WOCCU Chairman Meets With Trinidad and Tobago President

Madison, WI—Board Chairman of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), Gary Plank (USA), met with the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards, yesterday to discuss the work that credit unions are doing in the country. "President Richards was familiar with credit unions, the positive effect they have on the communities in which they serve and the potential of credit unions within his country," noted Plank.

During his visit to Trinidad and Tobago, Plank also met with U.S. Ambassador and credit union advocate, Dr. Roy Austin, and was a guest on the Trinidad & Tobago morning television show, where he spoke about World Council of Credit Unions and the importance of credit unions.

"Trinidad and Tobago credit unions are experiencing positive growth potential. They are growing over 10% a year and are poised for continued growth," Plank continued.

Plank's visit is the result of an invitation extended by the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU), a WOCCU member, to participate in the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Co-operative Credit Union League of Trinidad & Tobago, scheduled for May 25-28, 2006.

Plank will depart the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on May 26 for Antigua, where he will deliver the 3rd Everard Dean Memorial Lecture at a special ceremony in tribute to one of the region's credit union stewards and former CCCU President. He will also make a technical presentation on May 27 to over 100 regional leaders on "Competitive Strategies for Credit Unions."

Gary Plank was first elected to the WOCCU Board in 1997 and was elected Chairman in 2005. Plank is also the President and CEO of the Arizona Credit Union League.

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.