ECU named Diamond Recipient for AC’s Badger $mart Branch Grand Opening

Education Credit Union earned the prestigious Diamond Award from the Marketing, PR & Development Council’s annual competition for marketing excellence for the ECU Badger $mart Branch Grand Opening last year on Amarillo College’s campus. 

The event was the fruition of a partnership committed to establishing a student-run ECU branch at the College. The full-service retail branch provides the same financial services to ECU members that all branches offer, but outside of a few management-level ECU team members, all other employees at the Badger $mart Branch are AC students. The Aug. 15 event included a DJ, pizza and sodas, branded giveaways and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

“We are truly thrilled to celebrate ECU’s Marketing team with such a prestigious recognition,” said Marcus Smith, ECU president and CEO. “The ECU Badger $mart Branch Grand Opening Event was a celebration of our commitment to financial education and community impact, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible partnership of Amarillo College. Their dedication to student success aligns perfectly with our mission, and we’re grateful for their support in making this event – and this award – possible.” 

Less than 200 of the 1400 submissions were selected as winners and ECU was recognized in the Category’s Best: One-Time Event for the ECU Badger $mart Branch Grand Opening Event. 

“We are delighted to have the ECU branch here working with our students,” said Katie Niegos, AC’s stewardship coordinator. “This event was a great celebration of this partnership and even incorporated a student-designed wall wrap.” 

AC students Eulyssia Casias and Caileigh Johnston are both studying graphic art design and created an AC-branded, full-size wall wrap for the ECU branch. 

Other ECU and AC team members who worked on this project were Joe Bill Sherrod, AC’s vice president of institutional advancement; Linda Dominguez, corporate relations specialist; Russ Anthony, AC’s graphic design brand manager; Tiffany Sharpensteen, ECU’s vice president of marketing; Jessie Joseph, ECU marketing supervisor; Claire Meyer, ECU marketing specialist; and Lisa Bentley, ECU business and community development specialist. 

For more than 30 years, the Diamond Awards have celebrated excellence in credit union marketing. 

About Education Credit Union: Founded in 1935, Education Credit Union (ECU) has a rich history of serving its community with a steadfast commitment to financial prosperity and well-being. With assets exceeding $475 million, ECU proudly serves over 40,000 members across 11 locations in the Texas Panhandle, including Amarillo, Canyon, Stinnett, Borger, and Bushland. Offering a wide range of financial products and services such as checking and savings accounts, loans, and financial coaching, ECU is dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of its members. Deeply embedded in the communities it serves, ECU's mission, "To Love Our People With Smarter Banking," and its vision, "To Be People That Love People Into Financial Prosperity," reflect its core value of "People First, Impact Always!" For more information, please visit our website at educationcu.com.