... Choose your future.
At the 2023 SECU Annual Meeting last year, the membership sent the 3 incumbent Board members packing. The members said "Enough!"
Last year's member-nominated, member-elected nominees featured long-term, dedicated volunteers; this year
the candidates are heavily weighted toward hands-on, in-the-trenches
experience and knowledge of the operations and purpose of SECU.
The petition drive is underway. Here are the member-nominated candidates:
Jean Blaine
Grew
up in Southport, N.C Graduated from UNC-CH and was a teacher in the
Johnston, Wake, Orange and Granville County public school systems. In
her spare time she reared 5 children and was a community activist.
Highly familiar with the purpose of SECU. Has appeared at the
Legislature, before the N.C. Credit Union Commission and at the SECU
Annual Meeting to publicly question current policies and procedures.
Enjoys her church group, book club, and fast friends. Lives in Granville County, writes her own speeches.
Susie Ford
Native
of Wilmington, educator, entrepreneur with BA and Masters from ECU.
Former 13-year SECU employee who served as branch VP in Wilson, High
Point and Williamston. Created and led the SECU Member Education
department at SECU, before leaving to own and operate multiple Sylvan
Learning centers in eastern N.C. Has advocated for SECU before the
Legislature, CU Commission and at the Annual Meeting. Active in her
church, married with adult children, lives in Cary, N.C. Her grandfather held SECU account #7 out of 2.8 million members! Also writes her own speeches.
Julian Hawes
Brought
up in Warsaw, N.C., man of his word, suffers from a rural N.C. work
ethic. Graduated from N.C.State, as an ardent Wolfpack loyalist. Retired
after a 30+ year career at SECU, serving as the SVP for eastern N.C. in
Goldsboro. SECU's premier lender and loan officer mentor. About
lending: "Listen first, decide second; put yourself in the other
fellow's shoes; and, the best collateral for a loan is the borrower's
character." Expert in finance, but understands the member-value of the $500
salary advance loan program, which he created. Married, now lives in
the Winston-Salem area. Still knows how to "prime" tobacco.
Kirby Parrish
Born
in Raleigh and hasn't strayed far. Educated in the Wake County Public
Schools and a graduate of NCSU. Veteran employee of SECU, now retired.
Led offices in Garner and Raleigh as an SVP. Instrumental in developing the member investment and financial advisory services at the credit union.
Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Member Loan Review Committee
Advocate - "Members need to be heard"! Always trusted, top choice of
SECU employees to represent their interests on internal committees.
5k runner, follows the 'Canes, likes touring North Carolina vineyards and been known to taste a bourbon flight. Married with dogs, lives in Johnston County.
... looks like we've reached the proverbial fork! 
Wahoo!
ReplyDelete"writes her own speeches."
ReplyDeleteLOLOLOLOLOL !!!!!
Great group !!! Where do I sign?
What an excellent slate of candidates.
ReplyDeleteHow do we sign the petitions for this fine folks?
ReplyDeleteMy entire family is in. Can't happen soon enough.
ReplyDeleteThe slate will add much to the fund of knowledge to the Board of Directors. Continuing education is long over-due. Vote early. Vote often. Make SECU Great Again.
ReplyDeleteLord knows Mr. Ayers has 0 knowledge of secu and wants to turn this place into Wells Fargo
DeleteGreat to See Julian Hawes on the list of candidates. Julian is a consummate professional. He was a mentor and friend to so many people. I have the utmost respect for his abilities and character. No finer person anywhere.
ReplyDeleteExcellent slate of nominees! Where do I sign and direct my family to sign?
ReplyDeleteWOW!!!! Thank you, thank you!! Wonderful candidates. Cannot wait to vote for them!!!
ReplyDeleteAll five in my household approve and can't wait to cast our votes!
ReplyDeleteI have full trust in these people. Kick their a** Ms.Blaine!
ReplyDeleteThis will be a slaughter. Board doesn’t have a chance
ReplyDeleteBoard is in trouble
ReplyDeleteShould be a clean sweep and we should be able to restore our credit union back to normal.
ReplyDeleteWho's counting the votes this year? Asking for a friend ...
ReplyDeleteNothing on SECU new/new wonderful website? Last year they told us…. So much for transparency.
DeleteIf they don’t rig it…this should be a very easy 4 wins and we should gain control over our credit union again. Go ahead and pack your bags board. Your little reign of corruption will soon be over. You won’t be missed! Maybe Jim Hayes can find you a job?
ReplyDeleteSome common sense, an intimate knowledge of how the credit union works, and high moral/ethical standards is exactly what this board needs. This would be a welcome change from what we've experienced recently.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to get these four elected in October.
The SECU mailings to members will direct them to vote for the incumbents that 'they' recommend ... folks don't count your chickens before they hatch!
ReplyDeleteAMEN! Going to take a lot of calling, talking and networking to overcome the incumbent’s advantage. SECU intends to mail a ballot to every member. Bound to have a cover letter telling the members to vote for Brinson, Fleming, Williams and Wooten. Don’t get lulled into complacency! No element of surprise this year.
