Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance award honors Community First for environmental stewardship

Community First Credit Union has been recognized by Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance (FWWA) for assisting its efforts to protect and restore water resources throughout the region where our branches are located. It reflects the credit union’s deep commitment to community and sustainability that goes beyond financial services.

Jeff Schweitzer, a Buildings Project Manager in the Facilities department he led for many years, and Director of Building Operations James Jackson were proud to represent Community First recently when FWWA presented its 2024 Impact Award.

“We were honored for our sustainable strategies and environmentally-friendly amenities Community First has incorporated in our infrastructure over the years," Schweitzer said. “Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is always looking at ways to make the environment better and the waterways cleaner."

FWWA officials cited Community First’s willingness to exceed normal stormwater management requirements with its ponds and a unique parking lot design at the Home Office when it opened in October 2017.

“By using native plantings and permeable pavers at their facilities, they have reduced stormwater runoff while improving water quality,” FWWA officials said. “Community First is leading the way in demonstrating how businesses can adopt eco-friendly practices that positively impact both the community and the environment.”

“The permeable pavers in our home office parking lot keeps any water out of the stormwater system because it filters through into the ground instead of being untreated surface runoff going into the waterways and the Fox River,” Schweitzer said. The nonprofit organization also cited how ponds built at the De Pere and Lake Park branches and the Home Office exceeded requirements to benefit the surrounding environment. “The stormwater runs in the ponds and filters in there,” Schweitzer added. “At the Home Office pond, the pumps shut off after a heavy rain event as the sediment goes to the bottom and the water that discharges is cleaner when it goes into the local waterways.”

“The De Pere pond was a very swampy water hole before we built our branch there,” he said. “Part of building our branch there was to improve that pond and make it a really nice feature on the corner. We took the efforts there to make a huge improvement.”

“For our future (branch) sites, we typically look at adding ponds and we try to line them with riprap, stone boulders and native plantings, which helps control filtering the water out and keeping a clean pond,” Schweitzer said.

Community First was also recognized for encouraging volunteers to assist with local waterway cleanup efforts. A few years ago, Community First began promoting FWWA’s annual spring waterways cleanup day with its Spread the Love radio messages. The event usually drew about 600 volunteers each year but Community Relations Manager Cathy Mutschler said, “Since adding our Spread the Love radio ads, the event attracts more than 1,600 volunteers in an effort to improve the health of our waterways.”

In receiving the award, Schweitzer “shared how my grandpa used to tell me he would drink out of the Fox River years ago as well as swim and play in it because it was so clean.” The FWWA is deserving of praise for its ongoing efforts to make “the waterways better for us now and in the future.”

“Community First is proud to prioritize sustainability in our operations—not only as a commitment to the environment but as a way to give back to the communities we serve,” said Jackson. “We hope our efforts inspire others to take action in preserving our natural resources for generations to come.”