MADISON, Wis.— Summit Credit Union has been awarded the prestigious Cooperative Builder Award, as well as the international TOP CO-OP Award of Merit.
The Cooperative Builder Award is the Cooperative Network’s highest honor, reserved for individuals who advance the cooperative movement at the local, state, regional or national level. Honorees are members, employees or friends of notable cooperatives.
Kim Sponem, CEO/president of Summit Credit Union, won the award in recognition of her work benefitting Summit and the cooperative movement as a whole.
“As a builder of credit unions, Kim deserves much credit. But as an innovator who understands that credit unions must do much more for members, and communities, than just provide low-cost, consumer-friendly financial services, she stands out as an effective, visionary leader,” said Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America.
Summit Credit Union was also awarded the TOP CO-OP Award of Merit in the category of Involvement and Mobilization as part of the second annual International Summit of Cooperatives held in Canada. Specifically, this international award recognizes the excellence of Summit’s Co-op Connection, the free public event Summit hosts to celebrate cooperatives and their contributions to communities. The event also kicks off National Co-op Month.
The fourth annual Co-op Connection, held Oct. 4, drew a crowd of nearly 3,000 people and featured 25 interactive booths with co-ops and co-op support organizations, free product samples of cupcakes, bars and fair-trade coffee, live demonstrations including martial arts and balloon animals, and live music from a local singer-songwriter.