It's a different way of walking... [link]
✅ Anonymous January 20, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Exactly the mentality that harms the industry. Many credit union leaders don’t accept reality, can’t adapt, and think they are part of a movement (or even want to be, for that matter). They come up for air just long enough to claim everyone else is becoming a bank.
😎 ... a difference in purpose, a difference in principles. a difference in conscience ... a difference in understanding.
"A merger of equals!"
🔲 [Check as appropriate]
🔲 Dateline: [Enter city, state and effective date]
🔲 The Boards of Directors of [enter name of predator] Credit Union and [enter name of mouse] Credit Union have unanimously approved a fantastically visionary merger of equals, more or less.
🔲 Today, we begin the robust, self-realization of our shared mission and journey toward boundless possibilities in service to our [enter current #] members and our eight billion potential members worldwide. A brave new world no longer constrained by a deeply-rooted community. The world will be our oyster!
🔲 This transition is Darwinian, creating a world-class financial corporation; delivering market leading global access; cutting-edge, mission critical digital capabilities; and of course, our "always-thinking-of-you", member-first approach. We haven't been able to figure this out separately, but together we can!
🔲 Our unified credit union will possess the scalability necessary to deliver greater value to our members, while streamlining business processes to conserve organizational resources, and achieve business objectives. Not to mention being flexible, low cost, and user-friendly! We haven't been able to figure this out separately, but together we can!
🔲 By joining forces, we are purposefully building something different: a financial partnership, which designs next generation, best-of-breed experiences, that are interoperable, forward-thinking, and life-enhancing! We haven't been able to figure this out separately, but together we can!
🔲 Our dreams are elucidations of your dreams. Our credit union is your solution! You don't know how to dream really big, but together we can!
🔲 "This transition is more than a milestone - it's a launchpad!" Step-by-step we will climb together toward the beyond, then throw away the ladder! Watch us sour soar, together we can!
🔲 [Upload "GlamCam" vanity selfie]
✅ From: Julian Hawes
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2026 8:24 PM
To: Stelfanie Williams <stelfamie.williams@board.
Cc: Mark Fleming ; Ben McLawhorn ; Chris Ayers ; Chuck Stone ; Michael Clements;
McKinley Wooten Bob Brinson ; Amaka Flynn; cc: Brady, Leigh
Subject: Board Nomination
I noticed on your website that there is a vacancy on the credit unions' board of directors. I would like for the board to nominate me for the vacancy.
As a 50 plus year member and a prior member nominated candidate that garnered the most votes of the four member nominated candidates that ran in 2024, I feel that I am qualified and represent a large constituency of members in several communities.
Respectfully submitted, Julian Hawes ✔ Julian Hawes was the top member-nominated candidate, receiving 31,203 votes, in the last contested SECU Board election (October, 2024).
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Julian HawesBrought up in Wallace, N.C., a 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.
✅ Credit Unions: "... were supposed to discipline the financial system by proving that finance could be organized for people instead of profit. Instead, much of the movement now behaves as though its highest goal is to become indistinguishable from the institutions it was built to reform." **
✔ "And worst of all, you have forgotten that credit unions were not built to win a market share war. They were built to change the rules of the game."
✔ "In your system, they are sold — politely, with paperwork — but sold, nonetheless. That is not cooperation. That is market logic wearing a cooperative costume."
✔ "The cooperative movement was never meant to be efficient at the cost of being just. It was meant to be just even when inefficient. Because justice is the point."
** AKA: "industry standard"
Southern "Culture" ?
Those who leap left assert that WUNC is balanced and fair; those who lurch right claim bias and froo-froolery. In other words, your typical PBS station!
One locally produced program is Due South, which featured an interview with SECU CEO Leigh Brady this week. Here take a listen and see what you think: [Due South link]
I found much encouragement in the assertion that 3-tier race-based lending is at least better than the 5-tier industry standard; that the pursuit of business lending was minimized; and that community support was still important.
There also seems to be a clearer awareness that in the future "digital" may enhance transaction speed; but that for SECU members, service quality is still defined - and delivered - by the local, branch staff.
Of major note - in the midst of the national, mega-merger malfeasance by credit unions - was our CEO's repeated commitment to remaining locally focused - solely on North Carolina. Nothing could be more important to our State and the member-owners of SECU.
Let's hope Ms. Brady and the SECU Board will keep their word. Mark it, save it, ... we'll see.
✅ One major focus in the broadcast will not go unchallenged by the ladies. There are several employees (and we all know who you are!) who will claim that Ms. Brady is not the first female "to lead" SECU - whether "behind the scenes", as a branch leader, or on the teller line!
😎 Suspect they're right. Our CEO is at best "currently first" among many, many females to lead at SECU.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
(from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama - 1963)
.... ignorance and confidence.
