WOCCU’s Crear Congratulates Cleveland CDCU’s Longevity

CLEVELAND – Noting that good work often comes from small credit unions, World Council of Credit Union President & CEO Pete Crear joined local and state legislative and regulatory officials from Ohio to congratulate the staff and board of Faith Community United Credit Union, Inc. The $9.8 million community development credit union held its 56^th annual meeting this past Saturday in Cleveland. Credit union CEO Rita Haynes has worked at the credit union in volunteer and professional capacities for the past 50 years.

Rita Haynes (center), CEO of Faith Community United Credit Union in Cleveland, welcomes Ohio Credit Union League President Paul Mercer (left) and World Council of Credit Unions President & CEO Pete Crear (right) to the credit union's 56th annual meeting this past weekend.

“Credit unions are hard work, and for some of us they’re harder work than they are for others. But there are the select few who make providing superior member service seem effortless,” said Crear at the Saturday evening event. “Rita Haynes falls into—and perhaps even well beyond—this very special category of credit union professionals.”

Haynes last year had won the “Hardest Working” award from the Tom Joyner Morning Show on ABC radio. According to Crear, the categories of “Most Influential,” Most Dedicated” and “Most Mission-Driven” could have been additional accolades added to the award, both for Haynes and the credit union she manages.

“The importance of being a credit union and operating in your members’ best interests can never be underestimated, whether it’s here in Cleveland, on the noisy streets of Nairobi, or in the mountains of Peru,” Crear said. “Credit unions play a vital role in the very fabric of the communities in which they operate. They’re critical lifelines for the financial, and in some cases social wellbeing of the members they serve.”

Other officials present, including local and state government and credit union association officials, agreed with Crear’s assessment in recognition of Faith Community United’s achievements.

“Rita has done and continues to do a terrific job with Faith Community,” said Paul Mercer, president of the Ohio Credit Union League. “The annual meeting was a wonderful, inspiring celebration of purpose-centered CU success.”

El Consejo Mundial de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito es la asociación gremial y agencia de desarrollo para el sistema internacional de cooperativas de ahorro y crédito. El Consejo Mundial promueve el crecimiento sustentable de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y otras cooperativas financieras en todo el mundo a fin de facultar a las personas para que mejoren su calidad de vida a través del acceso a servicios financieros asequibles y de alta calidad. El Consejo Mundial realiza esfuerzos de defensa activa en representación del sistema global de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito ante organizaciones internacionales y trabaja con gobiernos nacionales para mejorar la legislación y la regulación. Sus programas de asistencia técnica introducen nuevas herramientas y tecnologías para fortalecer el desempeño financiero de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y profundizar su alcance comunitario.

El Consejo Mundial ha implementado 290 programas de asistencia técnica en 71 países. A nivel mundial, 51,000 cooperativas de ahorro y crédito en 100 países atienden a 196 millones de personas. Obtenga más información sobre el impacto global del Consejo Mundial en www.woccu.org.