Don't think the leaders at NCRGEA yet appreciate that they have led a very fine organization into a swamp. Like another member-owned organization (which will remain unnamed), it never hurts to discuss important issues with your member-owners in advance, with clear justification... that's why they are called MEMBER-OWNERS!
Here's the latest from the email firestorm: [Sept. 22 - 1:51pm]
"Hi Mr. Blaine,
A
week or two ago I received the letter from NCGREA urging me to vote for
the slate of incumbent SECU Board members. I found the appeal kind of
weird, and I wondered why the organization decided to get into this
battle. The reasons for their endorsement of the incumbents raised more
questions for me than it provided answers, and I decided to do some
research. I've been joined in the search for information by a couple of
friends who are similarly concerned about NCRGEA's motives and want to
know the "rest of the story" with regard to the policy goals and past
votes of the members running for reelection, and the vision of the
challengers.
Your site provided a lot of
really good information presenting the other side of the story. I also
found a few newpaper articles that shed light on the election and what's
on the line; these two in particular that I found last night: https://www.roanoke- chowannewsherald.com/2023/09/ 19/secu-board-of-directors- election-contested/ and https://businessnc.com/secu- election-centers-on-who-gets- best-rates/ were helpful to me.
I
appreciate what you've been posting. My friends and I have heard and
read enough, and we've decided that we're voting today for the
challengers, for so many reasons. But I think our main concern is the
current Board's advocacy of charging higher interest rates for members
who have low credit scores. That's just wrong! Let's leave that to the
banks, and let's let OUR credit union serve its members. I would
benefit from such a scheme if I were borrowing money, but that's not my
concern. Let's give people who are struggling a break and let them pay
the same rates as financially well off members - as has always been the
case with SECU in the past - and not privilege those who already are
doing fine. It's the right thing to do, and it gives people who are
having a hard time trying to get their financial lives together, trying
to support their families, pay off student loans, buy their first homes
or replace a dying car, etc. a chance to do that, and to establish
better credit scores.
I'm frankly stunned that members of the SECU
Board would vote for higher loan rates for our hard-working members and
fellow state employees and retirees and their families who are
struggling to make ends meet! Other things that bother me include
SECU's late decision to raise rates on money market accounts and other
savings instruments, and are now considering (if I understand things
correctly) raising rates after money has been bleeding out of the
organization, embracing the idea of opening up the membership to people
who aren't state employees' which would cause the institution to lose
its focus on why it exists, doing away with the tax assistance service
for those who need it, and a few other things that are slipping my aging
brain at the moment. 

I'll
close by mentioning that I'm attaching below an email I received this
morning from NCRGEA, in case you haven't already seen it. I didn't see
that this was posted on NCRGEA's social media sites - yet - but I'm
thinking it might be good for you or someone supporting the challengers
to post a well-reasoned and fact-based rebuttal should that happen.
It's a shame you don't have NCRGEA's mailing and email list, and that it
won't be possible to forward a message to each member who received the
letter and the email they sent to present the other side of things.
Thank
you for what you're doing! For reasons I prefer not to get into, I'm
not providing too much personal information, but I did want to get in
touch to let you know your posts have been very helpful, and I
appreciate what you're doing to get the word out about this election!"
Bob in the Triangle
Vote for the MEMBER NOMINATED CANDIDATES!
Perkins, Clements, Stone!
✔ Vote here right now! 👉 https://secuvote.ey.com/
I'm voting for Bob of the Triangle next year!
ReplyDeleteDitto
ReplyDeleteAnd these folks don't even know about the yacht party with the money gun ... !!!!
ReplyDelete... and oh soooooooo much more it would take HOURS to write down ...
Folks just go vote! Employees do not be scared; your a member with every right to determine the future of our credit union!!
ReplyDeleteI would immediately stop paying dues to NCRGEA. They clearly don't care about you, only your money.
