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Best Practice Awards

> Download the Entry Form
> Entry Criteria
> View Past Winners

Credit union technology professionals know that finding the right solution to a problem or situation often is determined by understanding and developing the best approach to accomplish those issues. While there may be no right way or wrong way to face a technology challenge, there is most certainly a BEST way!

Identifying these new approaches and recognizing their universal application to credit unions nationwide is the purpose of the CUNA Technology Council's Best Practices Forum.

We invite you to submit your Best Practices in the following strategic categories:

  • Technology Infrastructure – Describe the technical and procedural environment that allows the infrastructure to be safely accessed by authorized parties, how the system is monitoring this access, and the current/future storage management capabilities of the system.
  • Information Security/Privacy – Describe the technical and procedural environment that minimizes the possibility of unauthorized access to member information from both internal and external sources. Place emphasis upon the authentication, regulatory compliance, security, and privacy technologies employed.
  • Member Convenience – Describe the technical environment and system integration technology(ies) that allow new/existing members to open accounts/loans or receive information on existing accounts/loans across all delivery channels. Place emphasis on how these technologies benefit both members externally and employees internally using the system.
  • Sales Management- Describe the automated system environment that manages member information and creates personalized product offers based upon member data. Document how the system manages the member information database and creates, delivers and fulfills the offers. Place emphasis on how these systems benefit both members externally and employees internally using the system.
  • Miscellaneous – This is the category for any technology success story you have that does not fit the other categories. It could involve an application, service to members or users, unique technology solutions, or anything else you feel qualifies as a best practice.
The Selection Process

A panel of CUNA Technology Council Executive Committee members, and CTC members will select one Best Practice award winner in each of the categories above. Selection will be based on candidates' strategy, process, application and results. Recipients will be selected without regard to credit union asset size.

Winner Recognition

Best Practices award winners will be recognized at the 13th Annual CUNA Technology Council Summit, held July 30-August 2, 2008 in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.

Winners are expected to attend the conference and to accept the Best Practice Award and be available to provide copies of their Best Practice narrative to attendees and to answer questions about their Best Practice. Winners will receive a complimentary conference registration.


Entry Criteria
  • You must be a current member of the CUNA Technology Council
  • Credit unions cannot submit a Best Practice using a service or product of a CUSO that is owned by their credit union.
  • Project(s) must have occurred prior to April 1, 2008
  • Entry(s) must be received no later than May 16, 2008
  • A panel of CUNA Technology Council members and Executive Committee members will judge the entries.
  • The award winner or a representative must be in attendance at the 2008 CUNA Technology Council Summit, held July 30-August 2, 2008 in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.. They will accept the Best Practice award and will be available to provide copies of their Best Practice narrative to attendees and to answer questions about their Best Practice.
  • First place recipients in each category will receive recognition and a Best Practices Plaque at the annual Summit, along with a free conference registration. The Council may not present an award in each category.
  • If applicable, entrant may submit an entry in more than one category. However, the entrant must complete the appropriate entry forms for each category.
  • Award recipients will be selected without regard to credit union asset size and will be notified by June 9, 2008
Entry Procedures

> Download the Entry Form (Microsoft Word format).

  • With your completed entry form, submit a minimum of three pages of text narrative and any supporting documentation that identifies the strategic challenge your credit union faced and details the solution you found. Describe the unique and/or challenging circumstances under which you were forced to perform and the results—both financial and otherwise—you were able to achieve. Specifically:
  • Explain in detail a specific (or series of related) project/activity that provided extraordinary results for your credit union. List the specific goals and results of the project/activity.
  • Please list three specific examples of how this practice contributed to the success of your credit union.
  • Provide any additional relevant information to support your entry.

Submit your entry materials (in Microsoft Word format) by e-mail to Bobbi Bischke at Council Administration at bbischke@cuna.coop. Your entry must be received no later than May 16, 2008 to be considered.

If you have questions about the entry procedures, please contact Bobbi Bischke, Council Administration (phone 800-356-9655, ext. 4018). If you have questions about the Best Practices Awards, please contact Gordon Gregory at 816/361-4194, ext. 6408; email gordon.gregory@mazuma.org or Bob Keubler, 636-916-8330, email: bkeubler@1stfinancialfcu.org

View past award winners