Press
Oakland, McCormack, Haegelin, & Canepa Bang honored by NCUF
(March 6, 2014) — The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) presented four Herb Wegner Memorial Awards at its annual dinner Monday night. Denise Gabel, Chief Operating Officer of the Northwest Credit Union Association, served as the night’s emcee.
The awards ceremony celebrated four of the highest national honors in the credit union movement:
- Lifetime Achievement: Gary Oakland, retired President/CEO of BECU;
- Lifetime Achievement: Jim McCormack, retired President/CEO of Pennsylvania Credit Union Association;
- Lifetime Achievement: Tim Haegelin, retired President/CEO of Generations FCU; and
- Individual Achievement: Sarah Canepa Bang, President/COO of CO-OP Shared Branching – FSCC, LLC and Chief Strategy Officer of CO-OP Shared Branching
This is the first time in NCUF’s history that three awards for Lifetime Achievement were given. Click here to learn more about this year’s award winners.
“I’ve worked with and admired so many who have been recognized with this award, yet there are so many I know that have yet to be recognized,” said Oakland after accepting his award. “This is not about me winning an award. This is about collaboration, friendship and shared efforts.”
“I was lucky because I was blessed with a board that embraced the credit union difference and then made sure I had the tools to succeed,” said Haegelin after accepting his award. “We are here – not for ourselves and not for the almighty dollar – but for our members, and their families, and their children, and their pursuit of the American dream.”
“When informed that he had won this most prestigious award, Jim stated that the award was not for him, but for Pennsylvania,” said Michael Wishnow, SVP at the Pennsylvania CU Association, accepting the award on McCormack’s behalf. “Were he here today, he would want to thank all the past and present leaders in the Pennsylvania credit union movement, including everyone who sat on the association’s board of directors and the many great staff who dedicated their careers to helping credit unions succeed.”
“It’s been my experience that the credit union movement loves innovation and hard work,” said Canepa Bang after accepting her award. “How else but innovation and hard work could we have built a delivery channel of over 7,200 locations for millions of credit union members? And how else but through creativity and dedication could our employees and volunteers raise tens of millions of dollars for children’s hospitals all over the country?”�
This year’s winners joined an elite group of 51 individuals and 24 organizations whose efforts over the past 26 years have earned them the recognition of Herb Wegner Memorial Awards. Over 740 credit union leaders and supporters attended the event held in conjunction with CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).
About the Herb Wegner Memorial Awards
The awards are named in honor of the late Credit Union National Association CEO Herb Wegner, whose tireless dedication, innovative ideas and deeds truly revolutionized the ways that credit unions serve their communities.� The awards that bear Wegner’s name recognize his spirit of “innovative, creative, risk-taking” leadership. View past award recipients here.
About the National Credit Union Foundation (ncuf.coop)
The National Credit Union Foundation is the US credit union movement’s primary national philanthropic program provider, fundraiser and grant-maker, working to help consumers achieve financial freedom through credit unions. Through NCUF grants and programs, credit unions provide widespread financial education, create greater access to affordable financial services, and empower more consumers to save, build assets, and own homes.
NCUF is funded primarily by investments in the award-winning Community Investment Fund (CIF) and by generous Supporters led by the Credit Union National Association and CUNA Mutual Group. All NCUF donors provide support that empowers NCUF and state credit union foundations to make financial freedom achievable through credit unions.
The National Credit Union Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. NCUF continues to earn the Better Business Bureau seal of approval as an “Accredited Charity” for meeting all 20 BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for national charities.