Blogging with the CEO

jDear Members,

NorthPark Community Credit Union's staff, management and volunteer leadership is pleased to announce construction is underway on our next service upgrade. We will be converting to an entirely new computer operating system on November 1st, 2010. Over the past three years our membership has doubled in size, as has our staff and branch network. Our members deserve the best service and products, and we aim to deliver on our service commitments! The staff could use better tools to deliver those services and perform the transactions in the most efficient, safest methods possible. As President/CEO, according to my staff, I do not perform any "real work". In many ways, that is true. Members using our products and staff delivering services and performing transactions need the best tools. I see my role, with our volunteer member leadership, as making this operating system available for the benefit of all members and staff.

Our new system will be able to perform transactions faster, with less key strokes and greater flexibility, with enhanced security and expanded options. We have been working for months on selecting the best vendors and systems. We are under contract now and are seeking to manage all of the decisions to setup the system infrastructure. Your management team is energized by this process. However, if you see managers pulling their hair out, give them a gentle pat on the back to reassure them that all the work will be worthwhile. Over the next several months you will be learning more details about the features and benefits of our new operating system.

Other news is not so good. You have heard me rant in this column about the evil of Big Banks. Recent news is that the Security & Exchange Commission has charged Goldman Sachs Bank with possible fraud, betting against products being sold to their own customers to make huge sums of money at their customers' expense. Because other Big Banks and hedge fund managers may also be guilty, they are hoping that the Goldman Sachs CEO can "sell" Congress on the positive reasons why they did what they did. It boggles my mind why people still do business with these soul-less institutions. Keep your personal and business accounts local, with your neighbors who work for you...our owners. Stay with or move to a local financial institution, like NorthPark Community Credit Union. You and your community will be better for it.

Sincerely,

Dan Robbins
President/CEO