ST. PAUL, Minn. – Recognizing the extraordinary efforts of exceptional volunteers dedicated to improving and supporting the credit union culture worldwide, the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) recently bestowed three Minnesota credit union representatives with an international honor.
Mark D. Cummins, President & CEO of the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN); Kristina Wright, MnCUN's Vice President – Association Services; and Dick Nesvold, CEO of SouthPoint Federal Credit Union in Sleepy Eye, Minn., were among a group of nine credit union professionals who were inducted into WOCCU's International Executive Volunteer Corps (IEVC). The IEVC recognizes industry leaders for their dedication to international credit union development and volunteer service with WOCCU.
"World Council volunteers are vital to international credit union development and to building a global community," said WOCCU President & CEO Brian Branch. "Partner credit union movements receive tailored, one-on-one training in critical areas. At the same time, the seasoned professionals who lend their expertise bring a unique international perspective back to their credit unions."
Cummins, Wright and Nesvold make up the perennial components of a group of Minnesota credit union representatives who participate in an ongoing exchange between MnCUN and the Paraguayan credit union association Central de Cooperativas del Area Nacional Ltda. (CENCOPAN). This partnership was established in 2004 through the World Council of Credit Unions, and it allows credit union representatives from both countries to share ideas, knowledge, insight and experiences.
The group has met with officials in Paraguay several times and, most recently, a contingent from Paraguay visited Minnesota to gather regulatory and credit union operations insight from the state's regulators, MnCUN staff and other credit union professionals. During the November exchange, Nesvold and his SouthPoint FCU staff hosted the Paraguay group and was one of several Minnesota credit unions the group visited.
"We strive to ensure that this partnership continues to be beneficial to CENCOPAN and the Paraguayan credit unions, as well as to MnCUN and the credit unions we represent," Cummins said. "It is a great honor to be recognized for our work with this partnership, and I look forward to future exchanges and the opportunity to work with other credit unions, here and internationally, to help advance cooperatives and further the global credit union movement."
Along with Cummins, Wright and Nesvold, the other new IEVC members are:
- Joe Bergeron, President/CEO, Association of Vermont Credit Unions, partnership with Federacion Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Credito del Peru;
- Alan Cameron, President/ CEO, Idaho Credit Union League and Affiliates, former partnership with Solomon Islands Credit Union League;
- Rob Kimmett, Vice President – Public Relations, Massachusetts Credit Union League, partnership with Bahamas Co-operative League;
- Tom Liebe, Vice President – Governmental Affairs, Wisconsin Credit Union League, partnership with Asociacion de Instituciones Rurales de Ahorro y Credito (Dominican Republic);
- David Southall, President/CEO, Innovations FCU, Panama City, Fla.; in conjunction with League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates partnership with Federacion de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Credito de Costa Rica; and
- Brett Thompson, President/CEO, Wisconsin Credit Union League, partnership with Asociación de Instituciones Rurales de Ahorro y Crédito (Dominican Republic);
IEVC members are affiliated with WOCCU's volunteer activities and International Partnerships Program, which formalizes credit union partnerships worldwide. Inductees have served at least a three-year commitment to furthering WOCCU's international credit union development efforts, and each has engaged in two or more volunteer assignments abroad. IEVC members must have hosted at least four international credit union professionals at their individual credit unions within the previous two years.
The Minnesota Credit Union Network is an organization representing the state’s 134 not-for-profit cooperative credit unions serving more than 1.5 million member-owners in Minnesota. For more information, visit www.mncun.org.