LAS VEGAS -- At the 2002 CO-OP Network Conference and Annual Shareholders' Meeting at the Venetian Hotel, CO-OP Network President and CEO Robert Rose hinted at plans for expansion outside the United States. In his "State of the Network" address, Rose said, "CO-OP Network is poised to enter a new era. I pledge to our members that the vast majority of our expansion plans will always remain focused on broadening our ATM and credit union presence in the U.S. But, as technologies evolve, new parts of the globe beckon."
The CO-OP Network Board of Directors also elected new officer positions, including Tom Sargent (First Technology Credit Union in Oregon) as chairman, Laurie Stewart (Credit Union of the Pacific in Washington) as vice chairman and John Bommarito as secretary/treasurer. Elected to three-year terms were Gordon Dames, J. David Osborn and Ed Callahan, and Bommarito was elected to a two-year term.
Another conference highlight was the presentation of the Founder's Award (for credit union officers who have a longstanding relationship with CO-OP Network and have displayed outstanding service) to Mission Federal Credit Union CEO Ron Martin. A 25-year veteran of the credit union industry, Martin held his position with San Diego's Mission Federal CU since 1995, overseeing $1.2 billion in assets. He had served nine years on the CO-OP Network Board of Directors and was on the CO-OP Network organizing committee in 1980.
The conference assembled a host of credit union industry veterans to share their insights about the changing landscape of the financial world. Tony Hayes, director of Dove Consulting, highlighted the current shift from paper-based transactions toward an increasing reliance on debit card transactions. Alan Falconer, senior vice president of Paragon Data Services, summarized the upcoming deadline for triple DES ATM compliance, with new triple encryption software mandated for all ATMs by April 2005. Addressing a different aspect of credit union business, Neil Goldman, president of Member Research, discussed the value of promoting products and services to potential and existing credit union members.
Additional guest speakers were technology guru and best-selling author of "Being Digital" Nicholas Negroponte and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David Halberstam.
As part of the conference, the annual CO-OP Network Charity Golf Tournament took place at the Desert Pines Golf Course and resulted in a $7,500 donation to Children's Miracle Network.
