2007 National Dora Maxwell and Louise Herring Award Winners Selected

November 19, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katye Long -- (608) 231-4038; klong@cuna.com

MADISON, Wis. – This year’s winners of the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility and Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Awards were recently chosen from among the state winning entries by CUNA’s national awards committee.

• Great Horizons FCU in Hammond, Ind.;
• GraCo FCU in Alma, Mich.;
• Soo Line CU in Minneapolis, Minn.;
• Maine Family FCU in Lewiston, Maine;
• Avanta FCU in Billings, Mont.;
• Denver Community CU in Denver;
• CommunityAmerica CU in Lenexa, Kansas; and
• Austin Chapter of Credit Unions in Texas.

Winners of the Louise Herring Award are Kentucky Employees CU in Frankfort, Ken.; Elga CU in Burton, Mich.; and US FCU in Burnsville, Minn.

“Credit unions hold firm to their belief in social responsibility and the people-first philosophy they were founded on,” said Dan Mica, president and CEO of CUNA. “The Maxwell, Herring awards program is a chance to honor credit unions that have created and implemented innovative community involvement and financial education programs – as well as an opportunity to share these ideas with the entire credit union movement.”

Maxwell was an avid organizer for the credit union movement’s trade association as well as an original signer of CUNA’s constitution. She worked extensively to organize hundreds of credit unions throughout the United States, developed volunteer organizer clubs, and worked tirelessly with a number of organizations on behalf of the poor.

The Maxwell award is presented to credit unions in seven asset-size categories and a chapter category for outstanding social responsibility projects in the community in which it is located. Activities may include: solving core community problems, organized supply drives for the needy, raising money on behalf of charitable organizations, mentoring students, or helping to organize special events for a community non-profit.

Herring, another avid supporter of credit unions, signed the original constitution for a national credit union association when she was the Ohio delegate to the 1934 national credit union conference in Estes Park, Colo. Herring saw credit unions as more than just financial institutions and believed they should work to better people’s lives. She said, “The purpose of the credit union is to reform the financial system, so that everyone can have his place in the sun.”

The Herring award is given to a credit union demonstrating the internal application of credit union philosophy to help better financial matters and increase financial education for its members. Examples of this include: extraordinary service to members with unique financial needs, financial counseling for members with difficulties, educational seminars for members pertaining to different aspects of financial planning, and continuing to educate its members on the credit union difference.

Winning entries will be on display at CUNA’s 2008 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC), March 2-6, in Washington, D.C. The award winners will also be honored during a GAC reception.

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About CUNA

With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association serves over 90 percent of America's 8,800 credit unions, which are owned by more than 90 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.cuna.org.

2007 Dora Maxwell/Louise Herring Award Winners

Dora Maxwell (Less than $5 million)
First Place: Great Horizons FCU in Hammond, Ind.

Dora Maxwell ($5-$20 million)
First Place: GraCo FCU in Alma, Mich.
Second Place: Pee Dee FCU in Florence, S.C.
Honorable Mention: City of Painesville Employees CU in Painesville, Ohio

Dora Maxwell ($20-$50 million)
First Place: Soo Line CU in Minneapolis, Minn.
Second Place: Hamilton Horizons FCU in Hamilton, N.J.
Honorable Mention: Latino Community CU in Durham, N.C.

Dora Maxwell ($50-$100 million)
First Place: Maine Family FCU in Lewiston, Maine
Second Place: First Trust FCU in Michigan City, Ind.
Honorable Mention: Eastern Utah Community FCU in Price Utah

Dora Maxwell ($100-$200 million)
First Place: Avanta FCU in Billings, Mont.
Second Place: Synergy One FCU in Manassas, Va.
Honorable Mention: Tempe Schools CU in Tempe, Ariz.

Dora Maxwell ($200-$500 million)
First Place: Denver Community CU in Denver
Second Place: Great Wisconsin CU in Madison, Wis.
Honorable Mention (tie): Park Community FCU in Louisville, Ken.
Honorable Mention (tie): Members CU in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Dora Maxwell ($500+ million)
First Place: CommunityAmerica CU in Lenexa, Kansas
Second Place: Credit Union 1 in Anchorage, Alaska
Honorable Mention: Randolph Brooks FCU in Universal City, Texas

Dora Maxwell (Credit Union Chapters)
First Place: Austin Chapter of Credit Unions in Texas
Second Place: Midland Empire Chapter of Credit Unions in Montana
Honorable Mention: Western Chapter in North Carolina

Louise Herring (Less than $50 million)
First Place: Kentucky Employees CU in Frankfort, Ken.
Second Place: Pee Dee FCU in Florence, S.C.
Honorable Mention: Affinity First FCU in Minot, N.D.

Louise Herring ($50-$250 million)
First Place: Elga CU in Burton, Mich.
Second Place: Regional FCU in Hammond, Ind.
Honorable Mention: Denver Community CU in Denver

Louise Herring (More than $100 million)
First Place: US FCU in Burnsville, Minn.
Second Place (tie): Elevations CU in Boulder, Colo.
Second Place (tie): University of Michigan CU in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Honorable Mention: Hawaii Community FCU in Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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