VyStar Credit Union, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., is the latest Florida credit union to join the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), through its Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, as a new gold-level supporter in response to the 2018 International Credit Union (ICU) Day Challenge. Gold-level supporter status reflects a significant partnership between WOCCU and VyStar, in which both entities receive value and engagement experiences that aim to advance the strategic goals of each participant.
“We are honored and grateful that VyStar is joining our exclusive group of credit unions as a gold supporter, and I am excited to align our field engagement program with them, offering it as an opportunity for deeper engagement with the global credit union movement,” said Michael Reuter, Worldwide Foundation Executive Director.
The field engagement series offers annual opportunities for credit unions in the U.S. to go out into the field with Foundation staff to develop a greater understanding of challenges faced by international credit unions. These opportunities are a core component of developing and finding solutions to those issues. Typically, field engagement programs are made up of one or several of three key activities:
- Study: Develop a deeper understanding of a credit union’s evolution, successes and challenges, while comparing that history and trajectory with that of one’s own credit union.
- Serve: Provide volunteer services to an individual credit union or charitable entity in the community participants live in and/or support to address a key development issue, such as access to credit, savings mobilization, or advocacy.
- Support: Provide technical expertise, consultation or training via a credit union professional’s individual skill set or apply solutions to a specific credit union challenge as a group during the engagement experience.
Brian E. Wolfburg, President/CEO of VyStar Credit Union, said, “VyStar is pleased to support WOCCU’s efforts to promote the vital role financial cooperatives play around the world. In service to our members, it is important that our credit union leaders have a clear understanding of the history and role credit unions play in achieving the common goal we share with the World Council: to bring credit union services to more people in not only Florida, but around the world.”