ēCO Credit Union has a strong commitment to the communities where our members live, work, and play. Through the #ēCOmmunity program, we are proud to recognize people and community groups who go above and beyond for their community. Each month in 2020, members of the community who embody the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People” will be nominated by ēCO employees to be “Credit Unioned.”
Kathryn Johnson, Branch Manager of the 
Gardendale Branch, nominated Janice Cook to be “Credit Unioned” for the month of September.
Janice Cook taught Art at Huffman High School from 1972 to 1977 and Erwin High School from 1984 to 2010, before retiring from the Jefferson County School System. Kathryn says, “to me, Mrs. Cook is the type of person we need more of. She never tells anyone no; she gives freely of her time to whoever needs it. Mrs. Cook is ēCO’s biggest supporter! She always supports us in every event we have.”
After retiring, Janice returned to the Jefferson County School system as a substitute teacher. She also teaches art classes with the elderly at retirement communities in the areas of Gardendale, Trussville, and Tarrant. Janice also volunteers her time by teaching art classes at the ARC of Jefferson County, painting a wall mural for the City of Oneonta, painting high school mascots on the football fields of various high schools before their season kicks off, and helping members of the community with banners, posters, and signs for various events.
“Mrs. Cook embodies the Credit Union philosophy 
of ‘People Helping People’ by doing just that; she gives her time and her artistic talent to the community selflessly and willingly,” says Kathryn. “She uses her artistic gift to help others, while also bringing beauty to our community. She and her family are not just members of ēCO, but they are truly an extended family to us here at the Gardendale Branch. I have helped Mrs. Cook and her family since 2006, when I became a branch manager, but she has been a member of ēCO for many years before then. As a new branch manager, it meant so much that she put her full trust in me to help her along her financial journey. She became one of my biggest supporters and has continued to support me and ēCO faithfully.”
Kathryn Johnson and the other Gardendale 
Branch employees, Dalana Crowder, Melinda Reese, and Jessie Anthony, were proud to surprise Mrs. Cook with a gift basket with ēCO goodies, as well as a gift card, as a small way to say thank you for her dedication and service to the community.
“This is such a special honor because eCO Credit Union is always doing so much to help us, their members; it is so nice to be chosen for this honor. I feel especially nice because Kathryn is certainly a fabulous manager and has done a lot in the past to help me and my family,” says Janice. “It means a lot to me, because there are big, big banks and big, big financial institutions, but they don’t have the big, big heart that eCO has. This just goes to show it.”
ēCO Credit Union is grateful for Janice Cook’s commitment and her investment in the community. Thank you, Kathryn Johnson, for nominating a community leader like Janice Cook for ēCO’s #ēCOmmunity program. Thank you, Janice, for your leadership, creativity, and dedication to the service of the community!
