Steven Post, whose 35-year credit union career included more than two decades as president/CEO of Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU), has been voted Credit Union Magazine’s 2016 Credit Union Hero of the Year. CUNA honored Post in a presentation at the Opening General Session of the America’s Credit Union Conference Sunday night in Seattle.

“In addition to being really surprised, I’m very honored to receive this recognition,” Post says. “I have always felt there are many, many heroes at work in the credit union industry. And I’m honored to be counted as one of them.”

Through an online vote at news.cuna.org, readers of Credit Union Magazine narrowly selected Post over three other respected finalists to win the award, which is sponsored by Trellance. The Credit Union Hero of the Year award recognizes individuals who serve as examples for the entire movement through their service, advocacy, and commitment to credit union ideals.

Post retired in 2014 after 24 years at $682 million asset VSECU in Montpelier, Vt., where he also served several years as the chief financial officer. Post began his credit union career at White River Credit Union in Rochester, Vt., as a part-time collections officer and moved up to manager.

Known for his collaborative style, Post drew nationwide attention when he took a stand against the banking industry in 2012. He challenged a Vermont statute that allowed only banks to use the term “banking.”

“As much as I’ve done over the years to differentiate between what credit unions and banks do and how they do it,” Post says, “our members have always felt they’re doing their ‘banking’ with us. But we don’t portray ourselves as a bank in any way. We use the verb, not the noun.”

Other Credit Union Hero of the Year finalists include Suzy Fonseca, president/CEO, Lower Valley Credit Union, Sunnyside, Wash.; Dorothy Orr, board vice chair, BrightStar Credit Union, Sunrise, Fla.; and Mignhon Tourné, president/CEO, ASI Federal Credit  Union, Harahan, La., who recently announced her retirement. 

For more ACUC coverage, visit news.cuna.org. For updates on Twitter, follow the hashtag #CUNAACUC.