CUToday is the premier credit union-focused newspaper in the U.S.
Frank Diekmann, the editor, has been around for decades and is known for informed, balanced reporting on credit unions. Think his article on SECU today [link to CUToday article] reflects that informed balance. The paper is read by every professional in the CU space... everybody will be watching for the "What next at SECU?".
Excerpt - Ms. Brady's direct quote: "Questions & The October Annual Meeting"
"The recent annual meeting and what occurred or didn’t occur has become another point of contention. During the meeting, held in Greensboro, N.C., dozens of members stood up and took to the microphones to make statements or ask questions of the board. That much everyone agrees on. The disagreement is over whether the members asking those questions were doing so on their own or whether they were put up to it.
A video of the meeting can be viewed here. The member questions began at the 1:29:50 point.
“… Let me be clear on that group of members; 28 of those 32 were SECU retirees,” said Brady. “These were members where Blaine gave them a sheet of paper and said ‘You read this.’ And gave the next one a sheet of paper and said, ‘Now you read this.’ They were holding papers where Blaine gave them talking points. And they were supposed to stand up during the comment section and read their comments.”
Brady said she knows for a fact that is what occurred."
As I said at the Annual Meeting: "Mr. Ayers, what started out as a polite resolution
at last year's Annual Meeting has, to me, evolved into something far
more sinister over the last 12 months. My concern was first triggered as
I watched you struggle to find a truthful answer to that simple
question. [Offer to merge with LGFCU]
Sounds like a sore loser.
ReplyDeleteAnd what about the Advisory Board member who stood up and said she wished she had heard all this strife before she voted! She was appalled at what was going on and how she had voted with only the excerpts provided by SECU on the incumbents. Her disappointment rang true and loud!
ReplyDeleteLeigh, hope you're reading this because you have lost your f'ing mind! I was at the annual meeting and know many of the folks who spoke ( just as i know you know them). The assumption that they were given something to read is insulting..These speakers have their own thoughts and surely don't need jcb to coach them. Leigh, you're article damage control quotes sounds a lot like a spoiled child who didn't get their way.. I have lost any respect I once had for you and you are really giving high powered female leaders a very bad reputation. We members are not stupid; you're in over your head and need to bow out or 180 your ship and get back to our credit union's true mission. PS :wouldn't want to be you when all these members/speakers start responding to your article.
ReplyDelete"SECU - Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse..."
ReplyDeleteThat never shocks me anymore ... I actually don't think we've hit bottom. And until we do we won't ever recover ... that's just the way life works!
I believe Brady is in way over her head and is not capable of running the credit union. She is constantly concerned with Blaine and what he is doing instead of the members and meeting their needs. It’s time for her to go!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a lawyer, but wouldn't lying about someone to besmirch their reputation - particularly in a newspaper article - be considered defamation?
ReplyDeleteNot in this world ... now the next ... If they couldn't twist the truth, they would be out of business!
DeleteOmg!! I don’t know how to respond! Other than Leigh just quit! You are not even in the same lane! You are making SECU look like an idiot ! Just stop!!!
ReplyDeleteWish there were articles like these covering all that has happened since the hiring of Gym Haze. That’s where it all started. This was a money grab for him and did not care about anything but himself definitely not the illustrious history of our institution. He was the guy to bring it all down , self centered , social butterfly and clearly had one credit union ‘ko’ under his belt that is WesCorp. Definitely the right guy to take it all down.
ReplyDeleteNow onto another poor credit union in DC. I can’t for the life of everything understand that.
Just remember, the Board brought him in ...
Deleteso ultimately it's on 'them'! The buck stops on their watch! They also picked Leigh to run this organization. So maybe they are lacking wisdom or they have nefarious intent ... or BOTH!
We can't read their heart only their actions.
Can’t help but wonder here if the requested “explanation” would be better prepared from in-house counsel or SECU’s outside counsel that is apparently still on retainer. Since we all know the hiring/promotion freeze never reached Legal Services and they’ve added ~at least~ a couple dozen lawyers during the freeze, while also aggressively promoting existing “lawyers” in the department, I was as surprised as could be at this point to learn our Legal Services still outsources their own work to “outside counsel”. Guess we can’t let too much work get in the way of those Top Golf parties!
ReplyDeleteI’m no lawyer, so maybe this is completely normal practice in the legal world. Although, with all the new hires and promotions in Legal Services, I would have hoped SECU would be well equipped with its own in-house, very highly compensated counsel. Probably more to do with getting to the “industry standard” - i.e. more red-tape dragging bureaucrats that don’t want to do anything useful than actual competent employees.
