As explained by Chris Kershner, president and chief executive of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, the 16-foot oak table was once owned by Dayton technological powerhouse NCR, which loaned the table to Wright-Patterson for the peace accord negotiations which ended a war between a trio of warring nations in the former Yugoslavia.
“This is such a great story,” Kershner said Wednesday in an interview. “I love it.”
One reason U.S. Rep. Mike Turner brought the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s spring session to Dayton was to mark the accords’ 30th anniversary.
NCR moved its headquarters to the Atlanta area in June 2009 in a painful episode, giving away much of its local office furniture in the process to the former Mendelson’s, once famed for its local warehouse inventory of eclectic antique, historical and retro wares — including this table.
NCR left, but the credit union stayed. A former CEO of Universal 1 was shopping at Mendelson’s one weekend when she spotted the table.
The CEO, Loren A. Rush, immediately knew what the table was and understood its significance, Kershner said.
Rush bought the table on the spot.
Remember: Universal 1 was once the NCR Credit Union. NCR Universal Credit Union (the former NCR Employees Credit Union) became Universal 1 in 1995.
“She said, ‘I want to buy this and preserve this for history,’” Kershner said. Rush decided to build the credit union’s boardroom around this piece of history.
Universal 1’s board of directors named Jessica Jones the credit union’s CEO in October 2021, replacing Rush on her retirement.
Fast forward to 2024: Jones called Kershner with unexpected news.
“‘Chris, we’ve got the table from the original Dayton Peace Accords,’” Kershner recalled. “I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’”
She wasn’t.
The chamber hired Thomas Cabinets, of West Carrollton, to disassemble the big table, moving it to the Schuster Center so NATO delegates can appreciate it and the peace accord instruments which made the table special.
“Today, this iconic table remains at the heart of Universal 1 Credit Union, where it continues to serve a lasting symbol of the organization’s roots, resilience, and continued dedication to the community,” a credit union flyer on the table says.
NCR Employees Credit Union was formed in 1937.
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