Fred R. Becker, Jr., President/CEO

Fred R. Becker, Jr., joined NAFCU as president and CEO in January 2000. In his decade of service, he has worked tirelessly to advance credit union issues with federal regulatory agencies, the White House and Congress. He has also dramatically increased NAFCU’s direct contact with its membership and outreach to the national media.

Under Becker’s leadership, NAFCU has forged a strong working relationship with the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to address such key issues as community chartering, field of membership, and the preservation and promotion of the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.

NAFCU has created heightened awareness of credit union issues on Capitol Hill. Most recently, NAFCU lobbied, in concert with the NCUA, to secure parity for credit unions in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, increasing the level of federal deposit insurance for credit unions in individual share accounts. NAFCU and the NCUA also collaborated to secure the removal of the existing cap on the lending authority of the Central Liquidity Facility. NAFCU has actively championed credit unions with lawmakers, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the president, advocating an increase in the credit union member business lending cap and expanded credit union participation in SBA programs.

In addition, Becker directed NAFCU’s efforts to ensure the defeat of legislation creating broad mortgage bankruptcy cramdown authority in both the Senate and the House. The association also successfully secured a provision in the House-passed Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that effectively excludes all credit unions from paying into a dissolution fund for the wind-down of large firms. NAFCU continues to seek exemption of all credit unions from the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency currently in the Senate.

On the consumer front, Becker oversaw the creation of NAFCU’s unique credit union locator, www.CULookup.com in 2008. Since its inception, promotional efforts have yielded placements on the CBS Early Show, CNBC and in Consumer Reports, The New York Times and numerous online personal finance outlets. Becker’s insightful commentary has appeared in The Huffington Post, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Becker has also appeared on national and regional television and radio outlets, including Fox Business Network, NewsChannel 8, Bloomberg Radio and Wall Street Journal Radio. Becker’s efforts to promote credit unions as a “prudent and consumer-friendly” alternative to other financial institutions led to his recognition as one of 2010’s top association leaders by CEO Update.

Becker’s tenure has been characterized by a decade of innovation and commitment to membership. Today, NAFCU boasts a wide variety of resources such as its Webcast Studio and Meeting Center, NAFCU Compliance Blog, online training curricula and many other member products and services.

Becker is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He holds a JD from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary. He also holds an MBA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech).

The National Association of Federal Credit Unionsis a direct membership organization representing federally chartered credit unions.