Tigard, OR (July 21, 2026) |
Unitus Community Credit Union today announced Manfred Alonso Dasenbrock as the recipient of its 2026 International Community Heart Award. Established in 2023, the annual award honors individuals and organizations for extraordinary service and sustained commitment to advancing the international credit union community.
At this year’s recognition event in Sydney, Australia, Unitus President and CEO Steven Stapp recognized Dasenbrock, a prominent figure in Brazil’s credit union movement and a leading voice in the global cooperative finance community.
Dasenbrock earned the award for his inspiring service and commitment to financial inclusion, empowerment and cooperative values. Dasenbrock serves as president of Central Sicredi PR/SP/RJ in Curitiba, Brazil, a major cooperative bank serving more than 2.2 million members across more than 650 municipalities in Brazil.
He is also an advisor to Sicredi, the Brazilian credit union system, and a member of the board of the World Council of Credit Unions. In these roles, Dasenbrock emphasizes strengthening the cooperative credit movement, promoting financial inclusion and advancing initiatives that help make communities more prosperous and equitable.
“Manfred’s leadership reflects the very best of the international credit union movement,” Stapp said. “Through his work in Brazil and across the global cooperative finance community, he has helped expand access to financial tools, strengthen local economies and empower people to build more secure futures. We are proud to recognize his impact with the 2026 International Community Heart Award.”
Past recipients of the Unitus International Community Heart Award include George Y. Ombado, executive director of the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations, and Lois Kitsch, co-founder of CU Difference and chair of the African Cooperative Development Foundation (2025); Rafał Matusiak, president and CEO of Poland’s National Association of
Cooperative Savings and Credit Unions, and the staff of Via Stella Foundation (2024); and Jaime Chavez Suarez, former president of Financiera Comultrasan – Colombia (2023).
The award underscores Unitus’ connection to the worldwide cooperative movement and its commitment to recognizing leaders whose work improves financial access and strengthens communities across borders.
