MADISON, Wis. — Robert Hoel, former executive director of the Filene Research Institute, Harriet May, president and CEO of the $1.2 billion GECU (Government Employees Credit Union), headquartered in El Paso, Texas, and the State Employees Credit Union Foundation in North Carolina have been named as the winners of the 20th Annual Herb Wegner Memorial Awards by the National Credit Union Foundation.

An announcement of the awards praised Hoel, now residing in Middleton, Wisconsin, as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of research in financial institutions, marketing strategy, and consumer analysis. May will receive the Individual Achievement Award in recognition of her heartfelt commitment and proactive approach toward the American Dream of home ownership for residents of her border city. The State Employees Credit Union Foundation in Raleigh, North Carolina will receive the Outstanding Organization Award for quickly becoming one of the most successful private credit union foundations in America, NCUF said.

During his tenure as executive director of the Filene Research Institute in Madison, Wis., Hoel orchestrated the accumulation of research that has transformed into real benefits for credit unions and consumers, the Foundation said. NCUF also praised Hoel for leading the creation of the Center for Credit Union Innovation, which was formed to translate research into actionable initiatives. Among those initiatives was the pilot of REAL Solutions, a program that has changed the way consumers use alternative financial service–and made them more affordable through credit unions.