McWatters Named NCUA Liaison to Defense Credit Union Council

Agency Committed to Supporting Service Members and Hiring Veterans

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (May 27, 2016) – National Credit Union Administration Board Member J. Mark McWatters will serve as the agency’s liaison to the Defense Credit Union Council.

McWatters takes over this responsibility at the request of NCUA Board Chairman Rick Metsger.

“I am looking forward to working with the members of the Council, which serves the credit unions whose members serve in our nation’s armed forces,” McWatters said. “Since joining NCUA’s Board, I have advocated that we best serve the variety of interests in the credit union community by working with and listening to them directly. This will be another chance to hear from those whose job it is to meet the distinct financial needs of their members.”

“As we commemorate Memorial Day this weekend, we are reminded of the selfless sacrifices of the men and women who died while serving in our armed forces,” Metsger said. “NCUA can best honor their memories by hiring qualified veterans, educating service members and maintaining strong connections with the credit unions that serve our military men and women at home and abroad. I appreciate Board Member McWatters’ accepting this position, and I know it will help us maintain a productive working relationship between NCUA and the Council.”

Organized in 1963, the Defense Credit Union Council represents the interests of credit unions operating on military installations world-wide. The Council has more than 200 member credit unions, which serve more than 18 million members.

NCUA Supports Active-Duty Service Members and Veterans

By providing financial education resources for service members and employment opportunities for veterans, NCUA supports America’s service members and veterans year round.

The agency has a webpage dedicated to resources for service members on its Pocket Cents financial literacy website. Each year, NCUA joins with the non-profit, America Saves, the Department of Defense’s Financial Readiness Campaign, and other partners to host activities during Military Saves Week. The week seeks to motivate, support and encourage military families to save money, reduce debt and build wealth.

NCUA is also a leader in hiring veterans. The Partnership for Public Service’s 2015 “Best Places to Work in the Federal Government” report ranked NCUA first among veterans at middle-sized government agencies, and DiversityComm, Inc., has previously ranked NCUA as one of its “Best of the Best” places for veterans to work.

In 2013, NCUA signed an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs to create more employment opportunities for veterans and promote greater workforce diversity in the agency through the Feds for Vets program. In 2015, 30 percent of the agency’s new hires were veterans; 19 percent of new hires were disabled veterans. Today, veterans make up nearly 17 percent of NCUA’s workforce.