SPIRE Credit Union was honored with the second place 2017 Adult Desjardins Financial Education Award at the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference on Wednesday.  Sponsored by Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the award recognizes leadership within the credit union movement in the area of adult financial literacy.

SPIRE's commitment to educating adults throughout Minnesota on financial topics has landed them in the national spotlight for the first time.  They also won the Adult Desjardins Award on the state level for three consecutive years.  Throughout 2016, a record-setting 1,052 adults from varying needs and sectors of society were reached with over 110 classroom hours.  This is a 64% increase over the preceding period, and is higher than any preceding year of SPIRE offering financial education.

"We are absolutely humbled to be recognized on the national level,” said Dan Stoltz, SPIRE President/CEO, “Our employees work so hard to give back to their communities through financial literary education.  To see them acknowledged at this level makes me proud to have them on Team SPIRE!"

The award is named in honor of Alphonse Desjardins, the founder of the North American credit union movement, who established the first “caisse populaire” (people’s bank) in Quebec in 1900, and helped establish the first American credit union in New Hampshire in 1909. Desjardins was an ardent believer in the value of teaching children to save, and he promoted the idea of in-school savings programs.

Pictured is Jim Nussle, CUNA President & CEO; Dan Stoltz, SPIRE President & CEO;
and Mark Cummins, MNCUN President & CEO