Business Profile: Fred Robinson takes top job at credit union league

Fred Robinson was working nights and weekends at a local department store in 1983 when a friend called about a job opening in the mailroom at the Tennessee Credit Union League.

"He told me you didn't have to work nights or weekends, so I jumped at the chance," Robinson recalled.

After working most every job at the trade association over the past 29 years, Robinson was named president of the league last month. He succeeds Tom Gaines, who is retiring at the end of the year after heading the league for more than 24 years.

"Fred has been a long-time employee of the league and I'm sure he will do a great job," Gaines said.

The Tennessee Credit Union League is a nonprofit trade group supported by 156 of the state's 172 credit unions. The league was started in Chattanooga in 1934 because of the local railroad industry and has stayed in the Scenic City ever since.

Collectively, credit unions across Tennessee have more than $17.4 billion in assets and more than 1.8 million members.

"We provide training, support and political representation for the industry," said Robinson, who most recently served as the league's chief lobbyist in both Nashville and Washington, D.C. "I'm a people person, so this is a great job. This place has been like family to me."

Indeed, Robinson met his wife of 20 years at the league. Governed by a 12-member board of directors, the league has a staff of 11 employees and operates three subsidiaries: CU Services, League Capital Inc. and Security Plus.