TORONTO, May 3, 2022 – Alterna Savings and Central 1 Credit Union (Central 1) are pleased to announce Frank Chisolm, Director of Brand and Marketing at Kindred Credit Union and Earl Campbell, Board Member of Alterna Savings, as the recipients of the 2022 Gary Gillam Award.
Jointly sponsored by Alterna Savings and Central 1, the Gary Gillam Award for exemplary leadership in social and environmental sustainability is presented annually to individuals who promote credit unions as socially responsible alternatives to banks and other financial institutions.
Both nominations detailed the enduring support and leadership Frank and Earl have lent to the credit union movement, both in their official capacities and as volunteer community members. They have each been champions of credit unions over the course of their lives- instilling a long-lasting change.
Frank Chisolm is recognized as a leader in purpose-driven banking, having exemplified the spirit and resolve to position credit unions and co-operatives as socially responsible organizations. Over the course of the past 15 years, Frank’s leadership within Kindred Credit Union and the community it serves has been influential and truly embodies the qualities of Gary Gillam. This includes actions like leading Kindred to be the first financial instruction in Canada whose GIC portfolio (guaranteed investment certificate) is entirely Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) as of 2016 and growing the representation of SRI/ESG mutual funds to more than 90% today. Frank is committed to educating members on how their everyday financial decisions can better align to their values, while providing the tools to act. His dedication and focus brought the Kindred Crisis Care GIC from concept to market in 10 days by nimbly assessing community needs and targeting where credit union tools can help.
Earl Campbell is recognized for his contributions to the credit union community, spanning nearly 30 years. He is presently a Board Member and has served as past Chair of Metro Credit Union, Alterna Savings, Alterna Bank and as Interim Executive Director of the Ontario Credit Union Foundation. Earl’s “members first” mindset has been an incredible asset to these organizations and positively influenced the overall health of the credit union system. His commitment to social responsibility and sustainability at the governance level has been evident throughout his career, both in his professional and volunteer endeavors. His leadership in this space has earned him several awards, including a Star on the Scarborough Walk of Fame and a Distinguished Educator designation with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Earl inspires others throughout the credit union system and greater community through his tireless commitment to volunteerism, socially progressive programs, and heightened corporate social responsibility standards
Alterna Savings and Central 1 will contribute a total of $5,000 to be donated on behalf of Frank and Earl to two charities of their choice. Earl has requested that $2500 be donated to All Saints Community Centre in Toronto. Frank has directed his donation to House of Friendship in Kitchener, Ontario.
The award ceremony was held on Tuesday, May 3 at Central 1’s virtual Annual General Meeting.
About Gary Gillam
The Gary Gillam Award was established to honour the memory and work of Gary H. Gillam. Gary was the Director, Legal, Governmental Affairs and Administration, at Credit Union Central of Ontario (CUCO; now Central 1) from 1982 to 1988. In 1988, Gary became CEO of Unicoll Credit Union (now Alterna Savings), where he worked until illness forced his resignation in 1993. Gary Gillam was one of the leading advocates for social responsibility in the credit union system, long before it became popular within organizations. He vigorously promoted the concept of social investment, calling on credit unions and their centrals to use social as well as financial criteria for their investment portfolios. He supported the development of community loan funds to provide assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. At CUCO and his own credit union, he initiated social audits to measure the social performance of the organization, as a complementary process to the financial audit.
The Gary Gillam Award was established in 1996 and is awarded annually.
About Alterna Savings
Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited (Alterna) has been the good in banking™ for 113 years and, based on assets under management, is one of Canada’s Top 10 credit unions (CCUA, 2021). Alterna is made up of Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterna Bank. Together, we have $10 billion in assets under management.
As the first full-service, member-owned co-operative financial institution outside Quebec, Alterna Savings shares its expertise with more than 184,000 members through a network of 35 branches across Ontario, that includes partner Peterborough Community Savings; as well as call centre and digital channels. Members and customers also benefit from an industry-leading online brokerage, investment management services, and have access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ATMs in North America with THE EXCHANGE Network in Canada and the Allpoint Network in the US.
About Central 1
Central 1 cooperatively empowers credit unions and other financial institutions who deliver banking choice to Canadians. With assets of $13.4 billion as at December 31, 2021, Central 1 provides critical services at scale to enable a thriving credit union system. We do this by collaborating with our clients, developing strategies, products, and services to support the financial well-being of their more than 5 million diverse customers in communities across Canada. For more information, visit www.central1.com.
Media Contacts
Kim Moseley – Vice President, Product and Marcomm
Alterna Savings | Alterna Bank
P: 416.271.2081
E: Kim.Moseley@alterna.ca
John Ngo – Director of Communications
Central 1
P: 905 282 8401
E: john.ngo@central1.com