For everyone asking where all the money went, find the rosters and payrolls for Marketing, Legal, and the highly-touted, newly-instituted Culture department - all of which are EXTREMELY management-heavy (Marketing is 22 employees and 14 of those are manager or higher, including multiple VPs/SVPs and an Associate EVP- who are they managing?!)) and you’ll have at least part of your answer. Oh yeah, while searching for that info, maybe someone could also get final clarification on that rumored million dollar super bowl add while we’re at it.
Leigh, just stop...just freaking stop. You're embarrassing yourself but more importantly you're embarrassing the whole organization not only on a local level but nationally. You cannot beat JCB to the truth, he's lived it every day for decades and you're still searching for it. You're only coming across as a sore loser and more than a little incompetent. Just hush and attempt to do something to serve the members.
ReplyDeleteHint: Discriminatory Based Lending is NOT it.
Alright Leigh, let’s see you dig your way out of this one?! Being the elite, empowered woman you think you are, looking down from your high horse-we are all waiting….
ReplyDeleteIf Brady ever had any notion of the real truth about our credit union, she has lost it! She is proving she is totally unqualified for the CEO position even after 35 years. I now have no respect for her, detest her lies, her negative comments, and her demeaning members. She is not listening to the members - she works for us - we don't work for her. Please resign and send your resume to a BANK !!!
ReplyDeleteShe works for the insiders, make no mistake about it ... the membership is second class citizens at this point. It's what is known as 'Industry Standard'!
DeleteIf these elites only thought we were second class. We're steerage, D paper, people in their eyes.
DeleteWhen was the last time they thought of those less than A paper and did something to improve their lives?
DeleteSECU is starting to look like they have taken fiscal management classes from our Fed Government...
ReplyDeleteI would say they spend money like drunken sailors but that would be an injustice to sailors who at least EARN their money!
Jim Blaine is smart but I didn't know how smart until Brady sorted me out. He wrote 28 two minute speeches, in 28 different voices, and passed them out at the meeting with no one seeing him do this but Brady and told these 28 people to read them, and they ALL read his words. That is "selfserving crazy talk"! Brady is unhinged.
ReplyDeleteI guess he also manufactured the passion all 28 spoke with as well, maybe Jim Blaine missed his calling as a Hollywood director. It seems some in Raleigh have forgotten truth can't be twisted in the ears of thousands of employees who know better. Not looking good for this Administration either - Hayes repeat #2.
DeleteWorld thinking has seeped into our CU ... it will rot from this 'Industry Standard'
ReplyDeleteThere were 30 speakers, two people spoke twice. 18 of those speakers were not SECU retirees. That is really easy to count. Unless Brady has no idea who has retired from SECU and who has not. One more lie to add to the long list--really lucky for Brady that her nose isn't like Pinocchio's, she would not be able to lift her head up. hmm it's a wonder shame doesn't keep her head down.
ReplyDeleteLeigh, you need to learn the truth! I have been a long time member of SECU. I’m not a retiree, or related to any employees, and I did not know one person in that large room personally. I had never even saw Blaine in person until that day when he spoke. I didn’t actually even know what he looked like until he spoke. You are so blind and arrogant in thinking the members need Blaine to write their speeches for them. Maybe yours was written by someone else, but lady straighten up. Not all members are uneducated and are unable to put 10 -15 sentences together to speak for 2 minutes. I did notice that several employees were rolling their eyes and showing negative emotions when the members were speaking which I think was very unprofessional like you. Were you over HR? Was that what I heard you say? If so you and your followers need more training in professionalism! When are you going to stop throwing tantrums and start running the credit union for the members as you work for us?
ReplyDeleteThis may have been previously pointed out but one of the speakers in favor of RBL is a former Chair and current board member for Andrews FCU.
ReplyDeleteWe all remember him, believe he said his name was idiot with a "T".
DeleteThat was odd. Why would that Andrews board of director travel all the way to NC just to make a ridiculous comment and defend RBL. Again the protecting of Jim Haze is insane. $6million dollars out of our members pocket to pay for that imbecile to come and start the chaos .
DeleteMight be good to have that old friend Gym Haze in Virginia when it's time to go regional.
