Ron Kase, president/CEO of Landmark Credit Union in New Berlin, Wis., has been voted Credit Union Magazine’s 2012 CU Hero of the Year.

In a time when many consumers are rethinking their relationships with for-profit financial institutions and increasingly joining and doing business with credit unions, Landmark’s motto, “You’re worth more here,” seems especially appropriate.

When asked about his proudest accomplishments, Kase told Credit Union Magazine, “I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve been able to help many people help themselves at the start of their economic lives.” He’s also pleased that during his tenure, Landmark has created about 450 jobs for people in southeastern Wisconsin.

Credit Union Magazine readers also commended three other credit union leaders this year as CU Heroes:

• Rudy Hanley, president/CEO, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Santa Ana, Calif. His political involvement, work ethic, and integrity have benefited his own credit union and the credit union movement overall.
• Frank Matous Sr., (posthumous), former CEO of Tandem Federal Credit Union, Warren, Mich. A credit union pioneer, he encouraged his four sons to stay active in the credit union movement.
• Joe Robertson, retired president/CEO, Our Community Credit Union, Shelton, Wash. His credit union garnered a record $18 million increase in total deposits for 2009 (doubling the previous year's increase), during the slow recovery from the recession.

Voting took place on creditunionmagazine.com through April 30.

Kase will be honored at CUNA’s America’s Credit Union Conference in San Diego, June 17-20.

The conference will offer dozens of preconference, keynote, discovery, thought-leader, and executive series sessions. And attendees will have numerous opportunities to network with heroes in the credit union movement who make daily differences in the lives of their members and communities.