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Nominations open for Distinguished Service Award

Highest Honor of the International CU movement to be presented at 2015 World Credit Union Conference in Denver, USA

MADISON, WI (January 13, 2015) — World Council of Credit Unions is calling for 2015 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) nominations, to be presented at the World Credit Union Conference, July 12–15, 2015, in Denver, Colorado, USA. 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 movement’s highest honor.

“For nearly 30 years, World Council has presented the Distinguished Service Award to pioneers for enhancing the international credit union movement,” said Brian Branch, World Council president and CEO. “Their mission to expand and strengthen financial inclusion beyond their country’s borders deserves the most prestigious recognition.”

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 2015 World Credit Union Conference in Denver. At last year’s World Credit Union Conference in Gold Coast, Australia, World Council awarded the DSA to the following recipients of 2014:

Rob Nicholls, Australia, former deputy CEO of Credit Union of Australia; chair of Cuscal Ltd.; and director of Customer Owned Banking Association, Credit Union Foundation of Australia and World Council;
Michael Koisen, Papua New Guinea, president of Papua New Guinea Federation of Savings & Loan Societies; chair of Oceanic Confederation of Credit Union Leagues; and director of Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions.

Nominations must be made by a World Council member organization and are due Monday, March 9, 2015. Visit www.woccu.org/dsa to download the nomination criteria 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, 57,000 credit unions in 103 countries serve 208 million people. Learn more about World Council’s impact around the world at www.woccu.org.