Impact through inclusion: the credit union difference in action at the Foundation Dinner
March 1, 2022 — Former NASCUS President and CEO Lucy Ito, CEO of Black Hills Federal Credit Union Roger Heacock, African-American Credit Union Coalition, and Faith Based Credit Union Alliance were honored with awards during emotional return to in-person celebrations.
The mood was high as over 950 leaders from the credit union movement attended the National Credit Union Foundation’s annual fundraising gala on February 28. The event, held in conjunction with CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference, included the 33rd annual Herb Wegner Memorial Awards.
Financial well-being for all 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 and 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.”
Courtesy of the National Credit Union Foundation. Read the entire article and view event videos here
(July 23, 2021) NASCUS President and CEO Lucy Ito sat in on two panels this week for virtual presentations associated with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) virtual annual conference.
In the first, she joined Monday in the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN), which describes its mission as aiming to “provide women with the opportunity and resources to make a measurable difference in the lives of each other, in the lives of credit union members and in their communities.” Others on the panel with her (who discussed leadership and key issues facing women in the credit union system) were Teresa Freeborn, president of Kinecta FCU; Martha Majors, president and CEO of USEagle FCU, and Lisa Ginter, CEO of CommunityAmerica CU.
In the second, Ito joined WOCCU Assistant General Counsel Panya Monford, and Sophie Romana of Strategic Impact Advisors, in a Tuesday session on how proportionality by national level regulators supports financial inclusion, and providing real life scenarios that dictate the need to improve financial service efforts to serve the underserved.
2021 National Meeting
National Meeting list of presentations, video links, and chat-shared resources.
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DAY ONE PRESENTATIONS
Click for VIDEO Link Welcome address: Lucy Ito, President/CEO, NASCUS and Rose Conner, Administrator, NC Credit Union Division
PRESENTATION DECK (PDF): Around The States
PRESENTATION DECK (PDF): Future of Payment Systems: Mark Dixon, Director, Payments Innovation, NEACH
PRESENTATION DECK (PDF): Mike Townsley, Policy Counsel & Director of Regulatory Policy, CSBS
PRESENTATION DECK (PDF): The Future of Capital in Credit Unions and the Broader System: Mark DeBree, Managing Principal, Catalyst Strategic Solutions with moderator: Brian Knight, Esq., Executive Vice President & General Counsel
DAY TWO PRESENTATION
PRESENTATION DECK (PDF): Climate Change as a Safety and Soundness Issue
Click for VIDEO Link Fireside chat with NCUA Chairman Todd Harper and Lucy Ito
SHARED RESOURCES IN CHAT
- Marijuana banking guidance from WA Department of Financial Institutions
- First penalty for pot banking violations lands on credit union
- NCUA Charters Clean Energy Federal Credit Union
- Climate Change Is a Source of Financial Risk
- Biden administration wants the financial sector to face up to climate risk
- Credit Unions Anyone Can Join