Press Releases

For Washington Credit Unions, “Financial Literacy Month” is a Year Round Commitment

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — The spotlight shines on financial literacy all month and in particular on young people during “National Credit Union Youth Week” April 21-27, 2013. But for Washington’s credit unions, helping consumers manage their money and grow their financial capability skills is a year around focus.

Read More

For Oregon Credit Unions, “Financial Literacy Month” is a Year Round Commitment

BEAVERTON, Ore. — The spotlight shines on financial literacy all month and in particular on young people during “National Credit Union Youth Week” April 21-27, 2013. But for Oregon’s credit unions, helping consumers manage their money and grow their financial capability skills is a year around focus.

Read More

Kim Vu Steps into New Role to Advance Community Investment and Social Impact for Northwest Credit Unions

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — An innovator known for building partnerships between credit unions and philanthropic programs will join the Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) in the new role of vice president of community investment and social impact.

Read More

Six Washington Credit Unions Launch Unique Savings Program with $5,000 Annual Prize

The Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) and six credit unions in Washington have teamed up to offer an innovative savings program called Save to Win. By making a $25 deposit at one of the six participating credit unions, members will be entered into a drawing to win a $5,000 annual prize as well as monthly prizes up to $5,000.

Read More

Salem Ore. - “Live!” High Pressure Budgeting Reality Event for High School Students

(SALEM, OREGON—March 13, 2013) The pressure is on for about 75 high school students during a live, interactive reality budgeting exercise—all done with legislators looking on and your reporters capturing the drama.

Read More

Oregonians Overwhelmingly Support Credit Unions and Their Tax Structure

BEAVERTON, OR -- A newly released poll shows Oregon consumers have overwhelming loyalty to credit unions over banks, and support the credit union not-for-profit tax exemption.

Read More

“Live!” High Pressure Budgeting Reality Event for High School Students Live within your means while legislators are watching. Can your reporter do it?

(OLYMPIA, WA—Feb. 7, 2013) The pressure is on for about 75 high school students during a live, interactive reality budgeting exercise—all done with legislators looking on and your reporters capturing the drama.

Read More

Historic Partnership Between Credit Union Organizations Strengthens Local Influence

PORTLAND, OR–FEDERAL WAY, WA --- The Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) and the Northwest Council of the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) are pleased to announce a partnership sharing professional development resources and networking opportunities.

Read More

Northwest Credit Union Foundation Names New Board of Trustees

Federal Way (WA.) The Northwest Credit Union Foundation (NWCUF) welcomes its new board of trustees. Steve Wilder, of Horizon Credit Union has been elected interim Chairman of the Board. Kyle Frick of Mid Oregon Credit Union will serve as Vice Chairman. The executive team also includes Lesley Carrell of Fibre Credit Union as Secretary and Barbara Mathey of IBEW & United Workers FCU as Treasurer. The interim executive committee will serve until a permanent committee is named to serve beginning in January, 2013.

Read More

Northwest Credit Union Association Names New Board, Keesee Elected Chair for 2012-2013

(Vancouver) Wa: The Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) has elected its’ 2012-2013 board of directors and named Debie Keesee of Spokane media Credit Union as its new chair. The board was seated for the first time at the NWCUA’s Annual Business Meeting & Convention earlier this month in Vancouver, Washington.

Read More

Northwest Credit Union Association Names Denise Gabel as COO

(Federal Way, WA) Denise Gabel has been named Chief Operating Officer of the Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA). Gabel will report directly to Troy Stang, the Association’s president and CEO. The appointment is effective November 5, 2012.

Read More

Oregon Credit Union Business Lending Up 8 Percent

Oregon’s small-business entrepreneurs are turning to credit unions for their financing more than ever before, according to data just released by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

Read More

Washington Credit Union Business Lending Skyrockets 13 Percent

Small businesses are turning to Washington credit unions for their financing more than ever before, according to data just released by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

Read More

John Annaloro to Retire as NWCUA CEO

FEDERAL WAY, Wash; BEAVERTON, Ore.--The Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA) announces the upcoming retirement of John Annaloro as its Chief Executive Officer. The Association’s change of leadership will occur Oct. 2, 2012, in conjunction with the NWCUA’s Convention and Annual Business Meeting in Vancouver, Wash. A reception honoring Annaloro’s accomplishments will be held during the proceedings on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 4.

Read More

Portland, SW Washington Credit Unions Lead Nation in Charitable Giving to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

Portland, OR (May 24, 2012)—When a small group of Oregon and Southwest Washington credit unions created “Credit Unions for Kids” in 1986, the goal was to improve healthcare for young patients at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. It worked – so well that the Credit Unions for Kids effort was copied nationally a decade later.

Read More

Area Credit Unions Part of Effort That Raised $100 Million for CMN Hospitals

FEDERAL WAY, Wash—Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals and credit unions in Washington and around the nation are celebrating a milestone in their partnership with the announcement that the not-for-profit financial services community has raised $100 million for children’s care network’s 170 facilities.

Read More

Lane County Credit Unions Deliver $150,000 Promise to Sacred Heart Medical Center

May 18, 2012. FEDERAL WAY, Wash; BEAVERTON, Ore--- Beating their Credit Unions for Kids two-year Children’s Miracle Network fundraising goal of $150,000 by completing it in just one-and-a-half years, the credit unions of Lane County built two Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) rooms and added an identifying plaque to an upgraded waiting area at Sacred Heart Pediatric Medical Center in Eugene, Ore.

