LONDON–A select group of credit union leaders in the U.K as well as Africa and Asia have been recognized for their achievements.
The Edward A Filene Awards for Performance Excellence and The Joe Biden Awards for the Development Educator of the Year from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Caribbean and Europe were presented here during a special celebratory dinner and ceremony here. CUToday.info’s Frank J. Diekmann was among the judges of the awards, along with Susan Luke Evans and Debbie Wege.
The awards seek to inspire credit unions and their activists to strive for and obtain performance excellence with the effect of raising and promoting their profile.
The winners by category included:
- Excellence shown in performance by a Single Benefactor to a Credit Union: Matthew Don Bailey – Civil Service Credit Union, Dublin
- Excellence shown in performance by a President/Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer/General Manager of a Credit Union: Winner: Murdo MacLeod, CEO, South Yorkshire Credit Union, Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Runner Up: Dave Sims, CEO, North East Scotland Credit Union, Aberdeen, Scotland. Highly Commended: Janet Booker, General Manager, Ballyhackamore Credit Union, Belfast, N.Ireland.
- Excellence Shown in Performance by a Young Credit Union Leader (either paid or unpaid) aged between 17 and 35 years: Winner: Owen Chown, Members’ Liaison Officer, Dragonsavers Credit Union, Treorchy, Wales.
- Excellence Shown in Performance by Pell Scholars” recipients of bursaries from the ICULD&E Foundation to attend DE courses in other countries: Ann Mbaabu from Stima SACCO, Mombasa, Kenya, ACDE in Bangkok, Thailand; Malcolm Nguoala from Congo Brazzaville and Bolton, Lancs - ADE in South Africa; Sukhmeet Sohal, ACCU, Thailand – DEEU in Liverpool, UK.
- Excellence Shown in Performance by a Credit Union Achieving Business Growth Using its Own Resources: Winner: Jubilee Tower Credit Union Ltd, Darwen, Lancashire. Runners Up: Dragonsavers Credit Union Ltd, Treorchy, Wales; Ballyhackamore Credit Union Ltd, Belfast, N.Ireland. Highly Commended: South Yorkshire Credit Union Ltd, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Joe Biden Awards for Development Educator of the Year
Africa
Winner: Ann Mbaabu, ACDE – Stima SACCO Society Ltd, Mombasa, Kenya
Asia:
Winner: Jose Allan S. Bartolo, PhDE, Bugasong Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc., Bugasong, Antique, Philippines. Runner Up: Lydia (Jams) Canalija, PhDE, LIPIEMCO (League of Professionals, Individuals, Entrepreneurs Multipurpose Co-operative), Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines. Highly Commended: Johnny J Gomes, ACDE, Dharenda Christian Co-operative Credit Union, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Australasia
Winner: Deb Say, DEDU, Traditional Credit Union Ltd, Casuarina, Northern Territories, Australia Carribbean
Winner: Her Excellency, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, Hon.Carib.DE, Jamaican High Commissioner in the U.K. and non-resident Ambassador to the Republics of Ireland, Finland and Cyprus and the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.