2024 Award Winner
Tigard, Oregon
Unitus Community Credit Union has been named the recipient of the 2024 John Pembroke Catalyst for Change Award, an honor that recognizes organizations leading the way in advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the credit union industry.
Unitus has demonstrated exceptional leadership in embedding DEI principles throughout its operations. Their comprehensive DEI Action Plan serves as a cornerstone of their strategic planning, ensuring that DEI is not just an initiative, but a core value that drives the organization forward. What sets Unitus apart is the way their efforts were shaped by the feedback and commitment of their employees, who championed greater inclusivity and equity well before the events of 2020 brought national attention to these issues.
Through their continued focus on fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, Unitus is creating lasting, positive change—not only within their credit union but also across the industry and in the broader community they serve. Their work stands as an inspiring example for others to follow, making them truly deserving of this honor. Congratulations to Unitus Community Credit Union!
Snapshots from the Award Ceremony
View moments from the 2024 CUES John Pembroke Catalyst for Change award presentation!
Previous Winners
Sacremento, California
Golden 1 Credit Union is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Their dedication to this mission is evident through a workforce that boasts diversity at all levels, featuring a strong representation of women and BIPOC employees, even within the executive leadership team. They've implemented quarterly performance reviews and bias training to ensure fair promotions and career advancement. Golden 1 also nurtures an inclusive culture by introducing employee resource groups and a DEI Council to promote an environment of belonging and equity. In addition, they celebrate their employees' unique experiences and perspectives through the 'In Our Own Words' podcast series, further reinforcing their dedication to diversity and inclusion.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
GreenState Credit Union is working to remove the barriers that communities of color encounter through its Community Investment and Emergent Bilingual Strategies.
Most Americans can build substantial wealth through home ownership. But minority groups and immigrant households are less likely to own homes.
As a leader in home mortgages in the Midwest, and #1 in Iowa, GreenState is in a unique position to lead this effort. In 2021 GreenState began a 10-year initiative to help close Iowa’s racial homeownership gap. The goal is to fund over $1 billion in mortgage loans to people of color in all communities its serve.
In 2020, GreenState established the Emergent Bilingual Strategy to address financial disparities and earn the trust of bilingual communities. The goal is to have at least one bilingual person in each department.
In the addition, the credit union translated into Spanish its website, mobile and online banking, marketing materials, and loan deposit applications.
In 2021, the credit union began to track the language preference of members. Retail staff had a goal of producing $10 million in loans to non-English speaking members.
The goal for 2022 goal is to lend $75 million to bilingual communities.
GreenState is making bold moves to address the racial disparities hindering communities from building wealth.
Credit unions across the nation are asking themselves how they can improve the financial lives of their consumers of color, and GreenState is paving the path to do it in a bold, yet strategic way.
Bannockburn, Illinois
In 2020, at the direction of the CEO Steve Bugg, Great Lakes Credit Union formalized a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by establishing both a Leadership Project Team and employee committee, with specific internal and external goals to meet.
To ensure accountability, leadership incorporated DEI initiatives into its Score Card goals and strategies, which allows for direct links to compensation with bonus opportunities.
Additionally, the credit union’s housing and marketing teams worked to combat payday and predatory lending. Team members have also partnered with community organizations to address DEI in the community.