Read More

European Financial Experts Look to Northwest Credit Unions for Perspective on Service to Consumers

April 4, 2012 OREGON CITY, OR -- Financial experts and policy advisors serving nine European Union countries visited Clackamas Federal Credit Union as part of a multi-city fact finding tour of U.S. financial markets. Specifically the delegation wanted to explore the differences between banks and credit unions and how credit unions navigated the global financial crisis that began in 2008.

Read More

Gregoire Signs Law Allowing Government Deposits in All Credit Unions

March 14, 2012. FEDERAL WAY, Washington - Senate Bill 5913 allowing public entities for the first time to deposit funds in any credit union in Washington up to the federal insurance maximum of $250,000 was signed into law by Gov. Christine Gregoire last Wednesday, March 7.

Read More

NW Credit Unions Pick Up 9% of New Members Nationally in 2011

March 13, 2012. FEDERAL WAY,WA.; BEAVERTON, Ore.- The benefits of being a credit union member in Washington and Oregon were on full display last year as the two states accounted for 123,752 or 9.2 percent of the total national new membership gain of 1,344,936 in 2011, according to data just released by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

Read More

Enterprise Donates to Credit Unions for Kids

March 12, 2012. Beaverton, OR – A valued credit union movement partner has again made a significant contribution to Credit Unions for Kids, considered to be a charity of choice for Northwest credit unions.

Read More

Governor Gregoire to Sign Legislation Allowing Gov’t Deposits in Local Credit Unions

February 29, 2012. FEDERAL WAY,WA - Washington’s government entities may soon have a local option for their public deposits that allows them to invest their tax dollars locally and support financial institutions that reinvest in their communities.

Read More

Attention: This is not a story pitch about credit unions!

January 9, 2012. FEDERAL WAY, WA; BEAVERTON, OR - By joining cooperative financial institutions, over 4 million members in the Northwest received a combined $170 million in financial benefits, a savings of nearly $200 per family.

Read More

Three Ways to Achieve a More Fiscally Fit You in 2012

December 28, 2011. FEDERAL WAY, WA; BEAVERTON, OR - As the nation resolves to become more financially healthy in the coming year, becoming a more fiscally fit you may be a bigger challenge. Developing a thoughtful, deliberate financial strategy for the New Year isn’t as difficult as some imagine it to be.

Read More

Credit Unions Shatter Consumer Satisfaction Record

December 15, 2011. FEDERAL WAY,WA; BEAVERTON, OR - A report released this week shows that credit union members are more satisfied with their financial cooperative than any other consumers in any other economic sector in the 16-year history of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Read More

Thousands Join Northwest Credit Unions on Bank Transfer Day

November 10, 2011. More than 2,100 Northwest consumers switched to a credit union on Bank Transfer Day last Saturday, Nov. 5, a day when most credit unions that were open only did so for a few hours, a survey of credit unions by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) shows.

Read More

Switching to a Credit Union is Easy to Do, Easy to Maintain

October 20, 2011. Not-for-profit credit unions have seen increased traffic since Bank of America announced its new fee. Now, as the Nov. 5 National Dump You Bank Day nears, they have made it easier than ever to join a financial cooperative.

Read More

Portland Credit Unions Help Consumers Join by Cooperating, not Competing

October 18, 2011. PORTLAND, OREGON - Northwest credit unions are reporting an influx of new members who are trying to escape higher bank fees charged for debit cards and checking accounts—services most credit unions provide free.

Read More

Oregon and Washington Credit Union Foundations Approve Merger to Enhance their Philanthropic Support the Northwest Credit Union Community

October 18, 2011. BEAVERTON, OREGON - The boards of the credit union foundations of Oregon and Washington unanimously approved on October 14th a merger plan to become the Northwest Credit Union Foundation (NWCUF) effective January 1, 2012.

Read More

OnPoint’s Steve Gray named “Volunteer of the Year” by Oregon and Washington Credit Union Foundations

September 15, 2011. Beaverton OR. - Steve Gray, recently retired Chairman of the Board of OnPoint Community Credit Union has been named “Volunteer of the Year” in the Summit Awards program, jointly hosted by the Oregon Credit Union Foundation and the Washington Credit Union Foundation.

Read More

Unitus’ Brett Wooden wins Young Credit Union Professional of the Year Award

September 8, 2011. Seattle, WA. -- Brett Wooden will receive the Young Credit Union Professional of the Year Award at the Summit Awards dinner on September 22nd.

Read More

Credit Union Gathering to Bring National Personalities, 800 Attendees to Western Washington

September 7, 2011. Tacoma, WA. - In an era of declining budgets and increasing regulatory pressure, U.S. credit unions are looking at all options in their never ending quest to serve their members. Pacific Northwest credit unions later this month will come together to discuss those options and gain a deeper understanding of the current operating environment at the first convention and business meeting of the Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA).

Read More

Rogue’s Gene Pelham wins Foundations’ Credit Union Professional of the Year Award

August 30, 2011. Seattle, WA. - Gene Pelham, a 26-year veteran of the credit union industry, will be honored by the Oregon and Washington Credit Union Foundations as the Credit Union Professional of the Year.

Read More

BECU’s Gary Oakland wins Foundations’ Mark of Excellence Award

August 24, 2011. Seattle, WA. - In recognition of his 25 years leading one of America’s largest credit unions, The Washington and Oregon Credit Union Foundations are pleased to announce that Gary Oakland, President and CEO of BECU, will receive the Mark of Excellence honor at the Summit Awards dinner.

Read More

Credit Union Modernization Bill Signed by Oregon Governor

June 15, 2011. BEAVERTON, Ore - Gov. John Kitzhaber yesterday signed into law the Northwest Credit Union Association’s (NWCUA) SB 177—Oregon’s Credit Union Act update bill.

Read More