2009 Herb Wegner Memorial Awards |
2009 Lifetime Achievement |  William Charles "Bill" Sterner
Thousands of growing credit unions owe a debt of gratitude to this fallen leader who will be honored with the 2009 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Decades before most credit unions learned to “reach out to new markets” and “serve the underserved,” Bill Sterner was teaching these concepts around the world.
Tragically, Sterner passed away at age 66 this year after suffering a heart attack at the Credit Union Association of Colorado’s Legislative Forum.
“Bill’s memory shines on in all our lives,” says Wegner Award nominator John Dill, President/CEO of the Credit Union Association of Colorado as well as the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado and Wyoming. “Bill’s strong commitment, vision, and innovation to foster growth in the credit union industry will continue to inspire and help advance future generations and new frontiers.”
Sterner’s vision was to “promote new and sustained membership” in cooperatives. Yet he paved his career path in a different direction than most cooperative pioneers. He blazed his first trails internationally, then nationally, before settling into a single state and local community.
International Cooperative Pioneer
Sterner began his professional journey in the 1960s, when he worked for seven years with the Peace Corps in South America. Serving his first three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader and Program Training Officer, Sterner helped villagers in Colombia and Ecuador establish financial cooperatives.
He was then asked to serve as Regional Country Director for Columbia and Ecuador. He spent the next four years coordinating efforts between Peace Corps volunteers and the US State Department in working with local councils to build their economies.
National Credit Union Development Educator
Among credit union outreach pioneers, Sterner is recognized for saving the Credit Union Development Education (DE) program from elimination in the face of severe budget cuts.
As a Vice President for the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) in the early 1980s, Sterner recognized the need for a program that would teach cooperative principles and credit union philosophy as a sustainable business model into the next century.
“When the DE program began in the US, there was little or no support,” recalled Dean Mahon, who shared a Peace Corps bond with Sterner. “The exception was Bill. Bill was one of the most critical reasons why the DE program survived and therefore exists today. It would have been easiest for him to, at best, provide perfunctory support. Instead he stuck his neck out, gave us cover when needed, and protected the DE program at its most sensitive stage. Ultimately he was the only person who could have done this. Given his background, he got it – and because of that, the DE program survived political challenges. We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude.” Click here for details on Sterner's CUNA career.
Local Community Advocate
In 1997, Sterner dedicated himself to putting what he taught into practice at the University of Colorado (U of C) Federal Credit Union in Boulder.
Initially as the Vice President of Marketing, Sterner worked to reach out to everyone in the field of membership — especially young people. |
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 In 2000, when the credit union’s CEO position opened up, Sterner was named the Interim CEO.
“Bill’s leadership skills, knowledge, and way with people made him a natural choice to fill the role,” explained Immediate Past Chair Lynn Walloch. “After an extensive national search, Bill was selected from a competitive field of highly qualified applicants to serve as the permanent CEO.”
Over the next eight years, Sterner and his team...Click here for details of accomplishments.
Statewide Volunteer
Under Sterner’s leadership as Chairman of the Credit Union Association of Colorado (CUAC), the association produced a small credit union initiative and an award-winning branding campaign. Both were designed to promote credit unions’ growth. To honor his memory and help perpetuate his commitment to financial literacy, CUAC has named the new Education and Training Center in the association’s new building as The Sterner Center.
Sterner also volunteered as a director for SunCorp Credit Union, the primary corporate credit union for Colorado and many other states. “Bill agreed to join the SunCorp Board of Directors and provide sound strategic leadership at a critical time,” reflected SunCorp President & CEO Thomas Graham. “In remembering Bill, you also have to note his integrity. He was a man of his word. With only a handshake, you knew where he would stand.”
From 2000 to 2008, Sterner also served on the board of Credit Union Service Network (CUSN), a credit union service organization that provides shared branching in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming. “Shared branching is built on a foundation of trust and cooperation,” pointed out CUSN President/CEO Douglas Burke. “These are the same traits Bill demonstrated starting at the Peace Corps and through his distinguished credit union career.”
Click here to read the full press release. |
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2009 Individual Achievement Awards | | For the first time in 21 years, the National Credit Union Foundation Awards & Recognition Committee has seen fit to name two winners in a single category for the Herb Wegner Memorial Awards.
