CUNA's Community Credit Union of the Year Awards recognize and honor community credit unions that best exemplify the principles of the credit union movement while serving as a positive influence in the field of service.

Four credit unions received the honor during a ceremony Thursday at the CUNA Community Credit Union & Growth Conference in Uncasville, Conn.

Winners among credit unions with more than $250 million in assets:

• First place: Freedom First Federal Credit Union, Salem, Va.
• Honorable mention: BayPort Credit Union, Newport News, Va.

From left: Cari Humphries, AVP of marketing, Freedom First FCU, Salem, Va.; Paul Phillips, CEO, Freedom First FCU; and Pete Dzuris, CEO of Northland Area FCU, Oscoda, Mich., CUNA Board member, and chairman of CUNA’s Community CU Committee.	From left: Pam Rowe, board member, BayPort FCU, Newport News, Va.; Monte Crowl, vice president of marketing, BayPort FCU; and Dzuris.

Winners among credit unions with less than $250 million in assets:

• First place: St. Louis (Mo.) Community Credit Union.
• Honorable mention: Dakotaland Federal Credit Union, Huron, S.D.

Dzuris and Paul Woodruff, vice president of community development, St. Louis (Mo.) Community CU.	Dan Cumbee, CEO, Dakotaland FCU, Huron, S.D., and Dzuris.

The awards program is open to community chartered credit unions and those with multiple select employee groups. This includes credit unions that, in all aspects, consistently excel in the advancement of the ideals of the credit union movement, are proactive in their community, and provide a wide array of services that meet the needs of their diverse communities.

Judges praised this year’s entries for their:

• Long-range commitment to developing sustainable initiatives benefiting low- and medium-income members, urban and rural.
• Innovative campaigns that publicize the credit union difference to the masses.
• Use of available tools such as Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Low-Income Credit Union (LICU) designations.
• Commitment to being community action organizations.

Find more coverage of the conference here and at News Now.