30 Years of Independence, Innovation, and Shared Strength

Lucy Ito

This January marks the 30th anniversary of a landmark management services agreement between California’s Credit Unions and Nevada’s Credit Unions. Implemented in January of 1996, this forward-thinking contract pioneered a one-of-a-kind operating partnership that remains an industry archetype for achieving scale while preserving local advocacy and state-level independence.
 
In late 1995, 15-member credit unions of the Nevada Credit Union League voted unanimously to support the proposal. By early 1996, the California Credit Union League Board of Directors approved the management services agreement, a new idea with new opportunities and vision.
 
From the days of Leo Shapiro — the “father” of the movement in California who fought for the foundational California Credit Union Law — to the formation of the Nevada Credit Union League in 1969, our movement’s history is one of dedication and persistence.
 
“The management agreement between our two states displayed our forward-thinking and collaborative spirit,” said Scott Arkills, Chair of Nevada’s Credit Unions and President and CEO of Silver State Schools Credit Union. “It was a bold step to guarantee that while the leagues navigated the complexities of a changing financial landscape, the collective credit unions’ core mission of ‘people helping people’ remained untouchable.”
 
Today, the California and Nevada leagues owe their strength to the foresight of the visionaries who stood at the helm in 1995. When the partnership took effect on January 1, 1996, the transition honored the unique needs of Nevada’s credit unions. This collaboration proved that individual states could share a management engine while maintaining sovereign identities and serving distinct state and federal advocacy needs.
 
“The California and Nevada leagues continue driving real change for credit unions and their members across both states, providing practical solutions in advocacy, compliance, education, communications, and strategic and social initiatives,” said Donna Bland, Chair of California’s Credit Unions and President and CEO for Golden 1 Credit Union. “Both associations have equipped leaders and volunteers to make a meaningful financial difference in their members’ lives — and make a powerful impact in Sacramento, Carson City, and Washington, D.C.”
 
The Nevada partnership blueprint has now reached its next evolution. In 2024, our alliance expanded to include Utah’s Credit Unions. All three state leagues have chosen scale through partnership and collaboration, ensuring that control and voice remain at the state level.
 
“As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this historic partnership, we reflect on a model that has not only endured but has evolved into a powerhouse of collaboration,” said Lucy Ito, Interim President and CEO of California’s Credit Unions and Nevada’s Credit Unions. “We want to thank California and Nevada credit unions and honor our shared milestone while also celebrating our recent three-state alliance with Utah’s Credit Unions. Thank you for your leadership and for being a part of this historic, ongoing success story. Here’s to more of that shared strength in 2026!”

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