Friday, April 14 is the last day to submit your recognition of one or more of this year’s Cooperative Hall of Fame inductees: Rita L. Haynes, John D. Johnson, Richard Larochelle and John & Carol Zippert.
Let the inductee(s) know you appreciate their commitment to cooperatives by placing a congratulatory message or adding your name to the Friends of page in the Hall of Fame Commemorative Program. To add your name, visit heroes.coop/sponsors or email cdurand@cdf.coop.
This year’s inductees are:
Rita L. Haynes
CEO Emeritus, Faith Community United Credit Union
Motivated by faith, a commitment to social justice, and a belief in the cooperative principles, Rita Haynes dedicated her nearly 60 year career to serving the financial needs of disadvantaged communities in Cleveland. Her innovations transformed the credit union industry with the development of products to combat predatory lending and harnessed financial resources to support community development.
John D. Johnson
Retired President and CEO, CHS Inc.
John Johnson’s vision and unwavering belief in the cooperative value proposition reshape the ability of U.S. agricultural co-ops’ to capture 21st century success. Grounded by his rural roots, he dedicated his 34-year career to embracing innovative opportunities to connect producers from their farms and ranches to the global marketplace through their cooperatives.
Richard E. Larochelle
Retired Senior Vice President, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation
Rich Larochelle spent his life championing the cooperative business model. During his 40-year electric cooperative career– including senior leadership posts with NRECA and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation — he demonstrated his passion for helping cooperative consumers by fighting to improve the quality of rural life at every turn.
John and Carol Zippert
Cooperative Activists, Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund
Partners in both life and the pursuit of social justice, John & Carol Zippert embody the mission of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund and the growth of the cooperative movement in the South. Dedicated to self-determination through cooperation, the Zipperts’ cooperative impact includes housing, land ownership and credit union development, and cooperative education and training for youth and organizations in low income communities.
To purchase tickets to attend the Cooperative Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on the evening of May 3, 2017, visit heroes.coop or email cdurand@cdf.coop.