CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » Impact through inclusion celebrated at Foundation Dinner
CU System GAC22 Monday

Impact through inclusion celebrated at Foundation Dinner

March 2, 2022
Wegner
Wegner Award winners, from left: Drs. Hiram and Joronda Crawford of the Faith based Credit Union Alliance; Roger Heacock, recently retired president/CEO of Black Hills FCU; and Lucy Ito, recently retired president/CEO of NASCUS. (Foundation photo)

Over 950 leaders from the credit union movement attended the National Credit Union Foundation’s annual fundraising gala on February 28, which included the 33rd annual Herb Wegner Memorial Awards.

Lucy Ito, retired president and CEO of NASCUS, and Roger Heacock, retired president and CEO of Black Hills Federal Credit Union received Outstanding Individual Achievement Awards.

Chicago’s Faith Based Credit Union Alliance was honored with an Outstanding Organization Award. And the African-American Credit Union Coalition was presented with an Anchor Award in recognition of its leadership in uniting credit unions to eradicate racism.

Inclusion was a recurring theme during the evening, with each award recipient pointing to inclusions as a gamechanger for the credit union movement.

“The Foundation Dinner is an opportunity to celebrate the change-makers of the credit union movement, but also a platform to inspire others,” said Gigi Hyland, executive director of the Foundation.

“Our system has a collective superpower: purpose. Our mission to improve people's financial lives was evidenced in our exceptional award winners, who have done so much to serve so many.”

The evening started with the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) being presented with the Foundation’s Anchor Award. This rare accolade was in recognition of the organization’s leadership in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

As part of the AACUC presentation, President and CEO Renée Sattiewhite stated credit unions are “uniquely positioned to lead the United States in eradicating racism” due to the movement’s people-centered philosophy and cooperative model. “There’s no opportunity better than now, to show the world what we can do – and how we can do it,” she added.

Receiving an Outstanding Individual Achievement award, Lucy Ito, recently retired president/CEO of NASCUS, called on credit unions and regulators to look at who is not at the table, when working to solve problems.

“If you’re going to be biased, be biased towards including and connecting people to each other,” Ito said. “When I think of my career, there’s a common denominator among the leaders I’ve worked with. It’s collaboration and connecting people with each other.”

Roger Heacock, also recently retired from his role as president/CEO of Black Hills Federal Credit Union, spent more than four decades serving some extremely impoverished communities in South Dakota. “Through the years, our remarkable team truly made a difference with their passion for service and their commitment to our mission statement of improving lives,” he said.

Chicago’s Faith Based Credit Union Alliance – a cooperative of ten micro-credit unions supporting some of the city’s most underserved communities – received the Outstanding Organizational Achievement award.

Accepting the award on behalf of the organization, Dr. Joronda Crawford, president and co-founder of the alliance, said: “Through collaboration, our credit unions gain the tangible benefits of mandatory training, support […] and more, that ensure our member credit unions remain alive, vital and not left behind.”

As the charitable arm of the U.S. credit union movement, the annual gala is central to the Foundation’s fundraising. The event was held in conjunction with CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

►Visit CUNA News for more conference coverage. Get live updates on Twitter via @CUNA_News, @cumagazine, @cuna, and #CUNAGAC. Follow the conference on Facebook and Instagram and visit cuna.org/gac for more information.

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • House passes CUNA, League-led board modernization bill

  • CFPB issues CUNA-opposed proposal on credit card late fees

  • Key committee leaders supportive of credit union priorities

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

Vote for the 2023 CU Hero of the Year

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us