Toronto, ON (May 16, 2024) –José Gallant, Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President at Alterna Savings, is the 2024 recipient of the Ontario Credit Union Foundation’s (OCUF) prestigious Distinguished Service Award. Alterna also received OCUF’s esteemed Outstanding Corporate Achievement Award.
The Distinguished Service Award
This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service and made meaningful contributions to the credit union movement in Ontario beyond the individual credit union level.
“I am delighted to congratulate José on this well-deserved honour,” says Rob Paterson, President and CEO at Alterna Savings and Alterna Bank. “José has been instrumental in Alterna’s evolution and remains a steadfast, collaborative leader who empowers and supports the full Alterna team and the wider credit union system.”
José’s 35-year career is a testament to her unwavering commitment to the credit union values and cooperative principles. She has been a cornerstone of Alterna Savings’ Executive Leadership Team for over 25 years and, during that time, has led nearly all functional areas of Alterna. José has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the credit union space through her work with governing and regulatory bodies. She served on the Canadian Credit Union Association board from 2017 to 2020 and works in an advisory capacity for the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. Her rich experience and valuable contributions within financial services, governance and regulatory sectors make her an ideal winner of the Distinguished Service Award.
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, José Gallant of Alterna Savings, for her remarkable contributions to the credit union system. Your dedication and achievements have truly made a difference. We wish you continued success in your endeavours. We also extend congratulations to Alterna Savings for receiving the 2024 Outstanding Corporate Achievement Award. We are so pleased to recognize the contributions made by your Community Impact team.” – Liisa Woolley, Chair of the OCUF Board.
Outstanding Corporate Achievement Award
This award is given annually to a credit union (or company within the cooperative financial system) in recognition of their contributions to the community. Their dedicated Community Impact team focuses Alterna’s community support on four key programs:
- Financial Resilience: supports 4,600+ organizations and individuals in the non-profit, charitable, cooperative, and affordable housing sectors, strengthening their financial sustainability.
- Microfinance: this award-winning program provides entrepreneurs, individuals, and organizations access to capital and affordable financial products. It has issued over 1,500 loans totalling nearly $10M since its inception in 2000.
- Community and Financial Inclusion Granting: provides funding to community initiatives that address financial inclusion and/or financial education.
- Financial Education: hosts 100+ events annually, exemplifying Alterna’s commitment to uplifting the communities we serve.
About Alterna Savings
Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited (Alterna Savings) has been the good in banking® for over 115 years. As the first full-service, member-owned cooperative financial institution outside Quebec, Alterna Savings shares its expertise with over 210,000 members through a network of over 40 branches across Ontario, 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. Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited operates as Alterna Savings. Alterna Savings is a credit union operating in Ontario.
To learn more about Alterna Savings, please visit alterna.ca, X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
For information on deposit insurance, please ask for a brochure at the credit union or visit the FSRA’s website at www.fsrao.ca/.
About Ontario Credit Union Foundation
Over the past 45 years the Ontario Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) has supported credit unions and cooperatives with their philanthropic giving in communities across Ontario. The Foundation is like private and local community foundations in that it administers funds created by donors for specific charitable purposes. In addition to the 30+ funds OCUF manages, their main charitable activity is the support of youth education and leadership.
For more information about the Ontario Credit Union Foundation, please visit ocuf.org.
Media Contacts:
Samira Rehman – Director, Communications Clayton Shold – Executive Director
Alterna Savings | Alterna Bank Ontario Credit Union Foundation
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