Alabama Credit Union League Partners With Costa Rica Credit Unions

(Birmingham, Ala.) – The Alabama Credit Union League has formed a partnership with the Costa Rican Credit Union Movement and the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). During its meeting on August 12th, the League's Board voted unanimously to form a partnership for information sharing, cooperation, and other joint activities.

"A cornerstone of the credit union difference is cooperation," said League Board Chair Dale Dalbey, CEO of Mutual Savings Credit Union in Birmingham. "The value of cooperation extends beyond our lobby doors and around the world. This is a great opportunity for credit unions in Alabama and Costa Rica to learn from each other, and share our strengths with each other."

Credit unions in Alabama will begin working with WOCCU and FEDEAC, the trade association for Costa Rica's credit unions, to identify areas of cooperation and develop a plan for working together. There are 70 active credit unions in Costa Rica serving 490,545 members.

"The League's Board and our staff are looking forward to this opportunity to work with credit unions in another part of the world," said League CEO Gary B. Wolter. "Costa Rica is a success story with a sound economy, a rich democratic tradition, and a strong and growing credit union movement. This cooperative venture will benefit credit unions in both Costa Rica and Alabama. We are eager to begin working with them."

World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development agency for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.

World Council has implemented more than 290 technical assistance programs in 71 countries. Worldwide, 51,000 credit unions in 100 countries serve 196 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.