WASHINGTON — Charles "Bill" Sterner, long time credit union organizer, leader, advocate and pioneer will be honored with the National Credit Union Foundation's 2009 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Because Sterner died earlier this year, the award will be granted posthumously.
At his death, Sterner was CEO of the $835 million Elevations Credit Union in Boulder, Colorado.
In its announcement of the Award, the Foundation cited both Sterner's work organizing leading credit unions here as well as his efforts to organize and lead cooperatives overseas.
"Bill's memory shines on in all our lives," says Wegner Award nominator John Dill, President/CEO of the Credit Union Association of Colorado as well as the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado and Wyoming. "Bill's strong commitment, vision, and innovation to foster growth in the credit union industry will continue to inspire and help advance future generations and new frontiers."
Sterner's vision was to "promote new and sustained membership" in cooperatives. Yet he paved his career path in a different direction than most cooperative pioneers. He blazed his first trails internationally, then nationally, before settling into a single state and local community.
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