MADISON, WI (December 11, 2013) -- World Council of Credit Unions is calling for 2014 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) nominations, to be presented at the World Credit Union Conference, July 27–30, 2014, in Gold Coast, Australia. The DSA honors individuals and organizations that have provided outstanding service to credit union development outside their home country. It is the international credit union system's highest honor.
"Since 1986, World Council has recognized key players in advancing the international credit union movement to where it is today through the Distinguished Service Award," said Brian Branch, World Council president and CEO. "The recipients each year remind us how important it is to extend financial access to people who need it most-not just at home, but around the world."
Individuals and organizations that have furthered World Council's vision of "building a global community" through their activities and achievements are eligible for nomination by World Council member organizations and their affiliated credit unions. Individual recipients may be women or men whose actions have significantly benefitted global credit union development beyond their national boundaries. Institutional recipients may be organizations or agencies that have provided financial or technical assistance to develop international credit union movements and their service infrastructures over an extended period of time.
The DSA is not an annual award, rather it is presented based on the proven achievements and worthiness of candidates according to the award committee's review. World Council presents up to one institutional and three individual awards in a single year. This year World Council will provide each DSA recipient with a complimentary conference registration and one companion registration for the 2014 World Credit Union Conference in Australia. At last year's World Credit Union Conference in Ottawa, Canada, World Council awarded the DSA to the following recipients of 2013:
- Pete Crear, USA, former Credit Union National Association executive vice president and chief operating officer and past World Council president and CEO (2005–2011)
- Melvin Edwards, Caribbean, former Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions chair
- Pat Fay, Ireland, Irish League of Credit Unions director
Nominations must be made by a World Council member organization and are due Monday, March 3, 2014. Visit www.woccu.org/dsa to download a brochure and nomination form and see a list of past winners.
World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development agency for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented more than 290 technical assistance programs in 71 countries.Worldwide, 56,000 credit unions in 101 countries serve 200 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.