✔ The Twit: Anonymous January 14, 2026 at 4:02 PM
“Legally in charge of SECU”. God that’s rich. Please site your sources for this and no, your own misinformed opinion on the powers of the NCCUD administrator do not apply. Make sure you use facts."
✅ The law: § 54-109.12. Corporations organized hereunder subject to Administrator of Credit Unions; rules and regulations. [link]
"In addition to any and all other powers, duties and functions vested in the Administrator of Credit Unions under the provisions of this Article, the Administrator of Credit Unions shall have general control, management and supervision over all corporations organized under the provisions of Article 14A. All corporations organized under the provisions of Article 14A shall be subject to the management, control and supervision of the Administrator of Credit Unions as to their conduct, organization, management, business practices and their financial and fiscal matters."
✔ The Twit: Anonymous December 21, 2025 at 1:27 PM
"Don’t agree whatsoever. A credit union cannot be sold. There are no shares of stock to buy, and there is no consideration in credit union mergers."
✅ The law: "§ 54-109.21. General powers. " [link]
"A credit union may:..."
"(10) Sell all or substantially all of its assets or purchase all or substantially all of the assets of another financial institution, subject to the approval of the Administrator of Credit Unions; "
"6:42pm You’re just wrong. As always, you can say someone else is wrong but you can’t say why"
✅ Undeniable ignorance, supported by unfounded self-confidence...
A purple haze of financial logic? [link]
😎 Parsing out troll speak: "Anonymous January 13, 2026 at 10:32 AM"
1) "I do understand the financial mechanics. CU mergers are balance sheet combos, not buy/sell with consideration. Capital, after a mark to market of A&L of the merged credit union, is combined, not lost."
✔ Response: Less than half an understanding. "Buy and sell" is an explicitly legal option. CUs may simply sell all their assets in the free market, for fair value and distribute the remaining reserves/equity to member-owners. (You do know that, right?) A give-away is not the only choice.
2) "I also know enough to know you are correct. In each cu deal, a merged and surviving or continuing cu must be designated. A smaller CU can be the surving cu. A charter distinction, though. Doesn’t mean the surviving smaller cu ELT and board will be in charge - those a part of negotiated terms. "
✔ Response: : Thank you for acknowledging ("you are correct...") that a much smaller CU can readily acquire a much larger CU. There are hundreds of CUs and banks which could acquire SECU today, if the Board wanted to sell out.
3) "Think about it in reality, though. Let’s say SAFE was the surviving CU. New CU will be called SAFE, CA HQ, BECU gets one board seat, and they retain one BECU ELT. Think BECU board approves that?
✔ Response: Why not? SAFE is operating at a much lower cost and any other benefits of merging are the same. It certainly doesn't rain as much in Sacramento... and the Napa valley vineyards are closer!
4) "Think members vote for it?"
✔ Response: Sure! Re-read BECU's glowing press release on a "merger of equals" [link]. Benefits to BECU members are identical. 'Course the way you phrase it, the BECU board gets canned... but this is not about them, is it?
5) "Think regulators will approve that?"
✔ Response: Why wouldn't they? Who loses when credit union members win?
6) "Appreciate your points of what’s legally possible versus viable. Both your scenarios, of 100% of a merged cu capital being paid out and a huge CU being merged into a CU 1/10 its size, a so incredibly far-fetched and disconnected from reality they won’t happen, Also would depend on pure negligence, stupidity and breaches of duty by groups large and small."
✔ Response: In our SAFE/BECU example you say: "...would
depend on pure negligence, stupidity and breaches of duty by groups
large and small." Which "groups" are you talking about here?
5) "BTW, if SAFE acquired BECU where does BECU’s capital go? Fleeced from BECU’s 1.6 million members and given to SAFE’s members? "
✔ Response: What's the issue, it's all kumbaya capital anyway, right? Wouldn't Jefferies approve it? ("Of important note was that BECU had hired the global investment firm Jefferies, LLC "[link])
✅ In case you missed it, you might like to take a look at this Sunday morning sermon from Brother Ed Speed [CUDaily].
✔ Excerpt: "Royal consciousness" in credit unions is seen when:
As the kids would ask: "Are we there yet?"
The P-u-r-r-fidy of Credit Union Mergers
... a malignancy of malpractice, metastasizing into mafioso malfeasance.
We've spent much time looking at the onslaught of mergers within the credit union movement. Been using the proposed SAFE/BECU merger as an example to illustrate and quantify the issues. The SAFE/BECU merger proposal is neither unique, nor exceptional. That CU management and Boards win big in mergers, while credit union members-owners lose out is now common practice.
If you're late to the game, "The Godfather Mergers" series has been reorganized so you can click here [link] and page through, beginning at Part I. (Click "Newer Post" at the bottom left of each "Part" to see the next one).
You may also like to take a look at the parody on the Warner Brothers/Paramount intense, "shareholders'-interests-always-come-first", real world merger struggle [link] to understand how financially negligent credit union mergers have become. Credit union members are being bilked out of billions in shareholder equity - that's billions $$$ with a large "B"!
