The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association has awarded Cookie Yoder, CEO of City Co FCU, with the William W. Pratt Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2018 Credit Union Professional of the Year. The award was presented on May 21 at the Association’s 84th Connect Convention at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA.
Yoder has served as the CEO of City Co since 2011, and was CEO at Pittsburgh FCU from 1990 to 2011. During her credit union career, she has become a CUNA School’s graduate and earned the CUDE certification. In addition to her role in her credit union, she was active in the Pittsburgh Chapter of Credit Unions from 1979 through 2012, holding the positions of secretary, vice president, and president.
Pairing with her Chapter participation, Yoder was a member of the PCUA Board of Directors from 1993 to 2016, and was a founding member of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation. In recognition of her more than 25 years as a director and small credit union advocate, PCUA named a scholarship in Yoder’s honor for a small credit union staff member to attend the Association’s Judge/Bradley Leadership School each year.
“Her passion for credit unions and helping small credit unions is evident in her many roles in the movement throughout the years,” said Visionary FCU CEO Wendy Kingsland, who nominated Yoder for the award. “When you think of small credit unions and people helping people, no better person fills the role of passionate credit union pioneer than my dear friend, Cookie Yoder.”
Recognizing her dedication to the credit union movement, Yoder has been presented with the William Noble Scholarship from PCUA, and the CUNA Outstanding Youth Delegate Award, as well as named a CU Rockstar. Yoder embodies the “People Helping People” philosophy of the credit union movement. She mentors local credit union CEOs and also supports several small credit unions.
The Professional of the Year Award is presented in memory of William W. Pratt, who for more than three decades worked on behalf of credit unions. When Pratt began working at the Association in 1942, there were 550 credit unions in Pennsylvania – when he retired in 1965, there were nearly 1,300 credit unions in the Commonwealth.
