How did you get into the credit union field?

I spent eight years in consumer lending at a finance company and then had an opportunity to become the loan supervisor at Telephone Employees Credit Union in Los Angeles.

Did you ever want to get into traditional commercial banking?

No, never considered the idea.

Why not?

My focus was on retail lending.

What’s the best aspect of being a credit union officer as opposed to a commercial banker?

Credit unions tend to be smaller and therefore have the ability to be quick and responsive to member needs. We aren’t burdened with a lot of infrastructure and cumbersome processes. Also, since we do not have to be accountable to stockholders, we can have a laserlike focus on our member-owner: What is in their best interest?

The worst?

We do not have the resources to be everything to everybody. For example, we have to make choices about delivery channels, products, services, branches and technology.

What has been the biggest change in the field during the past five years?

There have been both good and bad. The bad is that we are overburdened with regulations and compliance issues, and it is getting worse year by year. This burden has become a huge distraction from our core mission of serving the membership. The good is technology. The Internet, home and mobile banking, apps and improved processing systems have made it much easier for us to compete with the big guys.

What was the worst day in your career?

March 19, 2009. The 19th happens to be my birthday. That was the day we learned that our corporate bank, called Western Corp. Federal Credit Union, was conserved by our regulator. That resulted in an immediate loss of our capital investment in that credit union. The failure of the corporate bank will impact us for years to come. All government-insured credit unions are currently being assessed a special annual premium to cover the 2009 losses.

What was the best day?

I’ve been fortunate to have many best days. The most recent was a few weeks ago when our credit union reached $1 billion in asset size. We were about $20 million when I started back in 1986 and it has been a personal goal to join the billion-dollar club.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Surround yourself with good people.

Tell us something your colleagues don’t know about you.

My son, Eric, and I are the only father-son credit union chief executives in California and maybe the United States. He is chief executive of Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union in Ridgecrest.

CHARLES BRUEN, 65

Chief Executive

First Entertainment Credit Union, Hollywood

YEARS IN POSITION: 26

RESIDENCE: Porter Ranch

FAMILY: Married to Donna; one adult son.

ACTIVITIES: Visiting second home near Yosemite National Park.