27th Annual Wegner Awards dinner held in conjunction with CUNA GAC
Washington, DC (March 10, 2015) -- The National Credit Union Foundation (the Foundation) presented four Herb Wegner Memorial Awards at its annual dinner Monday night at the new Marriott Marquis. Denise Gabel, Chief Operating Officer of the Northwest Credit Union Association, served as the night’s emcee.
The awards ceremony celebrated four of the highest national honors in the credit union movement:
- Lifetime Achievement: Mike Mercer, President/CEO of Georgia Credit Union Affiliates;
- Lifetime Achievement: Bob Schumacher, retired President/CEO of MountainCrest Credit Union;
- Lifetime Achievement: Clarence Hall, Jr., Chairman, Board of Directors and President/CEO of Issaquena County FCU; and
- Outstanding Organization: Iowa Credit Union League (ICUL)
“The Iowa Credit Union League and Iowa’s credit unions aspire to serve individuals and communities in much the same way as our fellow Wegner Award honorees have. We are humbled to share the stage with each of them,” said Dave Cale, CEO of Financial Plus Credit Union, and Chair of the ICUL Board of Directors. “In the end, we believe we will best be measured by how we treat those who have the least.”
“I want to leave you with a comment I would say to you on the Wegner Award Evenings when I had the honor to be your emcee,” said Schumacher after accepting his award. “If you remember I would tell you that ‘the Wegner Awards were the best night of my credit union year!’ Well ladies and gentlemen, I can honestly tell you that tonight’s Wegner Awards is the best night of my credit union life – and I need to thank all of you for that.”
Schumacher emceed the Wegner Awards Dinner for 15 years prior to Gabel. Schumacher also received a Wegner Anchor Award in 2012 and is the first person to receive both the Wegner Anchor Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.
“It's a great honor for me to stand here tonight and accept this award,” said Hall, Jr. after accepting his award. “Not only do I accept it for myself, I accept it for my family, the members of Issaquena County FCU, the citizens of the poorest county in the U. S. Issaquena County, for the people of Mississippi, and all those soldiers gone on that helped to make this day possible. And last but not least I give thanks to the good Lord, who made us all and knew our potentials before we could even have a vision of life.”
"Credit unions can exist for a long time if they aim for relevant,” said Mercer after accepting his award. “But, relevant has a habit of becoming ordinary. Credit unions could aspire to be vital…indispensable. Our fortune is tied to the well-being of the great sea of Americans who hold middle class aspirations."
This year’s winners joined an elite group of 55 individuals and 24 organizations whose efforts over the past 27 years have earned them the recognition of Herb Wegner Memorial Awards. Over 850 credit union leaders and supporters attended the event held in conjunction with CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).
About the Herb Wegner Memorial Awards:
The awards are named in honor of the late Credit Union National Association CEO Herb Wegner, whose tireless dedication, innovative ideas and deeds truly revolutionized the ways that credit unions serve their communities. The awards that bear Wegner’s name recognize his spirit of “innovative, creative, risk-taking” leadership. View past award recipients here.
About the National Credit Union Foundation (ncuf.coop):
The National Credit Union Foundation (the Foundation) is the charitable arm of the U.S. credit union movement and works as a catalyst to improve people’s financial lives through credit unions. Through Foundation grants and programs, credit unions provide widespread financial education, create greater access to affordable financial services, and empower more consumers to save, build assets, and own homes. Donations to the Foundation enable credit unions to help their members reach life-changing goals and achieve financial freedom.
The National Credit Union Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. The Foundation continues to earn the Better Business Bureau seal of approval as an “Accredited Charity” for meeting all 20 BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for national charities.