Who Deserves the Spotlight? GoWest Award Nominations Due May 30!

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on May 21, 2025

The deadline to submit nominations for the 2025 GoWest Awards is next week on May 30!

Now is the time to nominate a credit union or credit union professional for one of the GoWest Awards categories so they can hear their name called at the MAXX 2025 Awards Dinner and Gala in October!

Submit your nominations by Friday, May 30.

This is your opportunity to highlight the remarkable achievements and contributions made by individuals and credit unions over the past year. You’re encouraged to nominate outstanding individuals from your credit union—or even your entire credit union—for the exceptional work they’ve done to support members, employees, and the community.

Award Categories

Employee Experience – Recognizes a credit union that has intentionally built a thriving workplace culture by investing in employee growth, fostering engagement, and providing the tools for success.

Member Program – Recognizes a credit union that has created an initiative, business model, or service tailored to meet the unique social, cultural, or economic needs of its membership.

Community Impact – Recognizes a credit union that has embraced social responsibility through lending programs, charitable giving, multicultural services, or other initiatives that improve financial well-being in the communities they serve.

Cooperation in Action – Credit unions are stronger together! Recognizes two or more credit unions, CU Communities, or credit union professionals from separate credit unions, collaborating to create a bigger impact.

Young Professional – Recognizes a next generation credit union leader. This award honors a professional 40 and under who exemplifies advocacy, community service, and leadership in the credit union industry.

Distinguished Director – Recognizes an outstanding board member who has demonstrated leadership in advocacy, community service, and credit union growth.

Summit Advocate – Advocacy is essential to the Credit Union Movement’s long-term success. Recognizes a credit union professional who has gone above and beyond to champion credit union causes.

Summit Icon – Recognizes a credit union leader who has demonstrated sustained excellence in advocacy, community impact, and the credit union philosophy.

Entry Tips

• The nomination form cannot be saved. It’s a good idea to prepare your entry in another format (like Word) before starting to fill out the form
• Be thoughtful with your responses and fully describe why you believe the individual or credit union deserves the award.
• Use the recommended word count parameters and include lots of details so the Recognition Advisory Committee has as much information as possible to consider.
• Attach any supporting material, like photos or videos, that you think will help bring the entry to life.
• Provide a link to any website or social media that has been used to promote the individual or credit union’s accomplishment.

Nomination Inspiration

Cooperation in Action Winner – Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona, Arizona

Hughes Federal Credit Union, Pima Federal Credit Union, Pyramid Federal Credit Union, Tucson Old Pueblo Credit Union, Tucson Federal Credit Union, and Vantage West Credit Union

Poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, and chronic health conditions contribute to food insecurity for many citizens. Paired with unique challenges brought on by Arizona’s hot summer weather, six unions stepped up to address a critical need that Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona faced. Most of Mobile Meals’ volunteers are retirees who leave the state during the summer to go north, leaving the cherished nonprofit without enough volunteers to serve its recipients, most of whom are isolated in their homes due to illness or injuries. Together, the credit unions recruited 53 volunteers to deliver 530 meals and raised more than $12,000 in donations for Mobile Meals.

Posted in Leadership, MAXX, Top Headlines.