MALVERN, Pa. – Credit union data processor AFTECH has started a new award to honor a client, employee of a client, or third party for their contribution to the AFTECH Technology Partnership. The first-ever STAR Award recipient was Michele Hill of State Employees Credit Union in Lansing, Michigan, and was awarded at AFTECH's recent conference in Las Vegas. Hill was honored for helping integrate AFTECH's electronic teller receipts, Internet-based credit reports, and overpay protection with the credit union's portfolio of member services. State Employees Credit Union has partnered with AFTECH on many technological firsts. It was the first credit union to use the Internet to update credit reports. When coupled with AFTECH's automated decision lending product, the Internet update capacity gave State Employees the ability to approve loans in under a minute. State Employees also partnered with AFTECH to introduce the Bank Insight NSF product. By allowing members to overdraw their third-party payment accounts, the credit union saves members the bad-check fees charged by merchants and others; reduces the negative impact of bad checks on a member's credit history; and generates revenue for the credit union.