You open your banking app to check a balance and notice a credit score tracker, a few card controls, and a security setting you didn’t know you needed.
Nobody asked you to find them. They were just there. That’s the kind of everyday usefulness that helped NuMark Credit Union take home a big trophy this fall.
NuMark, which serves communities across Northern Illinois, received the 2026 Outstanding Credit Union Award in the over $500 million asset category from the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL). Representatives accepted it on Friday, October 23, at the Chairperson’s Celebration and Awards Reception during the ICUL Annual Convention.
One Award, Three Chapters
The award itself is new. The ICUL reworked its convention honors and folded three older awards into one: the Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Award, the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award, and the Desjardins Financial Education Award. Those three now serve as the sections of a single nomination, so each credit union can show the full range of what it does for members and neighbors across the year.
“We are truly honored to receive this award because it recognizes the hard work of our staff and board, who care deeply about our members, our communities, and the credit union movement,” said Michelle Balog, NuMark’s President & CEO. “We are dedicated to living our purpose to enrich financial lives. Our staff and board work hard for our members while also volunteering at community events and leading financial wellness initiatives. Many support credit union advocacy and serve in leadership roles within community service organizations. I am incredibly proud of all we do together to make a difference.”
Philosophy in Action: A Smarter Digital Platform
The Herring award centers on the credit union creed of “people helping people,” along with the belief that credit unions should improve lives and widen economic opportunity. NuMark’s example was its upgraded digital banking platform, which goes beyond simple account access. It includes credit score monitoring, expanded card controls, and stronger security, all meant to help members feel informed and in charge of their money. Since launch, more than 44,000 members have enrolled.
Community Service: Five Groups, One Day
The Maxwell section spotlighted the people behind the credit union. On CU Kind Day 2025, NuMark staff split into five teams and spread out to support:
- Bridge Teen Center in Tinley Park
- Feed My Starving Children in Aurora
- St. Patrick Food Pantry in Amboy
- Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago
- United Way of Will County’s Diaper Depot
Each group was chosen for its work in NuMark’s communities and its fit with the credit union’s mission and values. One day of volunteering became a practical way to enrich financial lives close to home.
Financial Education: Real Talk in Bronzeville
For the Desjardins section, NuMark highlighted its Financial Empowerment Workshop at CityPoint Community Church in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. It was the second event in an ongoing series, and more than 100 adults and young people from the congregation attended. NuMark experts covered topics from budgeting basics to getting out of debt, with the goal of sending people home with knowledge they could use right away. The workshop also strengthened NuMark’s relationship with CityPoint and set the stage for more education opportunities.
What to Watch Next
Serving members and local communities is the core of what NuMark does, whether that means helping someone in a branch stay on track toward a goal or pitching in with a volunteer shift or fundraiser. Keep an eye out for more workshops with CityPoint, further growth in the digital platform’s enrollment beyond 44,000, and how other Illinois credit unions approach the ICUL’s new combined award next year.