BECU Recognized for Community, Advocacy Work
The GoWest Credit Union Association and members recognized BECU's work and employees for contributions to communities and the credit union movement.
Takeaways: BECU Recognized for Supporting Communities
- The GoWest Credit Union Association annually recognizes credit unions in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming for significant contributions to the credit union movement.
- BECU received three 2025 awards from GoWest, including Cooperation in Action, Hike the Hill and Young Professional of the Year.
- The awards recognize BECU's contributions in affordable housing, advocacy and credit union leadership.
BECU received three prestigious honors at the annual 2025 GoWest Awards.
The GoWest Credit Union Association serves nearly 300 credit unions and their 17.4 million members across Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The awards span eight categories — four spotlighting credit unions, and four honoring individuals who made significant contributions to the credit union movement.
"These awards are incredibly meaningful because they recognize the work our teams do every day to show up for our members, our communities and the broader credit union movement," said Beverly Anderson, BECU president and CEO. "Just as important, this recognition highlights what's possible when credit unions come together with a shared purpose to make a real difference in people's lives."
Here are BECU's winners.
Cooperation in Action Award: Evergreen Impact Housing Fund
BECU, along with four other Washington credit unions — Salal Credit Union, Sound Credit Union, Verity Credit Union and WSECU — received the Cooperation in Action Award for their collective work on the Evergreen Impact Housing Fund. The five credit unions joined forces in 2021 to help create the fund, initiated by the Seattle Foundation, which recognized that the institutions could do more together.
"It's a demonstration of who we are as a credit union, what credit unions do, and how we're thinking about things differently," said Jill Vicente, BECU vice president of social impact.
The fund's first project, the Solera-Astra Apartments, opened in Renton in June 2025. The development provides 277 affordable housing units for working families struggling with the region's rising rents. Today, all but three units are filled.
"Affordable housing is a critical, core component of financial health. Families have to find affordable housing close to their jobs and urban centers, so they don't have to commute and move further out to find affordable spaces," Vicente said. "If communities lose working families, economies start to suffer. This project helps credit union members live and work where we do business."
In addition to the Renton project, BECU also participated in the financing of the Copper Way affordable apartments in Spanaway, which opened in 2024.
Vicente hopes to see more projects in the future. "Ideally, we'll work with the Seattle Foundation to identify similar projects that are worthwhile for BECU to participate in, and we'll get more credit unions to consider leveraging the balance sheet to make work happen."
Hike the Hill
BECU also received the Hike the Hill Award, presented annually to two credit unions per state (within the GoWest footprint) that demonstrate exceptional advocacy in a given calendar year.
The award recognizes significant efforts made by a credit union to advocate with key stakeholders — specifically elected officials and regulators — in state and federal government.
BECU earned the award for being "a leader within the credit union movement, and investing resources into various advocacy efforts," said Alison Phelan, vice president of government relations at BECU. "Examples include consistent participation in key advocacy events and direct lobbying activities on behalf of credit union public policy priorities."
At the annual Hike the Hill event, credit union leaders — often executives, board members and sometimes employees — visit Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress, staff and federal regulators. Lawmakers hear of the real-world impacts of legislation on credit union communities and members. It's also an opportunity for credit union leaders to share membership priorities, challenges and legislative needs.
"This is an important way BECU protects our ability to serve our members and creates opportunities to improve that ability through various policy priorities," Phelan said. "This year, we protected the credit union tax exemption which keeps our rates low, minimal to no fees and enables BECU to continue investing in our communities."
Young Professional of the Year: Rafael Saucedo
GoWest named Rafael Saucedo, BECU's philanthropy program manager, as Young Professional of the Year. This annual award celebrates a rising leader demonstrating outstanding promise and commitment early in their career.
"He brings a rare combination of strategic vision and grassroots energy...his passion is thoroughly evident in everything he's part of," according to the GoWest awards announcement. "Rafael exemplifies a commitment to leadership that extends far beyond his formal role, continually enriching both his community and his own personal growth."
In his work, Saucedo aims to bring BECU's mission to life by creating pathways to financial freedom and expanding access to opportunity through partnerships with community nonprofits focused on financial health, housing, education and jobs.
Partnerships include:
- Sound Outreach: Providing financial support to low- and fixed-income families.
- Latino Community Fund of Washington: Addressing the needs of Latino Washingtonians.
- Dress for Success Seattle: Helping women enter or re-enter the workforce.
Being named Young Professional of the Year is "such an incredible honor," Saucedo said. "My hope is that this award serves as a reminder and inspiration to anyone who has ever felt unseen or underrepresented, that your voice, your story and your contributions matter deeply in shaping the future of our respective communities and the credit union movement."
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