Pete Crear Named As WOCCU CEO

Madison, WI—The World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU) proudly announces the appointment of credit union pioneer Pete Crear, former Credit Union National Association (CUNA) executive vice president and chief operating officer, as its new chief executive officer.

Pete will begin his new post in Madison, Wisconsin, WOCCU's headquarters, on June 20, 2005. His first order of business will be meeting with WOCCU member organizations and donor groups. Pete noted, "I am excited to join the World Council of Credit Unions to do what everyone dreams of, making a contribution to the worldwide credit union movement."

L.R. (Bobby) McVeigh, WOCCU board chairman noted, "After an extensive, international, six- month search we are glad to have Pete as the newly appointed CEO. In Crear we believe we have the candidate who will build on the success of the past and ensure a strong future for the organization."

As CUNA's former chief operating officer, Pete oversaw the daily operations of CUNA & Affiliates' offices in Madison, Wisconsin, which provide education and training, publications and web services, research, new product development, and other services for state leagues and credit unions. Pete was also responsible for credit union development, including the Development Educators Program and the National Credit Union Foundation. Most recently, he was CUNA's executive vice president of external relations, serving as the organization's primary contact on the national level for consumer and cooperative groups.

Pete's passion for credit unions spans the last 40 years. Before joining CUNA in September 1990 as senior vice president of Association Services, he was president and CEO of the Indiana Credit Union League. Active in the credit union movement since 1965, he has served as president of the Connecticut Credit Union League, as vice president of Information and Technical Services for the Michigan Credit Union League, and as executive director of the Association of Credit Union League Executives.

Other accomplishments include organizing numerous credit unions serving the urban poor, founding the African-American Credit Union Coalition, and championing a credit union/financial education partnership that has reached over 1,000 American high schools.

El Consejo Mundial de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito es la asociación gremial y agencia de desarrollo para el sistema internacional de cooperativas de ahorro y crédito. El Consejo Mundial promueve el crecimiento sustentable de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y otras cooperativas financieras en todo el mundo a fin de facultar a las personas para que mejoren su calidad de vida a través del acceso a servicios financieros asequibles y de alta calidad. El Consejo Mundial realiza esfuerzos de defensa activa en representación del sistema global de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito ante organizaciones internacionales y trabaja con gobiernos nacionales para mejorar la legislación y la regulación. Sus programas de asistencia técnica introducen nuevas herramientas y tecnologías para fortalecer el desempeño financiero de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y profundizar su alcance comunitario.

El Consejo Mundial ha implementado 290 programas de asistencia técnica en 71 países. A nivel mundial, 51,000 cooperativas de ahorro y crédito en 100 países atienden a 196 millones de personas. Obtenga más información sobre el impacto global del Consejo Mundial en www.woccu.org.