DeletePut the foot to the gas pedal and we will beat them! Flyers all around Raleigh and all the metro areas supporting our candidates! Tell friends and family! Post on social media! Flood the annual meeting!
DeleteVery winnable. Make it a goal each day to tell a member to vote for the 4 candidates. Tell a member especially if you work in a branch. They don’t have microphones in there. Tell your members. It’s for their benefit
DeleteIf we win here. It’s over for them. Hope secu workers and members realize it
DeleteAs an employee, what a relief! THANK YOU!!!!
ReplyDeleteThese individuals have to be supported! SECU, its Members and its Employees need a change asap to save what we believe in! Too many members have been denied services! Too many employees have been forced out, demoted and transferred out of doing a great job! It’s a hostile work environment! Employees are afraid to have ideas or disagree with upper management in fear for their jobs! They do not gives Merit funds to those that do their jobs! Long time SECU employees have being going through salary cuts for no reason other than to run off people off! If you are from FCB or know someone from there, you get all the Merit funding!
ReplyDeletePlease, please, PLEASE tell friends, family, and every member you know that these are THE 4 more to vote for in '24! The fine folk pictured here WILL help save OUR SECU!
ReplyDeleteLove this slate! They actually know what they are doing in life. Purposeful people, what SECU needs!
ReplyDeleteWould you rather have a BCBS lobbyist incumbent, Mark Fleming, or one these guys? No contest send the slime packing!
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs to find a petition to sign in the three days! Get out there and work folks!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like we have quality choices!
ReplyDeleteHow do we sign the petition?
ReplyDeleteExcellent slate for Our 4 more in '24 - let's get to work!!! Spread the word - share, share, share!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLet's roll!
ReplyDeleteMy branch said they didn't have any petitons, what gives?
ReplyDeleteBoard has prohibited campaigning at the branches. We have not been prohibited from telling our members the truth. We are.
DeleteCan’t get any better!! Wonderful, top notch candidates! Can’t wait to vote. Excited but we all must do our part to get members to vote,
ReplyDeleteThis is the best news I have seen all month-how can employees help? This brings so much hope that we can make SECU great again, the SECU I have been a part of the last 15+ years!
ReplyDeleteHope they mail the ballots soon. I will be out of the country starting September. I was a big advocate last year and will do so again this year.
ReplyDeleteFlood Facebook with these choices people. We can do this and need to do this to get our old SECU back.
Yes! Flood your social media, tell all your members, every vote is needed, tell a member and pass it on to 10 more! We CAN do this!! What a sweet victory 😄
ReplyDeleteIncumbent lobbyists and lawyers what a joke. Onward and upward with the "Final Four in '24"!
ReplyDeleteWhere do I sign???
ReplyDeleteHow did a BCBS lobbyist get on the Board of our credit union? Looks like BS cronyism... he looks the part!
ReplyDeleteThe state is moving away from bcbs, so should secu members. make it a package deal.
DeleteLast year SECU used Ernst and Young to assure the membership it was a fair election. Nothing on the website about it this year. Are they mailing out ballots and counting votes internally too? Is this board and the Leighduhship to be trusted? Why haven't they announced an outside firm to run things? what's up?!
ReplyDeletetransparency!! new/new current buzzword!
DeleteGo all out SECU workers! Win this and you get your secu back!
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't Nominating Committee select all applicants and let us choose? More bs... whole thing is looking like a hoax.
ReplyDeleteLiterally makes me sick what Ayers and the other have done to this organization, it's criminal. They are willing to spend in the neighborhood $3 million to ensure they keep their "volunteer" positions? (Est based on number of mailings, postage alone would be half of that) A lot to spend to ensure a seat on a volunteer board.
ReplyDeleteThey’ll lose.
DeleteWould you make that comment if the script was flipped and your candidate was the incumbent? I will never understand why anyone would be against expanded voting opportunities and outreach.
DeleteAll for expanded voting opportunities, Leighduhship's thumb is clearly on the scale this time. It is how it is being done. The candidates are not allowed to write their own description/bio. SECU Board is endorsing the incumbents. The Nominating committee did not even interview some of the folks that applied. It that a fair look or the road to a fair election? If you want transparency and more people participating, let's have it. Let's have some open discussion and question at the Annual Meeting. Why has the SECU Board done away with New Business at the Annual Meeting? Why aren't The Board and Leighduhship announcing that this years election with mailed ballots is being run by an outside firm? Is it? Is it not? Who knows? All about member participation here, but is that what the mailed ballots ARE about?
Delete'The Nominating committee did not even interview some of the folks that applied.' Isn't the head of the committee the new guy selected by us? Why would he let this happen?
DeleteA 7-1 vote, perhaps. It was stacked with Mona Moons very good buddies.
DeleteThe Moon is a satellite, not independent.
Delete"The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do"
ReplyDeleteJoseph Stalin
You guys can get several signatures in WNC if needed!
ReplyDeleteI went to SECU's website to get an idea of where each candidate stands; what their vision for SECU is. I was looking for something clear and concise. The only things I could find looked like something designed solely to waste my time. So I started digging and ended up here. All 4 self-nominated candidates have my votes.
ReplyDelete