Eager to honor advocacy leaders in the state, the Texas CreditUnion League on Wednesday rolled out a year-long recognitionprogram starting with a planned Jan. 16 announcement of the firstrecipient.

The program, called “12 of 2012” will pick an honoree orhonorees “who go above and beyond” grassroots initiatives inpromoting the credit union message, said Dick Ensweiler,president/CEO of the league.

The winners, to be recognized each month in online and printpublications, are “innovators” who may exhibit a collaborativeeffort and “rise beyond expectations” in such areas as PACfundraising, the league said.

The monthly winners may be “individual chapters or an entirecredit union” which demonstrates special enthusiasm for a project,the league said.

In announcing “the first 12 of 2010” recipient Jan. 16, leagueofficials said that a video would be made at the end of the year“recognizing the entire list.”

The program got started, said the league, because of a “surge ofengagement from members, many of whom have taken the bull by thehorn and really focused on legislative advocacy.”

“We are looking forward to turning the spot light on each ofthese high achievers and perhaps, by sharing the ideas they havelaunched, encourage others to do the same,” said Ensweiler.