Scott Bolster
Whitefish Credit Union
Michael Stankovic
Michael Stankovic is the co-founder of MyDAS Marketing and Mitchell, Stankovic and Associates. His background in retail launched our organization into a full service of innovative products, including POS videos, online educational modules (CUU.com), marketing campaigns and mystery shopping. Michael is a 30 year partner and volunteer for credit unions worldwide. He served on Boulder Dam Credit Union board of directors for 15 years. He was chamber president in Boulder City Nevada, avid community volunteer, sports coach, and a great family man.
Michael is one of the first "He for She" supporters of global women’s leadership network and helped launch the Sister Societies around the world. He has invested his time, resources, and treasury to the betterment of the credit union system. Michael is an unwavering champion of the Worldwide Foundation and the World Council of credit unions. He was one of the first development educators with Gigi Highland as his mentor. Mike has gone on to encourage our team to be part of of the DE program. Brandi Stankovic is also a DE and international DE making them a Father – Daughter development educators. You can ask people from all over the United States and the credit union system worldwide about Mike and they’ll say, he’s an amazing volunteer, mentor, colleague, and friend.
Dave Hinchey
As the Vice President of Community & Social Impact at the Credit Union League of Connecticut and Director of our foundation, Credit Unions Building Financial Independence (CUBFI), Dave Hinchey has spent the last decade shaping programs that empower credit unions and uplift the communities they serve. A member of the League’s Leadership Team, Dave leads with heart, vision, and a deep belief in the power of collaboration.
Lisa Jones
Lisa Jones is the COO at Tewksbury Federal Credit Union. She has been with the credit union for over 28 years. Her dedication and passion for the members has never wavered in all that time. She goes above and
beyond to find solutions to members problems and has helped so many people get into better financial situations over the years. She volunteers at every event the credit union sponsors and can always be counted on to fill in wherever needed. Lisa does everything from answering phone calls to helping with strategic planning. No job is too small or too large for her. She is constantly coming up with ideas to make our credit union better. She not only helps our members but supports our staff as well. She trains our team members and helps them get on the best career paths available. She always makes herself available to answer questions and turns each encounter into a training moment. Our credit union and our community would not be the same without her. She truly is an unsung hero.
Drs. Joranda and Hiram Crawford
Drs. Joranda and Hiram Crawford are long-time Directors of the Israel Methcom Federal Credit Union and Co-Founders of the Faith Based Credit Union Alliance. The FBCUA is a group of more than 20 credit church and allied credit unions - many of them run by volunteers - in Chicago and around the country. They collaborate on almost everything they do, including training, vendors, technology, and sharing grants. The Crawford's many contributions were recognized in 2022 when they accepted the Herb Wegner Award for Outstanding Organization on behalf of the FBCUA.
Richard "Dick" Mahoney
Richard D. Mahoney (Dick) was the President & CEO of Telephone Worker's Credit Union of NH from 1965 to 2001. He hired me when I was in my early 20's and introduced me to the concept of "People Helping People." In the spirit of Unsung Heroes, Dick built a Board from each department of the telephone company from line workers to executive management to ensure that the entire field of membership was always represented. He lived out the spirit of cooperation, and was seen as a leader both in New Hampshire and nationally. He was Chairman of the NH Credit Union League, a director of the Credit Union National Association and built support among credit unions for numerous initiatives to benefit members such as the Credit Union Consumer's Cooperative offering discounts to credit union members on such necessities as home heating oil. He built a relationship with Make-A-Wish New Hampshire and built consensus among other NH credit unions to support this important non-profit. Dick's vision continues to live on today, with NH credit unions recently surpassing $4 million dollars of support to Make-A-Wish and holding an annual golf tournament in Dick's memory. Dick's commitment to the power of credit unions made a difference to so many members and credit unions over the course of his career. He lit the flame for my passion for our mission and I remain forever grateful for his influence in my life and early career before his unexpected passing in September 2001.
Supporting the Credit Union movement for over 23 years
Wacinque has been a lifelong credit union member since his mother shared her love for the credit union because she was able to obtain a needed loan when no other financial institution would give her one. Then Nashville Memorial Hospital Credit Union, and now Skyline Credit Union, was the lifesaver. He is now past his 50th year as an active member, during which he helped launch Blount United, a CDFI in Alcoa, TN, as Chairman of the organizing board, when he was known as Wendell Andre Bandy. Today, Wacinque is the founder of KaizenRhino Solutions International L3C, a financial education company focused on helping everyone develop financial management and asset ownership skills. He joined the US Treasury Department's national strategy for 100% financial inclusion to ensure that no one experiences financial exclusion because they start with a credit union account as their financial foundation.
Wacinque Amistad Kaizen BeMende
Rob Greaff
Rob Greaff has served as President and CEO of Delta Schools Federal Credit Union for over 20 years, guiding the Antioch-based institution with a steadfast commitment to member service,
financial education, and cooperative values. Under his leadership, the credit union has grown its impact across Contra Costa County, delivering innovative products and personalized support to educators and school employees. Rob’s dedication to the credit union movement has earned him statewide recognition as a three-time honoree by the California Credit Union League. He is the proud recipient of the Kim Bannan Eternal Flame Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and the Political Advocate of the Year Award—a rare trifecta that reflects his lifelong advocacy, strategic leadership, and influence in shaping credit union policy. Known for his collaborative spirit and unwavering integrity, Rob continues to be a trusted voice in the industry and a champion for community-focused financial services.
