LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.–Attendees at the CU*NorthWest 2017 Annual Leadership Conference here all received signs reading, “It’s a Cooperative Thing: Cooperative Business Charters Rock for Being More Than Just a Brand” to hang in their institutions.
This sign is a symbol of their cooperative business designs and the reminder that they are part of something bigger, according to the CUSO.
“We’re all in this together,” said Greg Smith, CU*NorthWest CEO. “Just like our cooperative credit union owners, CU*NorthWest believes in and lives by the seven cooperative principles. Credit unions have one of the most powerful and compelling business advantages for consumers, and today the message could not be more relevant: cooperatives are more than just a brand and that message needs to be reinforced in the marketplace.”
CEO of Cheney FCU, JoAn Sanders added, “Now when you walk into our lobby, we have a symbol that identifies us a cooperative. Members often forget that we were founded by them, for them. With the sign in our lobby, members will be reminded that we are working toward a common cooperative goal.”
Meanwhile, also during the meeting, Todd A. Powell, recently retired CEO of Spokane Firefighters Credit Union, was recognized by CU*NorthWest as the first recipient of the Todd A. Powell award.
Powell devoted 23 years to the credit union industry, serving as a member of the CU*NorthWest board from 2005 to 2017 and as chairman for 11 of those years, CU*Northwest said.
“Todd’s belief in and enthusiasm for disrupting the data processing vendor status quo for credit unions helped lead to the formation of our CUSO,” said Smith. “His respect in the industry and commitment to building something better inspired others to follow.”
CU*Northwest said Powell’s dedication, passion, and determination served not only as a guide, but as a compass for CU*NorthWest to grow and prosper into a CUSO that is now known in the industry for its core values of cooperation, collaboration, and innovation.
“It saddened me to leave the credit union, the members and staff that I worked with on a daily basis, the team we had built over the years and the company that we had grown to be,” said Powell. “I didn’t, however, realize the impact it would have on me when I announced I would be leaving my CU*NorthWest family. I hadn’t founded the credit union, however I did help found CU*NorthWest and it is with great honor that I accept this award. I look forward to keeping in touch and will be following the growth of CU*NorthWest over the years as they have become and always were more than just a vendor. I am happy to call them my friends. Again, thank you for the recognition and here is too many more years of cooperative success.”