is also a former member of the Executive Board of the American Association of Credit Union Leagues.
“One of my fondest memories is from the Operation Grassroots Rally in Washington, D.C. and meeting folks from Illinois as they got off buses tired and hungry. We fed them a hot breakfast at 5:30 a.m. They borrowed rooms from those of us who were staying at the hotel, showered, changed clothes and enthusiastically went to the rally at the Mall. They boarded the buses and headed back to Illinois. We still refer to them as the ‘bus people.’ To me, that was a true representation of what people did by working together. Hopefully, this solidarity will be a part of our future vision.”
Plauda concluded, “My sincere hope is that leagues and credit unions will continue to adapt to the changing environment while keeping focused on the fact that our reason to exist is very basic working together to help people. I hope that we never get so caught up in the process that we forget the purpose. If history is any indication, we will adapt quickly and keep true to the purpose.”