PALM DESERT, Calif.–The California and Nevada leagues presented their highest honor, the Leo H. Shapiro Award for Lifetime Achievement, to Chuck Bruen, CEO of First Entertainment FCU in Hollywood, Calif.
Bruen has been in credit unions for 37 years, 25 of those as CEO at FECU. In introducing Bruen at the leagues’ REACH meeting, league CEO Diana Dykstra said Bruen’s achievements included helping consumers to achieve financial success, being an early adopter of technology, and chairing the league.
In accepting the award, Bruen touched on three themes: advocacy, technology, and people helping people.
In terms of technology, Bruen said he designed First Entertainment’s first-ever website in 1995. “It was pitiful,” he said. He turned more serious talking about the work credit unions do.
“I was pleased to see what credit unions do with Children’s Miracle Network,” said Bruen. “But all of us can do things in small ways, too. I’ve been CEO at First Entertainment since 1987, when we were at $28 million in assets. Today we’re at $1.2 billion. Part of the reason we have been successful is we continue to focus on our entertainment members, and we do that by celebrating our members in our quarterly newsletter, the Show.”