Credit Union League of Connecticut
The story of Connecticut’s credit union movement is not found only in boardrooms or policy documents. It is written in the quiet dedication of countless individuals whose names may never appear in headlines, but whose work made all the difference. These steadfast, unsung heroes gave of their time, their talents, and their unwavering belief in the cooperative spirit. They understood that the credit union idea was more than financial services—it was about people helping people, neighbors lifting neighbors, and communities building resilience together.
A Labor of Love:
Honoring Our Roots, Fueling Our Future
In the spirit of Labor Day, America's Credit Union museum celebrates the workers, communities, and everyday people who gave rise to the credit union movement with our Day of Giving Tapestry.
Edward Filene &
The Century Foundation
Supporting the birth of the nation's credit unions.
Charles A. Bruen
For over forty years, Charles Bruen devoted his life to the credit union movement, championing the values of service, innovation, and integrity. As President and CEO of First Entertainment Credit Union from 1986 to 2016, Charles led with foresight and compassion—transforming a local institution into a beacon of member-focused excellence.
A pioneer in digital banking, Charles was among the first to introduce home banking, embracing technology not as a novelty, but as a means to deepen trust and accessibility. His leadership extended far beyond his own credit union. In 1998, he was instrumental in the national campaign for HR 1151, safeguarding the cooperative mission of credit unions for generations to come.
Charles served on numerous boards and committees, always with a steady hand and a sharp mind. His writing—insightful, candid, and often humorous—became a touchstone for professionals across the country. In 2015, the California Credit Union League honored him with the Leo H. Shapiro Lifetime Achievement Award, a fitting tribute to a career defined by impact.
Above all, Charles was a mentor. His legacy lives on in the institutions he shaped, the leaders he inspired, and the values he instilled. His son, Eric Bruen, now CEO of Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union, carries forward that legacy with pride and purpose.
A Labor
of Love
My “unsung heroes” are all the folks who have become
Union Development Educators or “DEs” since 1982. This
group of over 3,000 credit union professionals have taken the time to go beyond the “what” of their work and deeply practice the “why” of credit unions. DE training gives people the tools to align purpose with action, and to a person, each DE has done that in their own way — through creating a food pantry to meet food insecurity needs amongst staff and community members, to building a robust financial coaching and health program, to becoming advocates to address the broader issues (i.e., housing, education, predatory lending, etc.) impacting members’ lives. These are just a few examples of how DEs put people at the heart of what they do. DEs take the time to deeply understand, with empathy, members’ financial challenges. Then, they work collaboratively within their teams and organizations to drive impact to meet those challenges and help members thrive. Daily, DEs make a positive impact to keep our credit union movement focused on member service and “people helping people” as well as improving the financial health of those we serve.
Credit Union Develoment Educators
like the United Way inspired her to give back. She joined our Board in 1976, elected in 1977, bringing essential personnel skills that filled a critical need. Since then, she has served continuously, including over four decades as Board Secretary, preserving Lighthouse Credit Union’s institutional memory and guiding decisions for 165,000+ members.
Theresa’s thoughtful insights and deep knowledge have shaped our strategic direction through decades of growth and change. In 2022, we established the Theresa Palumbo Award, honoring employees who exemplify her dedication to our mission and community. Beyond Lighthouse Credit Union, Theresa has served on other nonprofit boards, including the United Way, and remains an active volunteer with her church. She embodies the cooperative principle of people helping people, transforming personal adversity into a lifelong commitment to service. Theresa is more than a volunteer—she is a cornerstone, changemaker, and beacon of hope whose steadfast dedication has strengthened our credit union and advanced the credit union movement.
Theresa Palumbo
For more than 48 years, Theresa Palumbo has demonstrated unwavering dedication to volunteer service at Lighthouse Credit Union, embodying the values of care, community, and commitment.
Theresa’s dedication to service was shaped by hardship—her family lost their home to fire as a child, and the compassion of organizations
Nanci Wilson
An amazing human and friend, everything about Nanci Wilson (Luminate) is what I’d want for my daughter to be. Always giving and always looking for ways to help #MoveTheMovementForward
Sarah Turner
For over 40 years, Sarah Turner has been in the Credit Union movement. She played a significant role at a time when credit unions depended on the League to provide staff training and professional development as well as advocacy. When HR-1151 (the Credit Union Membership Access Act) was before Congress, Sarah was lobbying Members for its passage. Sarah Turner was part of the Consumer Choice Campaign, a fierce team of professionals
who countered the attacks from bankers on the issues of taxation and field of membership. Membership expansion became a heated issue brought on by bankers. Sarah helped to mobilize well over 1000 credit union leaders to protest banker’s attacks and lawsuits. Sarah Turner joined the duo of Larry Blanchard, Mike Beall in leading the efforts to dismiss the lawsuit. And in August of 1998, the Credit Union Field of Membership Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Sarah Turner was the first director for the Credit Union Miracle Day from 2001 – 2017, which helped credit unions come together to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across America. During her reign as the director for CUMD, the organization was the winner of the 2013 Herb Wegner award.
Neil Smith
What we appreciate most about Neil is the way he cares. He believes in our mission and, more importantly, in the people who carry it forward. In an organization where every contribution matters, Neil’s presence provides both strength and inspiration. His commitment is a true gift to the museum. He is part of our story, and we are grateful for his steadfast support.
At America’s Credit Union Museum, we are grateful to have Neil Smith as part of our family. Neil isn’t just a volunteer (though he might say he’s often volun-told) he is always there when we need him, ready to pitch in and help. As the spouse of our Executive Director, Neil gives his time in countless ways. He shows up at events, helps behind the scenes, and takes on the tasks that keep things running smoothly. He does it all with a smile, patience, and a sense of humor.