The National Credit UnionFoundation has awarded the first of three Herb Wegner Awards for Lifetime Achievement to TimHaegelin, retired CEO at Generations Federal Credit Union in San Antonio.

Haegelin began atGenerations, then the San Antonio City Employees FCU, as anassistant manager in 1980 after 12 years as CEO of the CentralTexas Catholic Credit Union.

By 1984, he was CEO again, a position he heldat Generations until his retirement in 2012.

With his service at these two institutions, aswell as some prior, Haegelin spent 49 years working in creditunions, the foundation noted.

“Tim's list of achievements is outstanding,” said John Gregoire,chair of the awards selection committee and president of the ProConGroup in Madison, Wis., where the foundation also is based.

“He might not be a household name but his resume and body ofwork is so significant the Wegner Awards Selection Committee isproud to bring him forward as a Lifetime Achievement winner,”Gregoire said in the announcement Tuesday.

During Haegelin's tenure at Generations, thecredit union went from 14,000 members, $37 million in assets tomore than 48,000 members and $419 million in assets, the foundationnoted in its announcement

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It also cited Haegelin's work with the city ofSan Antonio and Goodwill Industries to open branches that wouldserve underserved residents as well as setting up Volunteer IncomeTax Assistance sites to help the underserved access tax creditswithout having to pay high fees.

“Generations FCU's alliance with Goodwillhelps those in need achieve their financial goals through a varietyof monetary services that are not usually accessible to them,” saidBob Dugas, former CEO of Goodwill Industries of San Antonio. “UnderHaegelin's leadership, Generations FCU embodies the credit unionphilosophy of 'people helping people.' They actively engage incommunity initiatives and reach out to all within our area,including the underserved and unbanked.”

Haegelin also played a key role in helping tofound Credit Unions for Kids in 1986 the foundation said.

The now industry-wide charity known as CU4Kidsbegan with a call from Haegelin's desk, the foundation said,recounting how the now nationwide effort began in San Antonio.

To date, nearly all of San Antonio's 36 creditunions are supporters of CU4Kids, the Foundation reported as wellas noting that the charity grew to involve the whole industry in1996.

At last count, CU4Kids has raised more than$100 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across thecountry, the foundation said.