Cooperative Hall of Fame Honors Late CUNA Chief

WASHINGTON-A former top dog at CUNA was inducted into the National Cooperative Business Association’s Cooperative Hall of Fame last month. The late Herb Wegner was honored posthumously at a ceremony that took place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. April 30. Current CUNA President and CEO Dan Mica presented a plaque to one of Wegner’s sons. Wegner was one of four inductees including Congressman Doug Bereuter (R-Neb.). Wegner played a vital role in fighting for several credit union powers, according to CUNA, including offering checking accounts, credit cards, IRAs, and mortgages. He helped create share drafts, secondary mortgage corporations, and corporate credit unions. He also led a government-appointed panel to design the initial electronic funds transfer system. Additionally, Wegner built an alliance of financial cooperatives throughout Latin America that provided a model for the cooperative movement in Africa and Asia. Wegner’s wife (of Maryland) and his two sons and daughter (all of California) attended the ceremony. The Cooperative Hall of Fame was established by the NCBA and administered by the Cooperative Development Foundation to honor “genuinely heroic” individuals to the cooperative movement. Each inductee is spotlighted at www.heroes.coop.