Press

Hoffman of Mechanicsburg named 2014 Credit Union Youth Ambassador of Pennsylvania;

Dill of Erie & DeShong of Dallastown Named Alternates
HARRISBURG,PA (May 27, 2014) — At the 38th Annual Youth Ambassador Contest of Pennsylvania, Lauren Hoffman of Mechanicsburg, representing the Harrisburg Chapter of Credit Unions was named 2014 Credit Union Youth Ambassador of Pennsylvania. The annual statewide contest was held during the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association’s (PCUA) 80th Annual Convention & Expo held recently in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Hoffman, 23, is a Marketing Specialist at AmeriChoice Federal Credit Union, Mechanicsburg. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Elizabethtown College and is a graduate of Dover Area High School, Dover, PA. For the next year, as the Pennsylvania Credit Union Youth Ambassador, Hoffman will represent the PCUA at events.

The First Alternate was awarded to Steven Dill, 25, of Erie. He is employed as a Contact Center Supervisor at Widget Financial, Erie, and represented the Erie Chapter of Credit Unions. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Business Economics and Management from Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

The Second Alternate went to Devan DeShong, 25, of Dallastown. DeShong is a Network Administrator at Frist Capital Federal Credit Union, York, and represented the York Chapter of Credit Unions. He earned an Associate degree in Specialized Business from YTI Career Institute.

Serving as the Master of Ceremonies was Sean McCaffrey of Center Stage Entertainment, New Jersey.

Thirteen finalists won regional contests before advancing to the state finals. The finalists completed a written exam before presenting speeches about credit union topics. A panel of five judges selected the winner, tallying scores from the test, personal interview, and speech.

The contest judges were:

·         Ben Casey, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Credit Union Student Choice, Washington, D.C.;

·         Matt Davis, vo-founder of Sixth Story, Wisconsin;

·         David Martin, Managing Principal, Digital Benefit Advisors Credit Union Services, Georgia;

·         Leigh Philibosian, Account Executive with Visions, Ink, Maryland; and

·         Susan Tachau, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation.

The additional ten contestants were:

·         Beaver Valley Chapter — Harvey Flowers, Jr,. of Wexford and Southern Butler Community Credit Union;

 

·         Lan-Chester Chapter — David Jensen of Elverson and Citadel Federal Credit Union;

 

·         Lehigh Valley Chapter — Chanda Scheetz of Allentown and People First FCU;

 

·         Monongahela Valley Chapter — Marysa Gorski of Belle Vernon and Valley 1st Community FCU;

 

·         Montgomery County Chapter — Charde Culbreath of Conshohocken and U F C W Local 1776 FCU;

 

·         Northeast PA Chapter — Tony Shao of Tunkhannock and P & G Mehoopany Employees FCU;

 

·         Philadelphia Chapter — Chantal Banahene of Hatboro and Freedom Credit Union;

 

·         Pittsburgh Chapter — Alyssa Bombalski of Oakdale and Clearview Federal Credit Union;

 

·         Shortway Chapter —  Jordan Eisman of Brockway and Timberland Federal Credit Union; and

 

·         Susquehanna Valley Chapter — Bryonna Glover of South Williamsport and Wyrope Williamsport Federal Credit Union.

The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association conducts the contest to attract young people to credit unions and to prepare them for leadership roles.  Credit union members between the ages of 17 and 25 compete and are sponsored by the Association’s chapters. The contestants are judged on their knowledge of credit unions and their ability to communicate that knowledge.

Several hundred young people have competed in the Credit Union Youth Ambassador Contest since the early 1970s. Many of the contestants have gone on to hold volunteer and professional positions within the credit union movement.

Credit unions are financial cooperatives that provide affordable financial services to help their owner/members. The Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Credit Union Association is a trade association that provides legislative, promotional, educational, and operational support for nearly 400 credit unions in Pennsylvania. These credit unions have assets in excess of $38 billion and serve more than 3.8 million members. For additional information about credit unions or to find a credit union near you, visit www.ibelong.org.

Photo caption: Lauren Hoffman (center) was recently named the 2014 Credit Union Youth Ambassador of Pennsylvania. Pictured left to right is: First Alternate, Steven Dill; PCUA Board Chair Maria LaVelle; Hoffman; PCUA President & CEO Patrick Conway; and Second Alternate Devan DeShong.

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