DeleteMr Hudson is one of the members that stood up. I highly doubt you even know him. On top of that he has never worked for SECU. HES A MEMBER standing up for other members . Come on Leigh take a look at what everyone is saying. Yes it might be what's "next" but it's not what's "right". Take a survey of your employees- $5 says we don't like TBP
ReplyDeleteThe problem with taking surveys from our culture department is they are truly not anonymous and we have been told they were not months after we took them and told originally they were anonymous. So us employees can’t really answer truthfully on the surveys because our jobs could be on the line.
DeleteAs an employee of SECU, we know TBP is a scam, but we have to suck it up and sell it to our members to keep our employment. How do you explain the benefits to a mber who normally would receive a normal interest on a personal loan of 10.75%, but now receives a rate of 15%? How do you explain that? The only thing it benefits is making unnecessary money off the membership.
DeleteElites taking care of their own ... just shut up and pay the bill plebs!
ReplyDeleteAny where else she would be DOA as CEO material. light weight.
ReplyDeleteRidiculous. And insulting. And a lie Leigh Brady. Like members that know about you and the board’s shady dealings couldn’t have their own thoughts about it. Absolutely disgusted with Brady. She should be fired as she has no integrity. If you’ll lie about members speaking at the only public forum they’re allowed, what other piles of BS are you misleading the press and public about?! No integrity.
ReplyDelete"we are going to redo our digital platform and our mobile app and be done by the end of next year". Nope, not next year. Maybe ask Bomba?
ReplyDeleteI see why we need a legal department now.
ReplyDeleteand a large one at that. Where are all her handlers--Joyce Fitzpatrick and APCO don't seem to be earning their keep.
DeleteAlways easy to spot "Snarling Dog Communications" of Raleigh at work. Her rabid tactics diminish all her clients take a look at UNC
DeleteAPCO - Time to update your propaganda site. We have 3 new board members. You're behind.
DeleteI’m sick of APCO. Why are we paying people to propagate a narrative? We are just a simple financial institution that wants to help people with modest means equally? Why is that so difficult to accept? We aren’t advocating for anything sinister on our end?
DeleteThis whole thing is a distraction from the fact that they LOST ALL 3 SEATS. She wants to focus on the 32 people in the room that spoke because it was a spectacle for them. The comments were all critical. How about taking the real message home? The majority voted your people out.
ReplyDeleteNeither Brady nor this board are addressing the significance of that stunning loss by the three incumbents. Absolutely unheard of! The members of the nominating committee were Chris Ayers, Mona Moon Chair, Bob Brinson, Mark Fleming, Ben McLawhorn, all current members of this board and Jim Johnson former member. Everyone of those board member interviewed Perkins, Stone, and Clements. Everyone of those board members is aware each of the newly elected members have opinions about SECU policy formed from long volunteer service to SECU. Not one of them is any type of puppet. Now this board and Brady are entirely a different matter. Whom are they serving??
DeleteExactly. I’m sorely disappointed to see Ms Brady doubling down on deliberately dishonest talking points. I had higher expectations. The people who spoke meant what they said and it was the same thing staff and members have been saying and hearing since 2021.
DeleteThis board and Brady have been hearing it since '21 also. They have been stonewalling the members. All members comments to this board and Adminstration have been met with nothing. Silence. This board and Brady are in never never land. Delusional! listening to themselves
DeleteMs. Brady's comments are not just an insult to the folks that spoke and to our good blog host here. Her comments dismiss everyone of us who voted for Clements, Perkins, and Stone as a figment of imagination. She's saying we haven't the brains she gave us to see through her lies and the board's fabrications, that we're incapable of voting for ourselves. She thinks we're voting at these direction of a puppet master. The narcissism required to think it's all about one other person being against you is on par with her predecessor's ego.
ReplyDeleteDumb-dee-dumb-dumb-dumb-dumb-dumb-dumb-dumb-dumb
ReplyDeleteWhen do the new 3 get to attend their first meeting? As a non for profit, are minutes of board meetings public if asked for? Could the new 3 start their own blog or update members on things?
ReplyDeleteTuesday, 24th
DeleteI thought they weren't allowed to share ?
DeleteEmbarrassed to say this but BRING GYM BACK!
ReplyDeleteIt can't be worse than CEO Please Leave Brady.
At least haze got the hint and left.
DeleteLets not go that far....
DeleteNo. It was unbearably worse.
DeleteLike That Bob White software, Leigh time for you to go!
ReplyDeleteNot Bob. Use him every day.
Delete