Member Credit Unions of MWCUA, NWCUA Approve Merger

Canvas Credit Union President/CEO and MWCUA Chairman Todd Marksberry and NWCUA President/CEO Troy Stang

Combining the organizations will create an influential six-state trade association of the future.

Member credit unions of the Mountain West Credit Union Association (MWCUA) and the Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) voted to approve merging the two organizations effective June 30, 2022. The merger was approved with overwhelming support; 80% of the eligible credit unions’ delegates cast ballots, with 92% voting in favor. The new, six-state trade association will represent 300+ credit unions in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, which serve over 12.3 million consumer members.

“As Associations in service to credit unions across these six states, we are humbled by the honor of serving organizations that create impact for people as they build their dreams,” said MWCUA President and CEO Scott Earl and NWCUA President and CEO Troy Stang in a joint statement. “The results of the vote support the belief of both organizations’ Boards of Directors that creating a next-level Association will enhance the strength and influence of credit unions’ voices.”
Earl will retire June 30, following a 40-year career in the Credit Union Movement. When the merger of MWCUA and NWCUA consummates this summer, Stang will serve as President and CEO.

Earl and Stang expressed deep gratitude to the MWCUA and NWCUA Boards of Directors for their strategic investment and leadership navigating the merger process, to the Associations’ teams for their intense collaboration, and to all the credit union leaders who explored the possibilities and voted in support of the merger.

The strategic plan for the new Association will ensure all six states represented are part of a proven advocacy model to keep the charters modern and relevant. A hyper-local approach will be expanded in state-level advocacy, while credit union voices at the federal level will become stronger with 12% of the U.S. Senate and 10% of the U.S. House represented within the six states.

“We look forward to delivering on the future that was imagined as we explored the merger,” said Todd Marksberry, MWCUA Board Chair, and President and CEO of Canvas Credit Union in Lone Tree, Colorado. “This will include a vivid focus on advocacy, collaboration through the Association’s Foundation for greater community impact, and documenting and telling the story of that impact to support advocacy and growth.”

Jeff Adams, NWCUA’s Board Chair and President and CEO of Spokane Valley, Washington-based Horizon Credit Union, noted the new Association will provide its member credit unions with an even richer array of professional development opportunities, advocacy opportunities, compliance services and business partnerships.

“Strategic business solutions will position credit unions to be more innovative and to be at the forefront of providing new services which members want and deserve. Educational opportunities will help grow today’s leaders and those of the future,” Adams said.

Additional details about the new organization will be made available as the integration plans are finalized and the consummation date nears.

Watch the CUbroadcast interview with Todd and Troy on the merger backstory:
#2859: NWCUA and MWCUA Look to Merge to Enhance Credit Union Marketshare in Both Regions

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