Winners of the 21st Annual Herb Wegner Memorial Awards for Individual Achievement are:
- Rita Haynes, Treasurer, Manager & CEO of Faith Community United Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio
- Tom Sargent, President/CEO of First Tech Credit Union in Beaverton, Oregon
“Rita and Tom’s achievements are both extraordinary and unique,” related NCUF Awards & Recognition Committee Chairman and Wegner Awards Dinner Emcee Bob Schumacher. | | |
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 “Rita’s achievements in payday loan alternatives, second chance auto loans, and foreclosure preventions are shining examples of how credit unions can change lives by providing affordable financial services in low-income communities,” Schumacher observed. “And her achievements are especially amazing coming from a credit union with only $10 million in assets and four full-time staff.”
 “Tom’s achievements in fundraising for ‘Credit Unions for Kids’ transcend even the largest individual credit unions,” Schumacher contrasted. “Inspired by a personal commitment, Tom has achieved what only the most effective national credit union leaders have done throughout our history – uniting credit unions across the country around a single cause. Tom has motivated credit unions of all sizes to do life-changing charity work in communities supporting Children’s Hospitals.”
Click here to read about Rita Haynes' innovations.
Click here to read about Tom Sargent's innovations. |
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|  Montana Credit Unions for Community Development
Helena, Montana
It’s only five years old, but it has already made a lasting impact on over 50,000 people’s lives. For its successful innovations and partnerships, Montana Credit Unions for Community Development (MCUCD)—the philanthropic arm of the Montana Credit Union Network—will receive the prestigious Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Outstanding Organization.
“It will be a highlight of our year when Montana Credit Unions for Community Development receives the credit union movement’s highest national honor,” related Montana Credit Union Network President Tracie Kenyon. “We are proud of the real difference our organization is making in our state with 62 innovative credit unions. On behalf of the 50,000 people we have helped avoid predatory loans, keep more of their earned income, and open their first savings accounts, we thank the National Credit Union Foundation’s Awards & Recognition Committee for choosing the underdogs for this award.”
“The people of Montana are fortunate to have an organization like Montana Credit Unions for Community Development,” agreed NCUF Awards & Recognition Committee Chairman Bob Schumacher, CEO of MountainCrest Credit Union in Arlington, Wash. “This organization really gets it. For credit unions to truly grow and thrive, we have to partner with other organizations who know the people most in need of credit union services. By following this innovative example, credit unions could reach millions more potential members and serve them for the greater good.”
Montana Credit Unions for Community Development upholds a far-reaching mission: to implement programs, through credit unions, that improve the social and economic well-being of Montanans. Most of its activities are directed toward serving the state’s low-wealth population. Montana’s median household income of $33,024 is substantially lower than the national average of $42,000. In fact, 50 of Montana’s 62 credit unions have the National Credit Union Administration’s “low-income” designation.
Successful Programs
MCUCD’s services are packaged to aggregate resources and create innovative “plug and play” products that are easy to implement so that credit unions can focus on what they do best: serve members regardless of their economic status. This approach empowers MCUCD to provide a wide range of successful programs throughout Montana. Click here for details.
Valuable Partnerships
Led by Executive Director Jeanne Saarinen, MCUCD also recognizes the need to create partnerships to sustain their programs. In its first five years, MCUCD has forged successful partnerships with 22 organizations. These partners have provided strategic and capitalization planning, teacher training, consumer education, and valuable fundraising—$824,233 in grants.
“The great thing about partnering with MCUCD is that it is always a true partnership,” observed Student Assistance Foundation Executive Director Kelly Chapman. “There’s never a struggle for who should lead and who should follow, or who should give and who should receive. Rather, partnerships with MCUCD are about coming together with the resources of all partners and working together to make the best use of the gifts, talents, and resources that everyone contributes. Many organizations espouse this philosophy, but too few actually live it. That’s why it’s so refreshing to work with MCUCD. They are genuinely involved to work for the greater good.” Click here for details.
Positioned for Growth
Already, MCUCD has touched the lives of more than 50,000 people in a state with a population of only 902,000. This represents outreach to nearly 1 out of every 18 people throughout Montana. |
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| A bit about Herb Wegner | |  Herb Wegner was a visionary whose tireless efforts and innovative ideas, dedication and deeds, truly revolutionized the way that credit unions serve their communities.
The awards that bear his name honor his legacy, and recognize emerging leaders of the credit union movement who are blazing new frontiers that further our mission of making financial independence a reality for millions of consumers throughout the world.
The National Credit Union Foundation recognizes nominees in the categories of Individual Achievement, Outstanding Organization or Program, and Lifetime Achievement, for accomplishments that assist in the Foundation’s mission of promoting consumer financial independence through credit unions.
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