Spring is Award Nomination Season


Spring is finally here and there are many reasons to celebrate. Warmer weather, Red Sox baseball, and of course, awards season! The League provides several opportunities to recognize your credit union and your credit union colleagues and volunteers for their tremendous work, but there are important deadlines coming up to keep in mind.

League Convention Awards

At the League’s Annual Convention, taking place this year on August 19 and 20, four awards will be presented to individuals that make important contributions at their credit unions and in their communities.

  • James M. Gratto Award: Honors an outstanding credit union CEO.
  • Jeannette G. Morin Award: Recognizes the credit union employee of the year.
  • Alex Ferguson Award: Pays tribute to the credit union volunteer of the year.
  • Diane J. Oceretko People Helping People Award: Acknowledges an individual from the Maine credit union movement who is active in community service, volunteering, and goes above and beyond to help others in need.

Nomination forms for these awards are available on the League’s website. The deadline to submit a nomination is April 29, 2021. Please email Linda Scott, League Conference & Event Manager, at lscott@mainecul.org if you have questions concerning the convention awards.

CUNA Social Responsibility Awards

The application portal is open for state-level entries for CUNA’s Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring, and Desjardins Awards. Winners in these categories are selected by credit union asset size and will be recognized at the League’s Annual Convention in August. First-place winners are automatically entered for a chance to compete for a CUNA national award.

  • Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award: This award is given to a credit union or chapter for its social responsibility projects within the community. The award is given for external activities.
  • Desjardins Award: The award recognizes leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of financial literacy for all ages. The recognition program considers all activities supporting the personal finance education of members and non-members including, but not limited to, face-to-face teaching using proprietary materials and curriculum, as well as financial literacy leadership efforts.
  • Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award: This award is given to a credit union for its practical application of the People Helping People philosophy in their programs and policies or within their actual operations. It is awarded for internal programs and services that benefit membership.

Award entries for the League’s state awards program must be submitted through the CUNA Awards website. All submissions must be received by May 28, 2021. Please email Jen Burke, League Public Affairs and Communications Manager, at jburke@mainecul.org if you have questions concerning the social responsibility awards.