Bethex FCU Founder Cousminer Honored

Joy Cousminer Inducted into 2013 Cooperative Hall of Fame

Joy Cousminer has spent 58 years breaking down economic and educational barriers for those in need and improving the lives of the people of New York’s South Bronx, one of the most economically distressed urban areas in the country. First as a teacher and then as a founder and President/CEO of Bethex Federal Credit Union, she helped bring banking to an area that had no banking facilities and no access to credit. The many innovative programs and partnerships offered by Bethex reflect her recognition of the financial, educational, and business needs of the people of the South Bronx and her efforts to meet them. Her work embodies the ideals of community spirit, determination, vision, and cooperation. She is a leader with a quintessentially cooperative spirit. Established by the National Cooperative Business Association, the Cooperative Hall of Fame honors those distinguished individuals whose contributions to cooperative business have been genuinely heroic.