MANCHESTER, N.H.–Saying the “graying of the credit union industry is no secret,” America’s Credit Union Museum said it has begun collecting “CU Stories” from credit unions across the nation.
With the coronavirus leading to stay-at-home orders, the Museum said it used the time to partner with the Cooperative Credit Union Association in Marlborough, Mass., to capture and produce “Moments in Credit Union History.”
The segments, sponsored by CUNA Mutual Group, feature credit union professionals sharing unique memories from throughout their careers, the ACUM said.
“As credit unions merge, leaders retire and the credit union system continues to evolve, we risk losing important knowledge about our history,” said Paul Gentile, America’s CU Museum chairman and President of Merck Employees FCU. “We must preserve our history and not lose the fabric of our credit union story. We will do our part to do this through the Moments in Credit Union History series.”
Three-Part Interview
“Moments in Credit Union History” launches with a three-part interview featuring Dick Ensweiler, the former president of the Cornerstone Credit Union League and long-time CU leader who is a “self-proclaimed credit union enthusiast” with more than 53 years in the credit union movement, the Museum said. In his interview, Ensweiler recalls his beginnings days in the movement and shares his passions serving the Latino community.
“(The stories) capture the human side of the credit union movement, telling the stories in the voice of those who were there, and we share them to inspire future credit union leaders,” said the museum’s executive director, Stephanie Smith.
Smith said 24 interviews have been completed for season one of “Moments in Credit Union History” and she is inviting other credit union trailblazers to contact her at ssmith@acumuseum.org to share their memories and stories.