WASHINGTON–Three inspirational stories from credit union leaders who have changed members’ lives, their communities and even the world were shared during the Herb Wegner Memorial Dinner in Washington.
Held in conjunction with America’s Credit Unions GAC, the Wegner Awards are considered to be the highest honor presented by the U.S. credit union movement, and are presented by the National Credit Union Foundation.
The individuals honored with Outstanding Individual Achievement awards for 2026 included:
- Kathy Chartier, president & CEO of Members Credit Union in Connecticut
- Gigi Hyland, the former executive director of the foundation who is now a credit union advocate and philanthropist, based in Virgina
- Steven Stapp, president & CEO of Unitus Community Credit Union in Oregon
Below is what each had to say in accepting their awards:
Steven Stapp
Stapp has led Unitus Community since 2016 and has been very active with the World Council of Credit Union. Indeed, he was in Libya in 2012 when the Benghazi attack occurred. He also developed a partnership with First Credit Union in New Zealand.
“This is one of those rare moments in life when you look around the room and feel both humbled and lifted at the same time. Receiving this award, named after a man whose vision shaped the soul of the credit union movement, is one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Stapp. “I am standing among my heroes — people who have shaped my experience in this movement and inspired me more than I ever dreamed was possible.”
Stepp, who thanked his parents for opening his first credit union account when he was two, told the audience that “This award may have my name on it, but it belongs to the people who shaped me — the mentors who challenged me, the colleagues who collaborated with me, the board members who trusted me, and the teams who brought passion to every initiative…It belongs to those on the front lines of service — our financial first responders and member advocates.
Global Family
“And it belongs to our global credit union family, because everything we do is part of something bigger than ourselves. Tonight, we have international delegates in the audience who are leading movements far away. You are shining examples of what the cooperative movement is all about — my heroes whom I have the privilege to work alongside.
“Tonight is not a finish line. It’s a reminder that our work is far from done,” Stapp continued. “Let’s keep building. Let’s keep collaborating. And let’s keep imagining what’s possible when we put people first.”
Kathy Chartier
Kathy Chartier, whose 13-year-old grandson narrated a portion of her award video, was unable to attend the awards, and the Foundation place cards on each table so that attendees could write messages to her. Chartier did watch the presentation of the award virtually.
Chartier was recognized for the growth of her credit union during her 38-year-career, and especially for her work in expanding services into the Hispanic community.
In her absence, Chartier’s acceptance remarks were read by Lynn Sabatino, mortgage officer with Members Credit Union. The following has been partially edited for length.
“Thank you. I am deeply honored and overwhelmed,” Chartier wrote. “When I began this journey 38 years ago, I did not set out to build a career. I set out to make a difference. What I discovered along the way is that credit unions are not a career path; they are a calling. And more than that, they are a family.
“This realization came when I had the opportunity to attend DE, Class of 1994 — best class ever — as a shy girl who was afraid to state her own name. I had no idea that week in a monastery would mark the beginning of my credit union family or the profound effect it would have on the rest of my life.
“What I am most proud of is not a title held or an award received. It is the family of credit union people who have surrounded me, challenged me, supported me and walked beside me for nearly four decades. That family has continued to grow and expand, including more of our staff at our credit union.
“In 2016, we joined Inclusiv and became a Juntos Avanzamos credit union. In 2017, we began strengthening community partnerships. In 2018, we earned our CDFI designation to better serve the Hispanic community. In 2020, we entered the next chapter of this journey — perhaps the most important one.
As our credit unions grow larger, stronger and more sophisticated, we must never outgrow our purpose. Scale is a gift, but it is also a responsibility.
‘Large CUs, We Need You’
“To the leaders of our largest institutions: We need you. The movement needs you. The underserved single parent choosing between rent and groceries needs you. The first-generation entrepreneur who cannot access traditional capital needs you. The immigrant community that has been overlooked for decades needs you.
“Growth is not the goal. Impact is the goal. We cannot allow our size to distance us from the very people we were created to serve. The strength of this movement has always been collective — large and small, urban and rural, new and established — working together so that no community is left behind.
“If my 38 years have taught me anything, it is this: The future of credit unions will not be defined by assets. It will be defined by courage. Courage to collaborate. Courage to innovate. Courage to invest in communities that cannot immediately repay us with profit but will repay us with transformation.
‘We Have Seen Lives Changed’
“My family in this room knows exactly what I mean. We have seen what happens when we lean in instead of stepping back. We have seen lives changed. We have seen communities rebuilt. We have seen what is possible when we stay true to one mission.
“Tonight, I accept this award not as a culmination, but as a continuation. Because as long as there are people who feel underserved, overlooked or underestimated, our work is not done. To my credit union family: Thank you for walking this road with me.”
Gigi Hyland
Gigi Hyland grew up in a credit union family. Both her parents were credit union attorneys, and Hyland would earn a law degree herself before going on to a career that included stints with CUNA, a corporate CU, as an NCUA board member and as executive director of the National Credit Union Foundation.
“We don’t talk a lot about love in the financial services industry. Yet I stand here, look at all of your beautiful faces, and think about the work you do each day to help people thrive financially,” Hyland said. “I think about the care you give as you serve your members, meeting them where they are, helping them make life more affordable and finding solutions to their greatest financial challenges. That care comes from giving a damn. Giving a damn comes from love.
Lessons From Birding
“I’m a birder, and part of why I love birding is the incredible beauty and diversity of birds — from hummingbirds to herons, eagles to egrets, wingspans to focal lengths. Yes, I had to say that. In fact, there are more than 11,000 distinct species of birds, with over 22,000 subspecies in the world. Here’s what’s interesting: We identify species and subspecies of birds by their distinct characteristics — size, color and so on.
“Now let’s think about us humans. Our species is Homo sapiens. We, too, can be identified by our size, our color, even our beak type. Yet there is only one subspecies of human: Homo sapiens sapiens. All living humans belong to this single, undivided subspecies and are genetically too similar — sharing 99.9% of our DNA — to be split into biological subspecies or races.
‘The Things That Unite Us’
“But in the world we currently live in, we are bombarded by messages urging us to treat our distinct characteristics as the basis to divide, distrust and fear one another — to convince us that we are all so very different from each other.
“This is not new in history, nor is it breaking news that we have so much more in common than the differences we create. Our potential to truly do good in this world — foundationally, pun fully intended — is built on our ability to tap into the things that unite us. There is such true, positive power in breaking down barriers and finding ways to collaborate.
“This moment, sparkling like a star in our hands, is something we should carry forward with us — to inspire more empathy, more patience, more kindness — to help each other through this thing that we call life,” Hyland continued.