Would like to add one more comparison to emphasize how malevolent the credit union merger process has become. The following anonymous blog comment epitomizes the bizarre economic logic underlying current credit union mergers:
✔ Anonymous December 8, 2025 at 7:31 AM
"Credit unions don’t sell themselves like you sell a house. There is no consideration in CU mergers. Advocating for competitive bid processes is harmful to the system. "
✅ Say what? Why would selling a credit union to an acquiring credit union be "harmful to the system"? Just who/what is "the system"? Do the interests of "the system" override the ownership interests of the merging credit union's shareholders? Really?
✅ Here's an intriguing question for your consideration. Credit Unions nationwide are not only acquiring fellow credit unions, but are also buying commercial banks in great numbers [link]:
✔ Q: "Do credit unions who buy commercial banks, pay bank shareholders for the value of the assets and equity of the bank?"
A: Would any bank board of directors ever consider "giving away" their shareholders equity - what an insanely silly, illegal, economic idea!
😎 Why does the board of directors of SAFE credit union - or any credit union for that matter - believe they can giveaway a $4 billion financial institution worth between $400 to $800 million [link], without compensating the member-owners?
If you have nothing to say, say nothing. - Mark Twain
✅ Wanted to follow-up on this commenter inquiry: Anonymous December 31, 2025 at 1:57 PM
"Can you give us an update on the email or letter to the CEO submitted by the advisory Board member. Had their been a reply of and sort? Thank you!"
"1:57pm Not sure of the reference. Can you refresh an aging memory? Thank you."
"The email from Shirley Bell to Leigh Brady. Was there ever a reply to Mrs Bell from Mrs Brady?"
The infamous "no amendment amendments" approved by the SECU Board last September still haven't surfaced. Our CEO Leigh Brady appeared at best deceptive by reading an "I believe all y'all are really stupid" answer to a question on the amendments at the SECU Annual Meeting [here's the post].
The later, direct "Yes or No" inquiry by former SECU Board member Shirley Bell [here's the post] resulted in this answer from Ms. Brady: "You know I can't tell you that."
✔ Why Ms. Brady feels it necessary to conceal the truth on the"no amendment amendments" from the SECU membership remains a mystery?
Do You Smell Something?
✅ "Dear Leigh Brady, Would you please forward to me the instructions for calling a "Special Meeting" as prescribed in the SECU bylaws." [link]
😎 The SECU bylaws according to our CEO Leigh Brady:
✔ “The board of directors shall prescribe procedures to insure that only credit union members may participate and vote during any regular or special meeting.”
✔ "SECU does not currently maintain standing procedures to insure that only credit union members may participate and vote during a special meeting.
✅ The story raises deep questions about justice, power, and personal agency, in a system where logic is overturned and authority is shadowy. The book explores the dehumanizing forces of authority, leaving readers questioning justice and individual freedom.
Same old ...????
🎉🎉🎉 In 2026 we will celebrate how far our constitutional democracy has come in the last 250 years and how far it hasn't at SECU in the last five...
SECU has developed some sort of chronic "acute resolution syndrome" (ARS), remember this... [link]? A simple, polite, member-approved resolution in 2022 seems to have sparked a continuing fit of corporate paranoia.
To which the SECU Board responded with several democratic enhancements to SECU member rights [link].
In 2025, an ominous nationwide trend of "lets'-grab-their-cash" mergers accelerated among credit unions. Unsuspecting and uninformed members were sold down the river by "this-is-about-me" credit union leaders and boards; thereby losing local control of their cooperative and access to potential, direct cash payouts of billions of dollars.
In response, another request was made to present resolutions for consideration by the SECU Board to protect SECU members and North Carolina from this threat of mega-merger shakedowns. SECU's fumbling reply: [link]. The "Special Meeting" requirement was an out-of-thin-air concoction, not supported in any way by the SECU bylaws, nor prior history.
The SECU legal eagle was forced to admit as much, as no rules or procedures existed. Requiring 300,000 SECU member signatures to present member-resolutions to the SECU Board simply for consideration seems an affront to every measure of democratic principles. A worrisome drift into jack-booted intimidation and rule "by whim or whatever".
But, in an effort to understand the "new/new" democratic principles at SECU, a follow-up request was made for the format to solicit signatures and the guidelines/procedures for holding a "Special Meeting". The response came in late November, 2025:
"SECU does not currently maintain standing procedures to insure that only credit union members may participate and vote during a special meeting. However, the SECU board would certainly fulfill the bylaws’ requirement to prescribe such procedures for any special meeting called after receiving a written request from at least 10% of SECU’s members."
😎 The standard and now famous SECU member response: "We'll let you know what you need to know, when you need to know it!"
✔ So for 2026 looks like: Be it "resolved" - HAPPY "NEW/NEW" YEAR!
