The Massachusetts Credit Union League, the New Hampshire Credit Union League and the Credit Union Association of Rhode Island will officially merge on Jan. 1, the president of the Massachusetts organization said today.

"The three states have worked closely together for many years, but there’s a consolidation trend happening in the credit union industry … We’ll be able to join forces and work cooperatively together and put more resources into advocacy, which is our core role," Paul Gentile, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Credit Union League, told Banker & Tradesman.

Members of the Massachusetts Credit Union League approved the merger at an in-person vote last night and at an electronic vote last week. Massachusetts was the last of the three associations to vote, and Gentile said New Hampshire and Rhode Island had also unanimously approved the merger.

The combined entity will be known as the Cooperative Credit Union Association and will represent approximately 200 credit unions across its three state footprint, Gentile said. In each state, however, the leagues’ local branding will be maintained, he added.

However, the new, larger association will be better able to leverage its weight towards regulatory, legislative and consumer advocacy on a broader scale, Gentile said.

"We’re very excited for this merger," he said. "I think there’s a reason there are 100 million credit union members in the country now. More people want to do business with local institutions with good values. We’re going to promote that under this cooperative credit union association."