Of the 84 credit unions that applied for this year's CUNA Lending Council lender awards, six of them stood out for their resolve and creativity in a challenging economy.

The six received CUNA Mutual Group's Excellence in Lending honors at the council's annual conference Monday in Miami.

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The winners and their respective lending categories were:

• $3.7 billion United Nations Federal Credit Union, Long Island City, N.Y.: Consumer Lending, Assets More Than $250 million
• $102 million Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union, Berkeley, Calif.: Consumer Lending, Assets Less Than $250 million
• $364 million Sunmark Federal Credit Union, Albany, N.Y.: Mortgage Lending, Assets More Than $250 million
• $80 million Northeast Community Credit Union, Elizabethton, Tenn., Mortgage Lending, Assets Less than $250 million
• $1.2 billion Gesa Credit Union, Richland, Wash.: Business Lending;
• $725 million U.S. New Mexico Federal Credit Union, Albuquerque, N.M.: Low-to-Modest Means

"We had a record number of applications this year," said Dan Murray, vice president of lending at CUNA Mutual. "But it wasn't just quantity, there were many quality, deserving applicants. In a challenging economy, it speaks to the resolve and creativity of our nominees."

Eighty-four credit unions were considered for this year's awards, the most in the award program's 13-year history, according to CUNA Mutual.