ONTARIO, Calf. (1/4/15)--On Jan. 1, the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues celebrated 20 years of partnership.

“As an untested idea at the time, the partnership between the two leagues marked a new business model for the industry,” said Diana Dykstra, the leagues’ president/CEO. “It has provided not only strong support services for our member credit unions in both states, but also allowed us to establish a strong united front before our federal and state elected officials. It has been instrumental in helping each state’s credit unions succeed within their own respective advocacy efforts.”

In September 1995, the California Credit Union League’s board of directors approved a management services agreement with the Nevada Credit Union League. In October 1995, the 15 member-credit unions of the Nevada League unanimously voted to support the agreement, which went into effect Jan. 1, 1996. Through this agreement, the California leagueprovides a range of services to Nevada credit unions while allowing the two leagues to remain separate entities.

Then-California League President/CEO David L. Chatfield became president/CEO of both leagues, while the late Glen Reese, Nevada League president/CEO at the time, stayed on as a consultant. The Nevada league retained, and continues to retain, its own board and government affairs committee to assure a strong Nevada credit union presence in the political realm.

The California league was founded in 1933 by a group of 25 credit unions. The Nevada Credit Union League was formed in 1969. Today, the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues serve more than 280 credit unions in the two states with more than 9.8 million members and more than $148 billion in assets.