FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn.– SPIRE Credit Union has been honored with four awards from the Marketing Association of Credit Unions (MAC).
Winning a Gold Award, the SPIRE 2016 Annual Report was designed around their Minnesota roots, and signifies their core values, branch footprint and membership base. Iconic landmarks were drawn on the cover, representing everything from the downtown Minneapolis skyline; CHS Field, home of the St. Paul Saints; Rochester’s Mayo Clinic; Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge to the world’s largest ball of twine in Darwin, Minnesota.
A Silver Award was received for the SPIRE TV Series, Driven by Midwestern Values. Now seven years strong, SPIRE employees nominate members who have a genuine love for SPIRE for television spots. The results feature authentic, unscripted testimonials with real members having casual conversations with their charismatic and approachable President/CEO, Dan Stoltz.
A Bronze Award was given in the Outdoor Advertising category. In 2016, SPIRE launched a campaign at Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL Minnesota Wild Hockey franchise, and a one-of-a-kind, multi-purpose facility located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. With more than 150 sporting and entertainment events, and approximately 1.7 million visitors throughout each year, this was an exceptional opportunity to increase SPIRE’s brand awareness, as well as membership and product penetration.
Also winning a Bronze Award in the Video category was the SPIRE Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Day video. SPIRE’s integrity and values were demonstrated in this piece, giving the viewer an overall feel for the event. The resulting video creates a strong emotional connection with the viewer, SPIRE members and prospective members.
“We are absolutely humbled to be recognized on the national level by the Marketing Association of Credit Unions,” said Dan Stoltz, SPIRE President/CEO, "I am so proud of our dedicated and creative team. They live and breathe the SPIRE Credit Union mission of being the best financial institution, and improving the lives of our members.”
At right, Abby Massee, Case Carlson, Jenny Thieman and Lisa Lehman
Separately, the SPIRE Credit Union Scholarship Committee recently awarded a $500 Traditional Scholarship to East Ridge High School student Mallory Bannink, who plans to attend Brigham Young University – Idaho this fall.
Mallory’s application outlined a commitment to community through involvement in her church youth group, bible study classes and attending Seminary. She is also a five-year student of Achievement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a college preparatory program. Noteworthy activities and achievements, along with the completion of a well-written essay, were factors in the winner selection process.
In Mallory’s essay answering the question, Why is your credit union important to you? How has it helped your family?, she noted that, “I feel like SPIRE shares my values of honesty, integrity, and hard work. These are values that I always try to live my life by. I love getting to hear that part of my money is going to charitable organizations that are important to me like the Children’s Miracle Network, the community outreach events, and local toy donation drives.”
Since its inception, the SPIRE Scholarship Program has awarded 72 scholarships for a total of $38,000 to credit union members. “We are so honored to give youth an opportunity to further their education and chase their dreams,” says Dan Stoltz, SPIRE CEO/President, “The scholarship program truly embraces the SPIRE philosophy of improving lives.”
An additional $500 SPIRE scholarship was awarded in Eden Prairie as part of the 2017-2018 SPIRE Scholarship Program.