Inducted: 2007

For 40 years, David Chatfield, retired President and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, worked to advance credit unions in the United States and overseas, extending the benefits of financial cooperatives to millions of people. As a league president, he raised political advocacy and public awareness of credit unions to an unprecedented level.

Chatfield’s accomplishments include many significant “firsts.” He devised the first national credit union political system, laying the groundwork for the strong grassroots system in place today. As the first full-time CEO of the Alaska Credit Union League, he led efforts that resulted in the passage of the Alaska State Credit Union Act. He was also the first person with active credit union experience to serve on the National Credit Union Administration Board.

Ever the innovator, Chatfield was co-founder and first executive director of the Filene Research Institute, the first credit union “think tank.” He also created The Shapiro Group, a model program which has helped hundreds of small credit unions through grants and assistance funded by larger credit unions.

Internationally, Chatfield worked with leaders in more than 10 countries to encourage credit union formation, and was instrumental in the passage of Poland’s national credit union law. His progressive approaches and singular focus have truly increased the impact of credit unions locally, nationally and worldwide.

Inducted: 2005

Executive vice president of external relations for the Credit Union National Association. For 40 years, he has passionately promoted the cooperative form of enterprise, and worked to extend credit unions to millions of people. Accomplishments include organizing numerous credit unions serving the urban poor, creating the first feminist credit union, founding the African-American Credit Union Coalition, and championing a credit union/financial education partnership that has reached over 1,000 American high schools. He is an outstanding leader whose business acumen, sense of humor, and clear concern for people make him a valued and influential member of the credit union and co-op communities.

 

Inducted:2000

Considered by many to have saved the U.S. credit union movement, Edgar Callahan has devoted 25 years to improving lives and preserving the cooperative alternative. He came to credit unions from the Illinois Department of Financial Institutions, where he pioneered insurance options for state-chartered credit unions, a model later adopted both nationally and internationally.He then served as chairman of the National Credit Union Administration, making three heroic decisions: to deregulate saving and loan rates, to allow a credit union to serve multiple ‘groups’ with a common bond, and to challenge credit unions to capitalize their own share insurance fund. Thus, many feel he single-handedly saved the U.S. credit union movement.

He later became CEO of Patelco Credit Union, where he has remained an innovative, effective, and dedicated leader. Callahan’s vision has always been one of ‘progress through cooperation.’ He believes that there are no limitations on what the cooperative movement can accomplish when its people work together for the good of all.

Inducted:1999

John Earnest Johnson, Credit Union Specialist with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and longtime board member of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, has long been a tireless advocate for low-income people. For nearly 30 years he has helped establish rural, community-based credit unions and insured their survival, championing the cause of low-income borrowers time and time again.

Overall, Johnson has helped start credit unions that have accumulated more than $14 million in assets and provided more than $50 million in loans to help minimum-wage earners start their own businesses, make improvements on their homes, and finance education for themselves and their children. His efforts have had a tremendous impact.

In addition, he has set up innovative programs to help these community credit unions flourish. Examples include a computer training laboratory, youth credit unions, and training materials sensitive to the needs of low-income and African American credit union members.

Through his volunteer service on national, regional and local boards he further demonstrates his commitment to cooperation and community building throughout the United States. And internationally Johnson has carried forward this commitment to cooperation to South Africa, where he was instrumental in developing credit unions for that country’s citizens.

 

Inducted:1998

For nearly 40 years Dick Robertson has served as the President and General Manager of the Arizona State Savings & Credit Union. In this role he brought credit union opportunities to thousands of people by persuading Arizona legislators to adopt laws opening up credit union membership.

Over the years he has also been a devoted credit union volunteer at all levels of the credit union movement – making a tangible and positive impact. For example, through his work with the ICU Services Corporation he helped conceive national share drafts to allow credit unions to receive and disburse a member’s money more efficiently. He also helped found the World Council of Credit Unions, served as its first president, and mobilized resources to keep WOCCU operating in its infant stage. In addition, he created a closer working relationship between CUNA and CUNA Mutual, helped establish the Filene Research Institute, and led a U.S. delegation to China, where he helped introduce credit union tradition and philosophy.

Dick Robertson is a natural leader whose talents have greatly benefited the credit union and cooperative movement worldwide. He is an innovator whose personal commitment, leadership, and vision are exemplary. He has been an inspiration to many.

Inducted:1997

Woodrow Keown has been a tireless volunteer supporting co-ops for nearly 30 years — he is truly one of the unsung heroes of the community development, co-op, and credit union movement. He has shown a life-long commitment to building co-ops as a means to help low-income people secure affordable housing, credit, food, and other necessities of life.

Keown was a key figure in organizing his community’s credit union (College Station Arkansas, FCU), and has served as its volunteer treasurer/manager for 21 of the credit union’s 28-year history. He also helped create several organizations that provide housing, literacy, and other community services in this low-income area. He joined the Federation of Southern Cooperative’s board in 1969, and has served as president and chair for over 20 years. He has not missed a board meeting in over a quarter of a century. Similarly, he joined the board of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions in 1980 and has helped guide and develop this organization as well.

Keown has given his time and talent during the past three decades and has made a tremendous difference in peoples’ lives. He continually demonstrates a profound commitment to grassroots co-ops and a vision of empowerment nationally for low-income and minority communities.

Inducted:1997

For nearly five decades the name of A.A. “Paddy” Bailey has been synonymous with international savings and credit cooperative development. A true visionary, Bailey dedicated himself to the promotion of co-ops, in particular credit unions.

Bailey started as an inspector of co-ops in Jamaica, becoming the leading organizer of credit unions there. He joined CUNA International in the 1950s, rising to become executive director of its World Extension Department.While at CUNA Bailey was responsible for the development of credit union leagues throughout the West Indies and the formation of the first regional credit union organization. His talents and enthusiasm for co-op philosophy were later applied in Africa, where he helped to found the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations.

Bailey became the first full-time managing director of the World Council of Credit Unions in 1975, where he continued to be an innovative leader and co-op advocate.

Through his career and throughout his life, Bailey has been instrumental in spreading the word about the value of cooperation, and developing many new credit unions, credit union leagues and other institutions.