TERRY King has been praised for his 29 years of service to Dromara and Drumgooland Credit Union this week as he retires as president.
At a special event, the President of the Irish League of Credit Unions, Brendan Jenkins, presented Terry with a special medal and inscribed crystal bowl to mark the occasion.
The new president of the local Credit Union, Jerome Dawson, paid tribute to Terry’s years of dedicated service.
He said: “We all would like to thank Terry for his dedication to the Credit Union cause over his many years of service.
“Today, in 2026, DDCU has 18,000 members and £51 million in assets. That transformation didn’t happen by accident.
“It happened because of decades of steady hands, dedicated volunteers, and leaders like Terry who gave their time, their judgement, and their belief in what a Credit Union can be.
“Terry also contributed well beyond this Credit Union, serving for several years on the ILCU Nominating Committee and helping to shape the future leadership across the Credit Union movement on this island.”
Terry joined the Board of Dromara and Drumgooland Credit Union in 1997 and began his work on the Credit Committee.
By 1998 he had already been recognised as a leader, becoming vice-president. At that time the annual accounts for 1998 showed a membership of around 4,100 members and assets of £3.4 million.
Terry became president in 1999, and he has helped to steer the organisation through years of progress, modernisation, and major changes, from the purchases of new offices in Rathfriland and Newcastle to major renovations to the Castlewellan office.
Terry was also instrumental in the amalgamations of Bright and Ballykinler/Dundrum credit unions.
