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Young Leaders Award
Overview | Submission Guidelines | Submission Fees | Criteria | Selection | Enter Now
The National Credit Union Young Leaders Award recognizes young leaders in Canada’s credit union system. The Award helps identify the best and brightest young employees, motivate them, and publicize their accomplishments to inspire others. In creating this Award, CCUA’s Board of Directors helps national leaders demonstrate strong support for young leadership.
LET’S TAKE A LOOK
Think about the young people—35 years of age or less—working in your organization. Do you have any rising stars? Do they have well-defined accomplishments? Have they tackled any unusually large responsibilities in your credit union/caisse populaire or regional Central? Each year, up to five winners may be chosen for the National Credit Union Young Leaders Award, and one of these winners will be selected as the scholarship recipient and receive tuition plus travel costs (economy class) to attend a leadership development program at a recognized university in Canada ($10,000 maximum).
Award winners may be asked to join the National Young Leaders Committee. The Young Leader’s nominator must submit a signed letter describing why their candidate deserves to be an award winner. This letter is an important component of the nomination package and is evaluated by the Award Selection Panel. Entries must be received on or before March 17, 2023. Please read the submission guidelines carefully.
ELIGIBILITY:
CCUA member centrals, credit unions, and caisse populaires are invited to submit nominations. This Award is not open to strategic partners and/or co-operative organizations.
PROCEDURE:
Only one nominee per credit union/caisse populaire and/or regional Central is permitted.
Nominations must be made by a CEO of a regional Central, a credit union/caisse populaire’s CEO/GM, or a credit union/caisse populaire’s Board Chair may nominate a credit union/caisse populaire CEO/GM.
- Complete the online entry form and include the following supporting documentation:
- The nominee’s résumé
- A signed letter by the CEO/GM describing why the candidate deserves to be an Award winner (maximum length 500 words). An optional reference letter from someone who works closely with the nominee may also be submitted.
- The candidate must submit an essay on one of the following topics (maximum length 2000 words):
- How did your leadership foster Innovation in your credit union/caisse populaire or Central?
- How did your leadership foster Growth in your credit union/caisse populaire or Central?
- How did your leadership foster Community Involvement in your credit union/caisse populaire or Central?
- How did your leadership foster collaboration among cooperatives?
- How did your leadership impact diversity, equity and inclusion in your credit union/caisse populaire or Central?
- The essay must demonstrate:
- Commitment to credit union values;
- Application of leadership skills outside the credit union setting;
- Proactive approaches to leading and accomplishing goals;
- Exhibit leadership traits; passion, integrity, knowledge, direction/foresight and empowerment of others.
EVALUATION:
Documentation provided by each nominee will be considered (nominee’s resume, letters of endorsement, and essay) when evaluating on the following criteria:
- Contribution of nominee to current credit union employer (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
- Evidence of leadership competencies (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
- Demonstrated effort by nominee to take advantage of leadership opportunities (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
- Nominee's commitment to credit union values (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
- Nominee's application of leadership skills outside credit union setting (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
- Nominee's proactive approaches to leading and accomplishing goals (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
- Nominee's exhibition of leadership traits (passion, integrity, knowledge, direction/foresight and empowerment of others) (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
- Nominees will also be subject to the discretion of judge regarding nominee's worthiness (Rank on a scale of 0-10)
ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 17, 2023
There is a flat fee of $100 to submit a nomination for the Young Leaders Award. This fee is put towards the administrative costs of running the awards program.
- 35 years of age or less, as of December 31, 2022
- Minimum three years employment in the Canadian credit union system
- Leadership of a key initiative and/or management role of a member credit union/caisse populaire and/or regional Central
- Demonstrated leadership competencies, including management of a major initiative and/or participation in community initiatives
Award recipients will be selected by a panel of five judges comprised of three past winners of the National Young Leaders Award and two members of CCUA’s Board of Directors. The judging process will be supported by a representative serving as scrutineer. A maximum of five winners will be sponsored to attend as guests* of CCUA at the 2023 World Credit Union Conference, planned for July 23-26, 2023 in Vancouver, B.C. Each winner will have a personal interview with the panel of judges. The winners will jointly develop and deliver a workshop at the conference. All winners will be recognized at an Awards Ceremony and one winner will be chosen as the 2023 National Credit Union Young Leaders Award scholarship recipient. The winners may be invited to join the National Young Leaders Committee on a three-year term. In the event the in-person event is postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, a presentation will take place at a later date.
Winners will be notified in May 2023.
*For the winners CCUA will reimburse travel expenses (economy class) and provide full accommodation for 3 nights at a designated hotel, and give a complimentary registration to attend the conference.
*Tuition plus travel costs (economy class) to attend a leadership development program at a recognized university in Canada ($10,000 maximum).
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