Portland, Ore. (August 10, 2021) |
In another impressive display of the global credit union movement’s cooperative strength, four credit unions from the northwest United States have teamed up to build bridges with counterparts in Asia.
In collaboration with Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WF), the charitable and engagement arm of World Council of Credit Unions, Unitus has teamed up with Advantis Credit Union, Oregon Community Credit Union, and Rivermark Community Credit Union. Together they have developed an innovative engagement initiative with South Korea’s National Credit Union Federation of Korea (NACUFOK) through WF’s Global Bridges program.
After concluding his term as World Council Chair last year, Unitus President/CEO Steve Stapp remains active in developing the credit union movement worldwide.
“The credit union movement provides financial independence to people who don’t traditionally have the opportunity to save money, start a business, or afford their basic needs. The Global Bridges program is an exciting opportunity to strengthen our communities around the world,” said Stapp.
Delegates shared their first virtual engagement session July 27th and will attend several more virtual sessions in 2021.
“Advantis is very excited about the opportunity to learn from our Korean credit union peers, who are part of one of the five largest credit union networks in the world,” added Jason Werts, CEO at Advantis Credit Union. “By gaining a global, more diverse perspective of the cooperative finance model, we are able to find new ways to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our members, our employees, and the communities we serve.”
In 2022, a Korean delegation will visit the United States in person, while an American delegation will visit South Korea pending the state of COVID-related concerns at that time.
“The opportunity to listen and learn with local and international industry peers is a competitive advantage that is worth celebrating,” said Seth Schaefer, President/CEO of Rivermark Community Credit Union. “We are looking forward to the conversations and engagement.”
Ron Neumann, President & CEO of Oregon Community Credit Union, echoed this sentiment.
“Having the opportunity to participate in a program that extends the unique collaborative nature of credit unions across the world is very exciting,” said Neumann. “We look forward to sharing with and learning from the South Korean credit union system, with the hope of all participants coming away with new ideas on how to best support our members.”
In this, the first iteration of the Worldwide Foundation’s “Global Bridges” program, Unitus will send as representatives: Assistant Project Manager Kat Popovich, IT Operations Manager Kevin Smith, and Senior Member Support Specialist Alec Shumway.