ReplyDeleteSECU's current Board of Directors and Executive Teams have clearly under-estimated their membership base and their dedicated employees' loyalty to the cooperative. It did take a while, but Former CEO Hayes found out not everyone affiliated with SECU would sell out for their own gain. The letters and emails shared over the past few days offer much encouragement for a return to what made this credit union a financial leader in this state.
ReplyDeleteVoting Stone, Perkins and Clements will benefit all members.
Another legacy SVP "retired" today. That's two this week. The unprecedented mass exodus continues. Leigh and Josh are getting their wish. The next 12-18 months will be crucial to the future of SECU. Once they run off a few more vital legacy employees thing is going to implode and there will be no one who can recover it.
ReplyDeletethe culling of the flock ... just another tactic ... these folks seem to be experts at corporate takeovers .... hmmmmmm .....
DeleteTwo SVPs retired this week and the majority of the SECU workforce is unaware until reading the previous post. This has been another trend with the new/new SECU. Get them out the door with as little publicity as possible, doesn't matter their years of contributions serving the members and helping other employees build careers within the credit union. Just another way the new/new SECU has failed! The Members and the Employees will always be SECU's greatest assets - to think otherwise sets SECU up for further failures.This Board has got to go...
DeleteVote Clements Perkins and Stone before October 3rd!
Quit retiring!!!
DeleteThank you, Bob.
ReplyDelete"... financial leader in this state."
ReplyDeleteand country I might add! ... financial services play a pivotal role in a person's life. MOST institutions are only out to make a buck and are not concerned with the welfare of their members (customers for the banks).
This is what made SECU unique. It had Shepards that actually 'Did the Right Thing'. Now the wolves have been let in through the back door to wreck havoc on the flock... tsk tsk ... May you treat those the way you would like to be treated ...
Everything this board touches gets dirty
ReplyDeleteLed NCRGEA to the slaughter for sure
DeleteJoin SEANC instead! they represent current as well as retired state employees. NCRGEA is representing the political elites--just like the folks currently on this board. Peas in a pod
DeleteThis Board and Executive Teams have done ALL the wrong things for our credit union over the past two years starting with the 6.5 Million + mistake of hiring the outsider CEO. Reading the Chip Filson blog this week about SECU's advantage of believing Local, Local, Local was a strength - got me to thinking local, local, local can win this statewide Board of Directors election. Get out there and harvest those votes, I have found my friends who are SECU members appreciated me taking the time on the street to tell them about the importance of voting for Stone, Perkins and Clements. Now is not the time to be silent.
ReplyDeleteI am curious what exactly all the new employees brought in with high salaries have done to better the membership? Bomba, E Hayes, Benesh to name a few. Can anyone name anything, other than costing us lots of money.
ReplyDelete1000 new employees! as a member, I want to know where they are. They are not answering the phone-- I now have a several step push button menu to endure. they are not in the branches. Where the hell are they? SECU is outsourcing as fast this board can do it? so what's going on? those 1000 newnew hires have no member facing jobs that this member is experiencing
DeleteThey are holding meetings with vendors.
Delete"They are holding meetings with vendors."
Delete... because they themselves don't have the ability to do the job, they outsource their job too! and still get paid with ALL the benefits ...
talk about fleecing the flock!
Holding meetings with vendors essentially trying to acquire technology they will completely replace most working staffing instead of paying us and letting us have job security.
DeleteSVPs/VPs do not retire! We need you!
ReplyDeleteA friend contacted me as soon as the "endorsement" letter from NCRGEA was received and was appalled by their lack of honesty and disclosure by not including ALL candidates but only the incumbents. They follow this blog, stay informed and know what is going on. They have since cancelled their membership and will be voting for OUR 3!!! Spread the word!!! Time is running out!!!
ReplyDeleteNCRGE can't even fill its board seats look at the vacancies. Give Garland a chance over there after we boot her out over here
ReplyDelete