June 24, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1059 RECOGNIZING THE THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY FEDERAL The 1970s brought about great change to CONTRIBUTIONS OF TOM DYER CREDIT UNION ACT credit unions as they broadened their services to meet the expanding needs of their mem- HON. ALAN GRAYSON HON. EDWARD R. ROYCE bers. Legislation permitting mortgage lending OF CALIFORNIA by credit unions was passed and the total OF FLORIDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES number of credit union members more than IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, June 24, 2014 doubled during the decade. Tuesday, June 24, 2014 As consumer needs evolved and became Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to more complex, many credit unions merged to Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Federal increase their ability to pool resources and im- honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Credit Union Act and to use this occasion to prove member services. While the total num- Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recog- honor the contributions that the credit union ber of actual credit unions decreased with nize Tom Dyer. Tom was born in Lancaster, movement has made to the United States. mergers, the number of consumer members of Ohio in 1955. His family moved from Madison, The Act, which was passed by Congress and credit unions soared, and is now on the cusp Wisconsin to the Orlando area in 1969. One of signed into law by President Franklin Roo- of 100 million across the nation. his first summer jobs was as a character at sevelt in 1934, permits credit unions to be Credit unions continue to innovate with new Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Tom is a formed anywhere in the United States. The services and tools to help their members build graduate of Winter Park High School, DePauw legislation bolstered the development of credit economic security. University and the University of Florida, Levin unions as a way to promote thrift among the The work Congress did 80 years ago in College of Law. American people while setting in place federal passing the Federal Credit Union Act con- Tom is the founder and publisher of Water- oversight of these financial institutions. tinues to serve the country well. Eighty years later, credit unions in the mark, Orlando and Tampa Bay’s award-win- In fact, the influence credit unions have on United States claim nearly 100 million mem- ning LGBT newspaper. Founded in 1994, the the entire financial system saves all con- bers. If the credit unions those members own newspaper distributes 20,000 newspapers to sumers money with generally lower rates for were a single financial institution, it would be more than 500 locations every other Thursday. loans and higher rates for savings—no matter the fifth largest bank in America. where they bank. An impressive $8 billion dol- The web site, WatermarkOnline.com, is visited But thankfully, those credit unions are more by more than 5,000 users every week. The lars in savings in 2013 alone is attributed to than 6,600 independent, consumer-owned, credit unions. company donates more than $200,000 annu- volunteer-led, democratically controlled finan- ally in free and sponsor advertising to worthy Today, credit unions are utilized by their cial institutions, vital to the well-being of their members for the convenience, prices, product local and national LGBT non-profits. members. In 1997 Watermark Media produced Beach choice, and financial education they offer. Credit unions are part of the great fabric Credit unions are living up to the promise Ball at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, the first that makes our country strong. outlined in their principles. They are institu- large-scale nighttime party associated with They are cooperatives—bound together by tions that their members and all Americans Gay Days Weekend. Watermark publishes a a common set of business principles and val- can choose to be their best financial partner. glossy guide to Gay Days Weekend, the larg- ues: voluntary membership; democratic con- est annual LGBT gathering in the nation, as trol; economic participation; autonomy and f well as programs for St. Pete Pride in June independence; member education; coopera- RECOGNIZING THE ORANGE COUN- and Orlando’s Come Out With Pride in Octo- tion among cooperatives; and concern for TY SANITATION DISTRICT ON 60 ber. community. YEARS OF EXCELLENCE Watermark sought to hang rainbow flags A Canadian, Alphonse Desjardins, brought throughout downtown Orlando during Gay the idea for credit unions west from Europe in HON. DANA ROHRABACHER Pride Month in 1998. The city reluctantly ac- 1900 and by 1909 he had successfully orga- OF CALIFORNIA quiesced, but the controversy made national nized the first American credit union in New IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Hampshire. Two Americans, Pierre Jay, the news when televangelist, Pat Robertson, pre- Tuesday, June 24 2014 dicted Orlando would be beset by hurricanes Massachusetts banking commissioner and Ed- as punishment. ward Filene, a Boston merchant, took up the Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise Tom has interviewed such luminaries as cause of promoting credit unions in those today to recognize and commend the Orange Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King, Lily Tomlin early years. County Sanitation District (OCSD) on its 60th and Martina Navratilova for Watermark. His re- In 1908 a national conference on credit anniversary. Since June 30, 1954, the OCSD cent interview with former governor, and now unions was held in Boston that brought to- has provided residents in North and Central candidate for governor, Charlie Crist, went gether Desjardins, Filene, Jay and others in- Orange County outstanding wastewater collec- viral after it was picked up by HuffPost.com, terested in the formative stages of the move- tion, treatment and recycling services. CNN.com and MSNBC.com. ment. That conference led to the 1909 draft of The OCSD services approximately 2.5 mil- lion people, 21 cities and has two operating In addition to publishing Watermark, Tom is legislation in Massachusetts that became the facilities that treat wastewater from residential, a practicing attorney and senior partner in nation’s first state credit union act. The movement developed slowly during the commercial and industrial sources. Through Dyer & Blaisdell, PL. He is a former board following decade and by 1921 Filene become innovative technologies, the OCSD has served member of the Metropolitan Business Associa- convinced that federal legislation was needed as a leader and model for communities around tion and the Tampa International Gay & Les- in addition to existing state legislation. He the world as they battle to protect public bian Film Festival. He currently serves on the hired Massachusetts attorney Roy Bergengren health and the environment from the harms of advisory board for the Harvey Milk Founda- to help. The Credit Union National Extension untreated wastewater. tion. Bureau was formed. Four years later, 15 However, the OCSD does not just simply Tom has received the Vice Versa Award for states had passed credit union enabling laws treat wastewater. In fact, by utilizing all prac- excellence in LGBT journalism, the Spectrum and 419 credit unions were serving 108,000 tical and effective means, the OCSD is pro- Award for Male Role Model and Equality Flor- consumers. ducing an average of 10,000 kilowatts of elec- ida’s Voice for Equality Award. In 2004, the After the 1934 passage of the Federal Cred- tricity per day, monitoring the water quality of City of Orlando presented Tom with the ‘‘Key it Union Act, credit unions recognized their local beaches, and recycling 268,000 tons of to the City’’ in honor of Watermark’s 10th anni- need for stronger national representation and biosolids per year. Yet, these are only the sec- versary. In 2014, he was named a Champion unity. The Credit Union National Association ondary benefits of its highest achievement. of Equality by the Harvey Milk Foundation. was formed—replacing the Credit Union Na- In a joint venture with the Orange County Tom lives in Winter Park, where he enjoys tional Extension Bureau. Water District, the OCSD facilitated the cre- spending time with nine nieces and nephews Robust credit union growth continued until ation of the world’s largest water purification and his beloved Welsh corgi, Seamus. He’s World War II. Wartime slowed the expansion system, the Orange County Groundwater Re- also working on his downward dog at regular of the movement considerably. Interest picked plenishment System (GWRS). Using a three- Yoga sessions. up again once the conflict ended and by 1955 step advanced treatment process, the GWRS I am happy to honor Tom Dyer, during there were more than 16,000 credit unions purifies 70 million gallons of high quality pota- LGBT Pride Month, for his contributions to the across the United States. By 1969, that num- ble water per day that would otherwise be un- Central Florida LGBT community. ber had swelled to nearly 24,000. usable. This is the equivalent to the daily VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:51 Jun 25, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A24JN8.008 E24JNPT1 dlhill on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS.