Bannockburn, IL (May 5, 2026) — Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) is excited to highlight recent investments and partnerships that advance its long-term strategy to modernize financial services through innovation, combining AI, new mortgage-market solutions, and financial empowerment tools that expand access and opportunity for members at every stage of their financial journeys. 

GLCU is proud to partner with AviaryAI, a leading tech company that empowers financial institutions with impactful AI solutions, to implement an outbound AI voice agent that can communicate important account information to members. GLCU worked with AviaryAI to deploy “Oliver,” an AI voice agent that has assisted members with merger-related account transitions, new member onboarding, and more.  

Mortgage Forward, LLC—a wholly owned subsidiary of GLCU specializing in nationwide mortgage solutions—is working with AviaryAI to embed applied generative AI into mortgage origination and servicing workflows. The collaboration is designed to help credit unions and financial institutions expand capacity and responsiveness while maintaining compliance, consistency, and a member-first experience. 

Planned enhancements include proactive loss-mitigation outreach, streamlined origination processes, and a smarter internal knowledge base that helps staff resolve questions faster and more consistently, reducing operational friction at a time when mortgage teams face tighter staffing models, heightened regulatory demands, and rising member expectations. 

GLCU is also collaborating with financial technology company Takara to bring DREAM (Discount for Real Estate Affordability and Mobility) to market—an innovative approach to addressing the “mortgage lock-in effect,” where borrowers with low-rate mortgages delay moving, limiting mobility and constraining housing inventory. 

DREAM provides members with a discount when paying off their mortgage balance, helping families unlock flexibility while supporting healthier balance sheet outcomes for credit unions. 

Momentum for DREAM is already underway. In April 2026, GLCU, Mortgage Forward, and Takara announced the successful close of the first-ever DREAM transaction—where Chicago homeowners received a check for more than $41,000 at closing through a principal balance reduction that helped unlock mobility from a low-rate mortgage. 

GLCU also recently invested in Cambio Elevate, an AI-powered financial empowerment platform designed to help underserved consumers build credit, manage debt, and save money through a single, easy-to-use app. Its purpose-built conversational AI helps handle complex tasks, including AI voice agents that can support users in disputing credit reporting errors and settling debts with confidence.  To drive credit union membership growth, Cambio Elevate will match their platform users with GLCU’s affordable, tailored products like the 2nd-chance checking account and the 0.00% APR* credit builder loan. 

Additionally, to extend the benefits of innovation beyond traditional use cases, GLCU recently partnered with LetMeDoIt to advance financial inclusion by designing tools that better reflect how people manage money in daily life.  

The collaboration supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, seniors, caregivers, and families, strengthening financial management, promoting long-term security, and helping reduce vulnerability to fraud and financial exploitation. 

Together, these initiatives reflect GLCU’s approach to technology investment, which includes partnering with mission-aligned innovators, piloting solutions in real operational environments, and scaling what works, so teams can deliver faster service, clearer guidance, and better financial outcomes across the member journey. 

“Our strategy is to invest in technology that makes a measurable difference for members and the teams who serve them,” said Michael Abraham, Chief Strategy Officer at GLCU. “By partnering with innovators in AI, mortgage mobility, inclusive design, and financial empowerment, we’re modernizing how financial services are delivered so more people can access the right support at the right time and move forward with confidence.” 

With these investments and collaborations—including AviaryAI, Takara, LetMeDoIt, and Cambio Elevate—GLCU continues to build an innovative ecosystem that helps members navigate their financial goals with greater clarity, flexibility, and support. 

About Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) 
Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Northern Illinois, Great Lakes Credit Union is banking for a greater good. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.4 billion in assets, GLCU is proud to serve more than 105,000 members in Chicagoland and surrounding areas, and to give back to its members and communities through education, volunteerism, and partnerships. Learn more at www.glcu.org. 

Bannockburn, IL (April 30, 2026) — Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) hosted its 88th annual meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, bringing together members and staff for a virtual event focused on the credit union’s performance and priorities for the year ahead. 

GLCU would like to thank everyone who attended its 88th Annual Membership Meeting. The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the credit union’s history, celebrate the collective strength of its membership, and share plans for the year ahead. GLCU is proud to serve communities by putting members’ financial goals first—people helping people—and looks forward to another year of growth and shared success. 

During the meeting, members heard updates on GLCU’s financial performance, reviewed strategic plans for the upcoming year, and received additional organizational highlights, including new and retiring board members. 

The changes include: 

GLCU also presented an award to retiring board member Sarah Marshall for her dedicated volunteer service. Sarah joined GLCU in 2021 as a Supervisory Committee member, became a full Director in 2023 while continuing her Supervisory Committee work, and served on the Board Governance and Nominations Committee. GLCU thanks Sarah for her commitment and leadership and looks forward to her continued contributions to the credit union industry in the future. 

An award was also presented to Steve Park, who has served on GLCU’s Board of Directors for more than 21 years. Steve joined the Board in 2005, served on various committees throughout his tenure, and was Board Chair from 2018 to 2024. Over the past year, he held the position of Emeritus Director. GLCU thanks Steve for his many years of dedicated volunteer service and lasting impact on the organization. 

GLCU encourages members to visit its website for detailed minutes from the meeting, member Q&As, and to view the credit union’s annual report.  

After the annual meeting, GLCU held an organizational meeting where board officers were announced. The board officers are: 

About Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) 
Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Northern Illinois, Great Lakes Credit Union is banking for a greater good. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.4 billion in assets, GLCU is proud to serve more than 105,000 members in Chicagoland and surrounding areas, and to give back to its members and communities through education, volunteerism, and partnerships. Learn more at www.glcu.org. 

Bannockburn, IL (March 16, 2026) – Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) and LetMeDoIt today announced a new partnership focused on advancing financial accessibility and independence for communities too often overlooked by traditional financial systems. 

Together, the organizations will reimagine how financial tools and services are designed — placing accessibility, dignity, and real-world usability at the center. The partnership supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, seniors, caregivers, and families by building systems that reflect how people actually manage money in their daily lives. 

Through collaboration and community input, GLCU and LetMeDoIt will develop solutions that strengthen everyday financial management, promote long-term financial security, and reduce vulnerability to fraud and financial exploitation. The goal is to move beyond accommodation toward true inclusion by design. 

“As a parent and product innovator, I’ve seen how traditional financial systems unintentionally exclude people who process information differently. LetMeDoIt was built to bridge that gap — to create tools that support independence while respecting autonomy. This partnership is about redesigning finance so it works in real life, not just on paper.” 
— Amit Sahgal, Co-Founder, LetMeDoIt 

“At Great Lakes Credit Union, our cooperative mission is grounded in people helping people. Advancing financial inclusion for individuals with disabilities reflects our commitment to ensuring every member has access to tools and support that promote confidence, independence, and financial well-being. Our partnership with LetMeDoIt is an important step toward building a more accessible and equitable financial future.” 
— Michael Abraham, Chief Strategy Officer, Great Lakes Credit Union 

“Financial independence should not depend on ability. When systems are designed with us — not for us — everyone benefits.” 
— Angad Sahgal, Founder, LetMeDoIt 

Together, the organizations are working toward a future where financial independence is not the exception — but the expectation. 

About GLCU 

Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Northern Illinois, Great Lakes Credit Union is banking for a greater good. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.4 billion in assets, GLCU is proud to serve 110,000 members in Chicagoland and surrounding areas, and to give back to its members and communities through education, volunteerism, and partnerships. Learn more about GLCU’s accounts, educational initiatives, and community development programs at www.glcu.org. 

About LetMeDoIt 

LetMeDoIt is a technology platform designed to empower people with disabilities and their caregivers by breaking work and daily tasks into manageable steps and creating structured pathways to independence and employment. By engaging employers, peer mentors, and support networks, LetMeDoIt helps shift disability employment from supervision to meaningful support. The platform enables organizations—including financial institutions, product companies, and service providers—to create more accessible experiences while unlocking the value of an often overlooked community. Learn more at www.letmedoit.org. 

BANNOCKBURN, IL. (July 31, 2025) – Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) and East Chicago Fireman’s Credit Union (ECFCU) are excited to announce that their merger was finalized on July 31st after a successful vote by ECFCU members and regulatory approval. Data conversion is scheduled for late August.

ECFCU is a Select Employee Group (SEG) credit union based in East Chicago, Indiana that exclusively serves East Chicago Fire Department employees and their family members through a single location. ECFCU was looking for a strategic partner that would allow them to offer more products and services, maintain membership, and meet growing regulatory compliance requirements.

GLCU will offer ECFCU members and their families access to an expanded suite of financial products and services, as well as robust digital banking tools. ECFCU members and their families also will gain access to 24/7 digital banking, shared branching in Northwest Indiana, a state-of-the-art ATM network, support through GLCU’s member contact center, as well as 24/7 support through GLCU’s AI assistant Olive and live chat.

GLCU has also gained regulatory approval to expand its field of membership to Lake County, Indiana, and Porter County, Indiana, adding to GLCU’s expansion into central Indiana earlier this year.

“GLCU is pleased that ECFCU sought us as a merger partner to expand their product and service offering to their membership in the competitive and changing financial services industry,” said Steve Bugg, CEO and President of GLCU.  “We’re excited to welcome ECFCU members to the GLCU family.”

“It’s been my pleasure to serve as manager all these years. Changing times require change, and ECFCU is ready for change,” said ECFCU Manager Joanne DeYoung.

ECFCU brings 130 members and $600K in assets to GLCU and will continue to be served by the single location in East Chicago, Indiana.

About Great Lakes Credit Union  

Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Northern Illinois, Great Lakes Credit Union is banking for a greater good. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.4 billion in assets, GLCU is proud to serve 115,000 members in Chicagoland and surrounding areas, and to give back to its members and communities through education, volunteerism, and partnerships. Learn more about GLCU’s accounts, educational initiatives, and community development programs at  www.glcu.org.    

CHICAGO, Ill. (May 30, 2025) –The GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment, in partnership with Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU), is pleased to announce the eight exceptional recipients of its annual Member Scholarship program. Two of this year’s recipients are GLCU employees. 

Each student will receive a $2,500 scholarship to further their education at an accredited technical school, trade school, or a four-year college or university. The program exemplifies the credit union’s commitment to supporting its members’ educational development and financial wellness. By supporting their academic goals, GLCU and the GLCU Foundation are investing in the promising futures of its members and communities. 

“We’re excited to support these inspiring students as they embark on the next chapter of their educational and professional journeys,” said Matthew Rizzie, Executive Director of the GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment. “We’re incredibly proud of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to their communities. We look forward to seeing the impact they’ll have moving forward.” 

A reception was held at GLCU’s Bryn Mawr office on May 27 to celebrate the scholarship recipients. Matthew Rizzie, as well as GLCU’s President and CEO, Steve Bugg, and Patrick Basler, Chair for the Foundation and GLCU’s Chief Experience Officer, met the recipients and presented them with their certificates. 

The requirements to apply for the scholarship included being a GLCU member; planning to attend or currently attending an accredited post-secondary institution or technical vocational or trade school; and having a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA on a 4.00 scale. Consideration was also given to the applicants’ involvement in their schools and communities. 

Meet the 2025 GLCU Scholarship Recipients 

The 2025 recipients are Crystabel Appah, Carlos D. Chavez, Nathan Eng, Morgan Ghys, Claire Leonard, Addison Novotny, Adriana Rocha, and Brianna Rockingham-Humphrey. These deserving students were selected based on their outstanding academic achievements, community involvement, and dedication to their future studies. 

About GLCU and the GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment 

Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Northern Illinois, Great Lakes Credit Union is banking for a greater good. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.6 billion in assets, GLCU is proud to serve 115,000 members in Chicagoland and surrounding areas, and to give back to its members and communities through education, volunteerism, and partnerships, in collaboration with the GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment. Learn more about GLCU’s accounts, educational initiatives, and community development programs at www.glcu.org. 

The GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, committed to enhancing the financial wellbeing of its members, employees, and the community at large. It strives to enact positive change through financial literacy programs, donations, grants, sponsorships, and volunteer initiatives. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.glcu.org/foundation. 

BANNOCKBURN, IL., (October 7, 2024) – Earlier this year, Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU), a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.6 billion in assets, won a 2023 Top Workplaces for Financial Services award.

GLCU received the award from Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces. Top Workplaces awards are based on feedback from an employee engagement survey and celebrate organizations that have built people-first workplace cultures within their sector. The award marks GLCU as an employer of choice for those seeking employment in the financial services industry.  

GLCU prides itself on creating opportunities for its 200+ employees to grow, develop, and build fulfilling careers, including offering continuing education opportunities, a tuition reimbursement program, employee scholarships, volunteer time off, and opportunities for advancement within the organization.

GLCU structures its company culture around its Standards of Greatness, which include Cultural Transformation; Exceptional Member Experience; Financial Empowerment; Smart Growth; and Efficiency and Sustainability. GLCU previously won a 2022 Best-in-Class Employer award from Gallagher, and a 2021 “DEI: Catalyst for Change” award from the Credit Union Executives Society.

“At GLCU, we’re dedicated to supporting our employees’ career development and fostering an inclusive, engaging, and empowering workplace culture,” said Michael Hersh, Chief Administrative Officer at GLCU. “We couldn’t provide exceptional member service without our exceptional employees. We’re proud to receive a Top Workplaces award that recognizes our people-first culture.”

The Top Workplaces program has a 17-year history of surveying and celebrating people-first organizations nationally and across 60 regional markets.

About GLCU

Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Northern Illinois, Great Lakes Credit Union is banking for a greater good. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.6 billion in assets, GLCU is proud to serve 95,000 members in Chicagoland and surrounding areas, and to give back to its members and communities through education, volunteerism, and partnerships. Learn more about GLCU’s accounts, educational initiatives, and community development programs at www.glcu.org.

About Energage

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 18 years of culture research and the results from 27 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) is pleased to announce the internal promotion of Brian Gawin from Senior Commercial Lender to Vice President of Business Banking. Gawin has been with GLCU since early 2021, supporting small business owners by providing them with customized financial solutions, including business loans and deposits, merchant card payment services, business credit cards, and more. In his new position, Gawin is responsible for the strategic direction of GLCU’s full suite of Business Banking products and services that help empower local businesses to achieve their business goals.

Speaking on the possibilities accompanying his promotion, Gawin said, “I’m excited about expanding GLCU’s Business Banking team and continuing to build our reputation within the small business community as a preferred banking service provider. 

“To achieve this goal, I look forward to continuing to grow GLCU’s portfolio of Business Banking deposit products and services. Our organization prides itself on taking the time to understand how a business operates and what its specific needs are in order to provide customized banking solutions. By continuing to expand on our portfolio of products and services, we can further enhance our ability to fully service the needs of the small to mid-sized business owners within our communities.”

Beyond bolstering financial solutions for local businesses, Gawin actively seeks out and builds new partnerships with strategic community partners and local organizations that align with GLCU’s philosophy of financial empowerment and banking for a greater good.  

Gawin’s advancement to Vice President of Business Banking comes after decades of professional experience in the financial services industry, first starting his banking career with the position of Personal Banker at Chase Bank in the early 1990s. 

From there, he rose through the ranks in the banking and credit union world, serving in a number of senior lender and management roles, including Senior Relationship Banker of Business Banking at BMO Harris Bank, Market Manager at CIBC U.S., and Vice President at Northbrook Bank & Trust.

Throughout these professional tenures, Gawin gained extensive experience in commercial lending and loan underwriting, high-profile relationship management, strategic planning, and business consulting services.

His background also includes numerous positions with local volunteer and community service organizations, including his current position as Board Member and Treasurer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.  

Gawin holds a MBA in finance, economics, and international business from the Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University, in Chicago, where he graduated with honors and was awarded Beta Gamma Sigma recognition for outstanding academic achievement. Previously, he had earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University, in DeKalb, Il.